Back in the day, New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie issued a statement to refute his opponents’ accusation that The Great One was a gun hugger: “Christie supports the assault weapons ban and all current gun laws. He opposes attempts to permit conceal and carry laws in New Jersey — hardly the NRA position.” That was 2009. Seven years later, our post NJ Gov. Chris Christie: An Anti-Gunner is Just a Lawyer Who Hasn’t Served Seven Years as a Federal Prosecutor explained the now-presidential candidate’s change of heart. Well his version. Well one version. Appearing on Face the Nation, confronted with that anti-pistol epistle, Christie revised both the motivation for and chronology of his newfound — although still unconsummated — love of gun rights . . .
“Again, John, you know you learn about these things over time, and I’ve learned about this overtime in New Jersey. I’ve grown up in a culture, in our state, of very, very vigorous anti-gun laws. And so I’ve traveled the country as RGA chairman, as I’ve traveled the country as governor, I’ve learned a great deal about this and my actions as governor of New Jersey have been exactly where I think they need to be.”
But not where gun rights advocates think they should be. I mean, should have been. Wait. Christie’s still Governor, right? Let’s go with “should be.” While The New York Times article on Christies “evolution” on gun rights concludes that the Gov’s transition is complete, is it?
The central question: would Christie throw gun rights under the bus if he was President? Or abandon them like he abandoned a high calorie diet? Like Donald Trump, Chris Christie is a gun rights Johnny-come-lately. So . . . too little too late? One way or the other, we shall see.
Don’t trust him, he would cross his own mother to get a vote!
Sounds like…every politician ever. Personally I’m hoping for Hillary POTUS, Jeb for VPOTUS and this guy can work in the kitchen. Some things are beyond fixing and must be tossed, burnt down or left to crumble and rot. A Clinton/Bush ticket would take us there fastest I believe.
You sir, just want to watch the world burn
will there be snacks?
Not if you put Christie in the kitchen. At least, not for anybody else.
he would cross his own mother to get a vote!
He would cross his own mother to get a sandwich.
In the unlikely event that he ends up the nominee, I’d rather him than Hillary.
Look what all those one issue voters did for us in the last two elections.
Well, Governor, how about signing an executive order in NJ instructing the State Police to start issuing ccw permits forthwith, and recognize all other states permits….The process is already in place and he knows it. It would not take more than a stroke of the pen to make it happen. He’s not going to do jack squat.
The state police do not issue handgun carry permits. They can only issue retired officer carry permits.
Handgun carry permits are issued by circuit court judges, and the NJ gov has no say in what they do.
The various police departments prepare the permit applications and control the process. Right now, the permits rarely, if ever make it to a judge.
The police and prosecutors have a say; however, the decision 200% rest with the judge.
Yeah but aren’t those very Judges appointed by the Governor? That might be something to hold over their head, every prosecutor wants to be a Judge and every Judge wants to be an appellate Justice. I know in New York State where I live the authority is PRIMARILY with County Courts (equivelent of circuit courts) (or the commissioner of NYPD in NYC *sigh*) but under state law issuing authority is given to the superintendent of the state police or his delegates
No, the governor does not replace all judges with who he wants, he can fill vacancies and he should have used that as a litmus test.
And your info on NY is incorrect. The state police only issue permits to retired state police under penal code 400.01.
The state police will recertify permits every 5 years, but that has no bearing on the conditions of your county issued license.
Hippos rarely change their wrinkles.
North Eastern politicians are fruit of a poison tree. There is insufficient evidence at this point to conclude that any politician of prominence in those urban areas could possibly be pro-gun to any real degree; we all know the attitude does not happen on its own, and requires certain ingredients to form. NJ has effectively eliminated those, and carefully selects only favorably-minded politicians to its highest halls of power. Christie has lived his whole life in an area hostile to guns, got his position by promising to ban guns, has upheld enforcement of gun bans, and now we’re supposed to believe he has seen the light and is on our side, despite there being no clear event or cause for this to happen. Ridiculous. I refuse to let our nation be fooled again by this idiocy.
