CHRISTIE PRESIDENTIAL ANNOUNCEMENT A PRELUDE TO JULY 4th FIREWORKS
By Louis Manzo / June 25, 2015
In all likelihood, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will make known his intention to seek the GOP’s nomination for President of the United States in the days leading up to July 4th.
It would be optimum timing for such an announcement. Given the furious pace of candidates [13 as of this writing] who have made known their intentions to compete in the Republican field. The days preceding and over a holiday weekend are typically slow news cycles and it would give such an announcement a greater shot at grabbing and maintaining a presence in news headlines before, during, and after the holiday break.
Such a timeline [as I had predicted during the course of numerous radio, TV, and web interviews the past year regarding my book, Ruthless Ambition], would fit Christie’s style of attempting to mimic his hero of convenience, Ronald Reagan. To borrow from former Democratic Vice-presidential nominee, Lloyd Bentsen: Trust me, Chris Christie is no Ronald Reagan!
On a September 1, 1980 Labor Day, President Reagan kicked off his 1980 fall campaign—having already secured the GOP’s nomination—with a speech in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty at Jersey City’s Liberty State Park.
Don’t be surprised if Christie were to pick the same or similar setting for his announcement [latest news leaks place the setting at his former high school—Livingston—where he served as class president]. Look for the speech to focus on patriotism and uniting the country. Reagan’s Labor Day speech focused on the staggering loss of American jobs during President Carter’s administration and the need to restore the country to greatness.
There had been much speculation of late as to whether or not Christie was going to run, given his poor performance in polling and the Bridgegate scandal circling his potential candidacy like an albatross. With such a large field seeking the GOP nomination [Christie would be the 14th candidate to enter the fray], it would take a very small movement of polling percentages to land him in the top tier of contenders. Bridgegate, as I will detail in a future blog, is being orchestrated by Christie allies in the Department of Justice. Christie has nothing to fear from the United States Attorney’s Office investigation—federal prosecutors do not eat their own.
So, given Christie’s ability to out politic any of his opponents, the New Jersey Governor opted to take a shot. Further evidence of Christie’s intentions could be gleaned from the hiring of additional staff by a New Hampshire PAC supporting his efforts. Additionally, Christie needs to insure that he qualifies as part of the entourage that will participate in FOX’s first round of candidate debates.
Light the fuse.
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