Chris Christie: New Jersey’s Muscle

We knew before last week that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was a wily politician—a brash, at times bullying figure whose tone was nonetheless in tune, for the most part, with the state he’s led since January 2010. What Hur­ricane Sandy proved was that Christie is a master anti-politician as well. As he ran the response, toured the wreckage, and comforted residents who lost their homes in the storm, he turned the full blast of his fire-hydrant personality on anyone who dared to talk politics at a time like this. Asked if bit concerned or interest­ed.” He described Obama as “incredibly support­ive,” then embraced him on the tarmac in Atlantic City. Not everyone was happy about Christie putting politics on pause right before the election. “Is it wrong for one man to love another man?” Rush Limbaugh asked, mocking the bipartisan disaster response. But then Limbaugh had posed the same question back in 2010. His answer then? “Because I love Chris Christie.” For most of us last week, the Old Rush had it right.