Whether it was during his recent State of the State address or during his travels across the nation and around the world, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has made no secret of his ambition to be President. At the same time, it is no secret that New Jersey is still facing serious situational and structural problems that have yet to be fully addressed.
PolitickerNJ went into the streets of New Jersey, this time to the bellwether county of Bergen, to ask a question some Garden State residents have on their minds: Has Gov. Christie abandoned New Jersey?
“I don’t think he technically abandoned New Jersey, but there are things he should be looking into instead of focusing all of that energy into running for President. There are still things to be done in New Jersey. Try graduating and trying to find a job – that’s a huge disadvantage for kids getting out of college right now.”
Manuel Barreiro, 25, North Bergen
“I wouldn’t necessarily say abandoned, but he doesn’t have as much attention on New Jersey as he does on other places. Things like taxes, that aren’t as bad as in other places, you see problems in New Jersey. You need to have a full-time focus on these problems.’
Mariby Canela, 18, Edgewater
“I think Chris Christie is for Chris Christie and no one else. New Jersey has the slowest rate of recovery from the recession of any state in the Union, and he’s flying all over the country. He’s a buffoon, in my opinion.”
Rita Lyons, 40 plus, Edgewater
“He’s abandoned New Jersey because his aspiration is to become President, and he’s counting to some degree on his larger-than-life persona. His persona and responses can be crude, but people kind of get off on it. People think that in his crudeness, there is some degree on intelligence. The reality is, he’s definitely not that intelligent. He’s made some really bad mistakes, especially with [questions about the distribution of post-Hurricane Sandy aid in] and Bridgegate. He’s given up on New Jersey. His track record speaks for itself. There is really nothing here that he’s really fixed.”
Steve Sussman, 68, Cliffside Park
“I’ve travelled to other states, and I don’t think we have it that bad. There is always going to be good and bad. There are always winners and losers. I just feel that there are slightly more winners than there are losers in New Jersey.”
Sam Nasab, 28, Edgewater
“I feel like he’s still doing his job. He still is the governor.”
