When President Obama visited the Garden State shortly after Superstorm Sandy hit the Jersey Shores, Governor Chris Christie praised the president for his help during a time of immense distress. “Get the hell off the beach!” was what most GOP operatives were expecting. “Thanks, President,” Christie said instead.
Republican operatives are still angry, blaming Governor Christie's lavishing praise for President Obama's reelection. In reality, Governor Mitt Romney was a good man, a great father, and the best candidate out of a mediocre bunch. 24 million Republicans did not turn out to vote November 6, a statistic caused neither by Governor Christie nor Superstorm Sandy.
I refuse to believe that Christie threw Romney under the bus one week before the election, since he had campaigned extensively for Mitt long before the rest of the Republican Party supported him. The week before the election, Christie was more concerned about his state and the people he governs, and the country should be thankful for his brief showing of bipartisanship during that very difficult time. The governor should be praised for respecting his priorities.
Two weeks after the election, and the residents of his state still don’t have enough gas or adequate housing. Governor Chris Christie is celebrating Thanksgiving with the people of New Jersey, who two years in a row have been ravaged by torrential weather storms. My prayers go out to all New Jerseyans, that everyone of them will be able to enjoy a happy Thanksgiving in spite of their constrained circumstances.