Disrespecting the Candidates

For John, BLUF:  This is going to be an ugly presidential campaign period.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Remember former US Rep Barney Frank, from our Fair Commonwealth?  He is the one who asked a constituent, in response to a question, "On what planet do you spend most of your time?"  Here is a reference.

Wednesday The New Yorker had an article by Reporter John Cassidy, What Planet Is Chris Christie Living On?

It wasn't funny when Rep Frank used the phrase and it isn't funny with regard to Governor Christie, who was announcing for the Presidency that day.  I admit that Governor Christie is not my choice, but still, this title is a little harsh.

Here is the lede:

Chris Christie can yak; we all know that.  At one point during the Bridgegate scandal, which derailed his Presidential hopes, he stood at the podium for what seemed like an entire morning answering questions, until, finally, the Trenton press corps ran out of things to ask.  He didn’t say much, of course, except to repeat his denial that he knew anything about the Nixonian shenanigans his chief of staff and top political adviser had apparently been up to in Fort Lee, where his administration stood accused of reducing the number of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge in order to punish the town’s mayor for opposing the governor’s reëlection.  But at a moment when many politicians would have stayed out of view, Christie stood there and talked, and talked, and talked, his very presence indicating that, however bad things got, he intended to tough it out.

While I am not pushing Governor Christie, I do respect the fact that he is willing to go toe to toe with the Press. That is more than we can say for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Regards  —  Cliff