I lived in NYC in the 1980s and 90s. In 1989 I voted for David Dinkins (D) and his wonderful mosaic over Rudy Guiliani (R) to replace Ed Koch (a closet Republican) as mayor of New York. And while the mosaic was a laudable goal and the mayor a nice human being, I wised up enough by 1993 to realize the city needed some tough love and voted for Guiliani. This wasn't a vote against President Clinton, it was a vote against Mayor Dinkins and a vote for NYC's future. And while I didn't always agree with him, felt his tough talk and willingness to tackle the status quo were a big help in finally reforming NYC. I'm not sure what would have happened if he had left for higher office a few years later, when his star was already rising due to an improving NYC.
Fast forward to the last few years. Now I'm older, larger (side note: I have to admit that Governor Christie has inspired me to head to to the gym and drop 50 pounds this last year or so) and live in NJ. While I generally lean left, I voted for Chris Christie in 2009, despite my wife being a state worker, because I felt the state needed a new direction, even though this is proving to not have been in my family's best interests as our health care costs, among other things, are soon to rise as the state workforce gets what is essentially a salary reduction (I generally support this, the benefits were fun while they lasted). This wasn't a vote against President Obama (D), it was a vote against Governor Corzine (D) and a vote for NJ's future. And while I don't agree with all the Governor has done (aside from the teachers, I think he's been too tough on the average worker, not tough enough on the political bosses and their legal corruption and is probably more conservative than I like), I feel the state is moving in the right direction, away from its pay to play past. But we're not there yet and I worry the state will fall back into the mess it was without his bully pulpit (and it already seems whatever reform he was starting to accomplish has fallen by the wayside as he makes more speeches around the country).
That said, if you substitute Obama for Dinkins, I find myself looking at the 2012 presidential election the same way I looked at the 1993 mayoral election. The difference being I don't see one candidate who looks electable and that I would prefer over Obama (who is practically a closet Rockefeller Republican anyway). The current crop seem to be .22 caliber minds in a .357 Magnum world. And it is this that cause's me to worry -- not so much for the future of the country (unless one of the current candidates actually manages to defeat President Obama), but the future of my state.
It takes a long time to pull all the weeds from the garden and to make sure they don't come back. Just as I basically underwent a lifestyle change in diet and exercise to lose (and still losing) my weight and improve my health, it won't keep unless I stay with it. Letting things slide back to the way they were after just a few years won't be good for my health and, if the Governor were to be elected President, for my state's health.
Is Christie the answer for the GOP and for the country? Maybe. He seems more into what is bothering the average voter (it's the economy stupid, not whether you were nice to illegal immigrants once or are a gay soldier). But, fortunately for NJ (let me finish liberals), the country doesn't tend to vote for politicians like him (loud, fairly honest etc) to be President. Theodore Roosevelt, Harry Truman come to mind, but they got their first terms by being the VP when the President died. And then I have to wonder if running for President would show Christie to be more Koch brothers puff like Texas Gov. Rick Perry over substance like ... well almost any other Republican not currently running for President.
But, back to my initial point, NJ is still fragile. We've only had a few years of a leader telling us what we need to hear. We need a few more. As Governor Andrew Cuomo of NY, son of one of NY's most liberal governors, Mario Cuomo, has shown, this tough talk doesn't have to come from the right. Unfortunately NJ doesn't have anybody else, right or left, like Christie who will tell us what we need to hear (and I know he pulls some punches to suit his political needs). Hopefully the Governor realizes that what plays well in NJ, where our politics is somewhat descended from the NJ docks, plus Philadelphia and New York, may not play well across the nation.
PS - though some may read this post as my blasting Christie with some comments about his conservative friends, it should really be read as my blasting other NJ politicians.
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