HANOVER -Possessed of attitude as a New Jersey native, in his words, Chris Christie accepts his party's nomination tonight, vowing to unleashthat unbridled brand of New Jersey into the Statehouse when he beats Gov. Jon Corzine in November.
"I think he's a good man and I think he's well-intentioned but he's simply wrong for this job," says an energized Christie, who later calls Corzine simply a bad governor. "He's made choices that have plunged New Jersey deeper into debt" and driven jobs outside the state.
Corzinewill retaliate with a big injection of money.
"He's going to call me a Republican, well, I think that cat's out of the bag, next, he's going to try to manufacture scandal where none exists – but remember, this is the same Jon Corzine who endorsed me for U.S. Attorney and endorsed everything I did over the last seven years," he says.
Speaking in front of a Bruce-infused crowd of supporters in the Marriott, Christie strikes Jersey power chords early, promising to be a "very different governor, and to listen more and lecture less…not raise people's taxes each and every year."
Corzine "over-promised and under-delivered," he tells the crowd, which loves him.
"We're proud of you, Chris," a woman screams.
He stays focused on the sitting governor and his failings, setting himself up as an authentic homegrown product with his wife and four children at his side onstage.
"If we can get back to the basics, we can restore the hope and the trust," he says. "It's what I did as U.S. Attorney, and it's what I'll do as governor. …We must choose to put aside partisanship in favor of results."
Christie says he will confrontwhat he cites as the failings of the state's inner city schools.
He promises to create "a place where grandparents can come to socccer games and school playsby car from within New Jersey, not by airplane from Florida," Christie says.
The GOP nominee urges a refrain from negative campaigning.
"There is simply no time to waste on the politics of yesterday," he says to applause.
After beating Steve Lonegan tonight, Christie praises his passion early in his speech, and welcomes him to the cause of defeating the governor.
"I invite Steve and all of his supporters to take New Jersey back," says Christie.
"Born to Run" built Christie up, "The Rising" brought him out, and now he closes again with "Born to Run" as the crowd unleashes a long cry of happinessamid the fluttering Christie campaign signs.
