Let’s face it: when it comes to politics and voting, we all come down on one of two sides: Democrat or Republican. Very rarely do we cross party lines when voting. It is just the way voters tend to be wired. Unless something drastic happens to change your mind and therefore your vote, you stick with the party you know.
I will be very, very honest with you. I am a liberal. Born and raised. That is something that is not going to change, probably, anytime soon. The few times I have voted, I have voted blue. I almost voted red in the last Governor’s race. Why? Because Gov. Chris Christie almost changed my mind.
When he first took office, uttering Gov. Christie’s name in my house was like asking for a fight. You see, Mom is a public employee. She is a librarian who felt the property tax cap at two percent. This meant no raises for her or her fellow librarians. She also felt the backlash of Gov. Christie’s negative attitude toward public workers. I cannot tell you how many times she came home from work, reeling from the hostile attitudes people would give her. “My tax dollars pay your salary,” is something she hears regularly.
There are other reasons why Gov. Christie and I do not see eye to eye, but I was willing to put all that aside after Hurricane Sandy. ber 2013, and the following months were terrifying, hard, and left permanent scars. Governor Christie conducted himself with grace and his usual “take no prisoners” attitude. And when he stood in front of Congress and told them that they should be ashamed for stalling the relief money…he had my vote.That moment changed my mind because he proved that he could be fair – that he could be bipartisan, and that he really worked for the people of New Jersey.
Then, Governor Christie vetoed the gay marriage bill, something that is near and dear to my heart. And then he vetoed the medical marijuana bill, something that I have recently come to support because of the benefits it offers patients. And when I stood in that voting booth…well…I voted my issues.
Now, Governor Christie is facing two very big scandals: the Fort Lee bridge closing and the misappropriation of Hurricane Sandy funds. It is my opinion that Governor Christie can survive one scandal, but two just might be his undoing. Americans tend to have a very short memory, but politicians have proved to have a very long memory. And politicians hold grudges. I sincerely hope that Governor Christie had no knowledge of the bridge closing and that he fired all of the people who had something to do with the closing. That will help his chances if it turns out he misused Hurricane Sandy relief funds. And if he did misuse the funds, I hope that he misused them on items that can be returned so that those people, who still need help, stand a chance at getting some of that money. And I also hope that he did not “bully” fellow politicians into sacrificing their beliefs for funds. This scandal, in particular, may be the anchor that pulls Governor Christie down. Why do I say that? Because his friends already in political office are jumping ship faster than he can say, “I had no knowledge of that.”
He might be able to stay on as governor of New Jersey, but I think his chances at the White House just got slimmer. Especially because he keeps acting as if it were business as usual. Did you know he recently vetoed a bill that would make it easier for college students to pay tuition. You would think Governor Christie would throw us a bone, if only to help himself. Voters can be very forgiving. Former President Bill Clinton is proof of that. But Governor Christie is going to have to sweeten the pot if he wants his political career to continue. Show me, Governor Christie, that man who stood up in front of Congress. Show me that man who admitted that President Barack Obama was doing an OK job. Show me what you are willing to do for me, and maybe you can have my vote if you progress to the White House. Until then, Governor Christie, this die hard, educated, liberal feminist is going to stay nice and blue.
