November 2009 marked a year since Barack Obama had descended upon the country with Republicans in full retreat, tails tucked between their legs. It was Obama's world now, the second coming of the Democrats, and the Pelosi-Reid Agenda was in full throttle. Then like a shot in the dark, the illusion of the all powerful Democrats was shattered like a shot in the dark when an attorney from New Jersey captured the New Jersey Governor's Mansion. Chris Christie (R-NJ) became the first Republican to win a state wide election in New Jersey in twelve years. This was the shot heard around the world and all around the nation Republicans awoke from their slumber and depression; a new day had dawned. Following Christie's example Republicans began making gains the with the capstone being Scott Brown's (R-MA) victory in his race to take the late Senator Ted Kennedy's seat. Now Chris Christie is at it again, making waves, and fighting the good fight to once again awaken the Republican Party as well as the nation to the power of derisive and divisive language.
The Showdown
So why do I like Chris Christie? Well its simple really, it all began with a heckler. Being a popular Republican governor, Mr. Christie was attending a campaign event for his counterpart in the California gubernatorial race, former EBay CEO Meg Whitman (R-CA), in an attempt to help her gain momentum in the hotly contested race. Just as Mrs. Whitman was finishing her remarks a man in the front row began screaming at her. Reportedly, the man screamed something along the lines of:
"What are you hiding? You are looking like Arnold in a dress."
Now this is insulting to both parties involved, obviously the man has bad vision because Whitman is noticeably less muscular than the 'Govenator'. But it is also illustrates the divide that Whitman faces, she has to both live down an unpopular Republican governor and also defeat a former governor seeking a third term. But here is what has endeared Chris Christie to me, and hopefully to the reader as well. Almost immediately after the words had left the mans mouth, Christie jumped up and roared back.
"You want to yell, yell at me, but don't give her a hard time. It's people who raise their voices and yell and scream like you that are dividing this country, we're here to bring this country together- not to divide it."
Not only was Chris Christie a gentleman by defending Meg Whitman from a rude and callous man in the crowd, but he also voiced a concern that I have spoken about countless time. Divisive language and inflammatory rhetoric has degraded American politics from something that was respectable, a gentleman's sport, to something that now resembles the atrocity known as British politics. His call for a less divide nation should be heeded by both parties. Inflammatory language and outright lies have dominated this election cycle, with most politicians seeming to forget that bringing the country together and actually governing for the people and by the people is the reason we are all here in the first place. So please, put away the pitch forks, douse the torches, and get the mobs a prescription for Xanex. The witch hunts ended years ago and the good people of Salem, Massachusetts taught us all that witches are "not nor have ever been" real (unless you live in Delaware.)
Spelling it Out
The point is that if we are not careful, American politics will be hijacked by the hate mongers, muckrakers if you will. The American people must demand more from their elected officials because petty politics it was has dug us into this whole. More attention was being paid to winning elections, stirring controversy, and extramarital affairs than was being given to actually governing our great nation. Frankly, we deserve better but until we all wake up we won't get it. It truly is as if we the people are just sitting on our hands as our elected officials are spitting in our faces. So I say stand up. Stand with me, stand with Chris Christie, stand with whom ever, but please take a stand.
Later,
Cody
(Photo: Courtesy of the Associated Press)
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