Willie Sutton
Member
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2013
- Messages
- 2,025
^^ Precisely.
I think you need to have lived there to really understand all of the nuances.
Christie made his mark locking up corrupt NJ State officials, with a 100% conviction rate. He's basically a good guy, but is a product of the environment as well. There's no such thing as a pro second amendment "winner in any political race" in NJ. The best that folks can hope for is a neutral. Christie has NOT signed any of the bills that are of serious concern to the *engaged second amendment activists in NJ* (who I stay in very close contact with, having been one myself for decades). They realize that the balancing act is being done, and that if Christie put a veto on the entire set of bills sent to him that he would have zero chance in future NJ politics (meaning that the Dems would regain control of the statehouse). Since their position already sucks, sticking on a few "feel good" but irrelevent bills while not taking action on the "harmful" ones is about as good as they can realistically hope for. The bottom line is that it's a choice for NJ gunowners to either suck this one up, or have a TRULY anti in that chair after the next election cycle. Think it's bad now? The NJ Dems would be falling over themselves to beat NY and Connecticut in the race to extinguish any private ownership of anything other than a single shot .22
Realpolitik is a fact.. and this is an example. If Christie vetoed the entire thing, NJ would be even more screwed soon than it is right now. You need to think the long game.
NJ's best hope is that the latest CCW case goes to SCOTUS and is won. Ten years after that when CCW holders aren't shooting up the streets, there is a possibility that the general firearms culture in NJ politics might swing. But for now... this is what it is.
Personally, and this is from being one step removed from Christie (I know several of his staffers), I really don't think he's seriously interested in running for national office. He said no last time, and I don't really think much has changed. He seems happy to be doing a good job in NJ, and I think he knows that you cannot "really" succeed as President in this day and age. I don't think he wants to fail, and I think (and hope) he will stay where he is. I know that many NJ conservatives and libertarians are trying to discourage him from a national play: He's far too valuable to NJ right where he sits today. NJ's problems are architectural, and until those issues are taken care of there will be zero advance towards the "sideshow" of second amendment politics. He's working on the public employee union issues, terrible education issues, and corruption issues. Let him do that and maybe we can then get some decent representation in the statehouse. Only when the statehouse is secure can the issues that we really want to discuss here can come to the fore. Right now he's bailing a sinking ship and tossing lifeboat rations into the raft.
So don't throw stones at Christie. He's in a VERY VERY VERY hard place to do a good job. He's doing OK. NJ has a choice between him and those who are 100% on the other side of our belief system. It's what it is. Nobody closer to what we want would stand a remote chance of election.
Willie
.
I think you need to have lived there to really understand all of the nuances.
Christie made his mark locking up corrupt NJ State officials, with a 100% conviction rate. He's basically a good guy, but is a product of the environment as well. There's no such thing as a pro second amendment "winner in any political race" in NJ. The best that folks can hope for is a neutral. Christie has NOT signed any of the bills that are of serious concern to the *engaged second amendment activists in NJ* (who I stay in very close contact with, having been one myself for decades). They realize that the balancing act is being done, and that if Christie put a veto on the entire set of bills sent to him that he would have zero chance in future NJ politics (meaning that the Dems would regain control of the statehouse). Since their position already sucks, sticking on a few "feel good" but irrelevent bills while not taking action on the "harmful" ones is about as good as they can realistically hope for. The bottom line is that it's a choice for NJ gunowners to either suck this one up, or have a TRULY anti in that chair after the next election cycle. Think it's bad now? The NJ Dems would be falling over themselves to beat NY and Connecticut in the race to extinguish any private ownership of anything other than a single shot .22
Realpolitik is a fact.. and this is an example. If Christie vetoed the entire thing, NJ would be even more screwed soon than it is right now. You need to think the long game.
NJ's best hope is that the latest CCW case goes to SCOTUS and is won. Ten years after that when CCW holders aren't shooting up the streets, there is a possibility that the general firearms culture in NJ politics might swing. But for now... this is what it is.
Personally, and this is from being one step removed from Christie (I know several of his staffers), I really don't think he's seriously interested in running for national office. He said no last time, and I don't really think much has changed. He seems happy to be doing a good job in NJ, and I think he knows that you cannot "really" succeed as President in this day and age. I don't think he wants to fail, and I think (and hope) he will stay where he is. I know that many NJ conservatives and libertarians are trying to discourage him from a national play: He's far too valuable to NJ right where he sits today. NJ's problems are architectural, and until those issues are taken care of there will be zero advance towards the "sideshow" of second amendment politics. He's working on the public employee union issues, terrible education issues, and corruption issues. Let him do that and maybe we can then get some decent representation in the statehouse. Only when the statehouse is secure can the issues that we really want to discuss here can come to the fore. Right now he's bailing a sinking ship and tossing lifeboat rations into the raft.
So don't throw stones at Christie. He's in a VERY VERY VERY hard place to do a good job. He's doing OK. NJ has a choice between him and those who are 100% on the other side of our belief system. It's what it is. Nobody closer to what we want would stand a remote chance of election.
Willie
.
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