Governor Chris Christie announced his presidential run today at his former high school in Livingtson, New Jersey. His speech included elements of his autobiography and then transitioned into Christie saying that he’ll continue to tell it as it is. The campaign slogan affirms that with “Telling It Like It Is.” In his speech, Christie said, “I mean what I say and I say what I mean, and that’s what America needs right now.”
The former Republican Governors Association chairman struck a moderate tone in his speech that could play well in a general election, but do little or hurt in a primary. He talked about bipartisanship, “We have no choice but to work together, this country needs to work together again, not against each other.” He also blamed both parties for the state of America, “And both parties, both parties have failed our country, both parties have stood in the corner and held their breath and waited to get their way. Both parties have led us to believe that in America, a country that was built on compromise, that somehow now compromise is a dirty word.”
The New Jersey Republican went to New Hampshire following his announcement Monday for a town hall. Christie has been betting his presidential campaign on those two elements, New Hampshire and town halls. Moderates have traditionally done well in the state and it typically offers refuge for candidates who don’t perform as well in the Iowa caucus. Town halls are a favorite of Christie’s as they allow him to be combative (part of his public image) and interact directly with voters.
Christie currently hovers around four percent in the national polling and his inclusion in the first debate on Fox News is in his question. Fox News will allow the top ten places in the debate.