The GOP has its share of Grubers who think you’re all morons, also; never forget that.
The GOP has its very large share of Grubers who think you’re all morons, also; never forget that.
Can you smell that? Ah yes, the familiar odor of bullshit.
When I was fighting a casino proposal in my town, a local politician was against it when it was in his district, but when the location was moved to a different district he then approved it. When asked about the change he was quoted in the paper saying “I did not change my mind, I changed my position.”
I immediately wrote the paper, and was my response was published the next day: “Thanks for confirming that your position has nothing to do with your mind.”
Don’t trust Christie!
Nice! Solid comment.
Christie has been governor since, what, 2009? Can anybody name any initiative of his, anything at all coming from him that would relax the insanely restrictive NJ gun laws? I don’t mean vetoing legislation proposed by the Democrats. That’s good and all, but I want something that he did on his on volition for gun owners. Is that crickets I hear?
Christie has had plenty of time to at least TRY to get rid of the AWB, or to make carry permits available to people other than cops and his buddies. Or perhaps getting rid of or changing the FOID and pistol purchase requirements. He has done nothing to remedy any of that, nothing. But if I’m wrong, by all means, go ahead and prove me wrong. I don’t think you can. Christie is a typical career politician. And he’s no friend of the 2A.
The central question: would Christie throw gun rights under the bus if he was President?
Yes, he would.
Well I see where Rand Paul is relegated to the kids table and Mr. New Joisey is firmly in the big-boys party. So I guess lying your azz off works-figuratively and literally. Big Boy IS entertaining tho’…
Exactly – a Republican candidate like Rand Paul loudly defends the constitution every chance he gets, and gets relegated to the kid table. Meanwhile the law and order bullshit candidate like Chris Christie – eager to blow more shit up, pick a fight with Russia, and plant a listening device up everyone’s ass – is somehow afforded credibility on “national security issues”. Paul actually has some issues of his own but it’s still a sad comment on the party.
Pandering panda pardons pistols?
Ackhem. He’s pandering. Aaaaaand kinda looks like a panda.
Never answers the question about a “sporting rifle ban”, my change in language from AWB.
Would he be my first choice? Hell no! Would I vote for him over Hillary The Clinton Beast? Hell yes!
Anyone is better than Hillary.
I wouldn’t vote for Hillary over him, but I would stay home. If we’re going to have a progressive in the White House, I’d rather the other side own it than Christie making all the progressive moves in the Republicans’ name.
Honestly Christie, Huckabee, Santorum, and Crazydoc are the four candidates where I might vote for the libertarian candidate instead. It’s throwing your vote away but oh well. The jury is still out on Trump for me.
Why even keep reporting what Christie says or does? He’s less than a sideshow in this race.
And that ladies and gentlemen is why Trump leads the pack. He communicates using coherent statements. You may or may not like what he says but least you know what he is talking about.
Let’s just say that if gun rights were between Christie and a Twinkie, well, I’d be worried.
If the anti gun people had a doughnut, and Christie were hungry…
Still better than Hillary “Hitler” Clinton, but then so is a paper sack full of dog sh!t with a random name written on it.
I hate Fatty McFattenstein Chris Christie. He’s the worse kind of law and order Republican. I’ve been a registered Republican for 26 years, and Chris Christie makes me want to say the hell with it and vote for the Libertarian.
“The central question: would Christie throw gun rights under the bus if he was President? Or abandon them like he abandoned a high calorie diet?”
Christe did not abandon his diet. Gastric bypass doesn’t change a persons mind, it’s an invasive procedure imposed on the body to correct calorie stuffing his pie hole. Look both ways and don’t cross a street if a bus is along your path.
Frankly, it’s the phrase “like he abandoned a high calorie diet” that bewilders me. Is this some sort of double-secret meta-reverse-sarcasm, or did the writer fumble the concept of “abandoning a low-calorie diet”? If Christie ever abandoned a high-calorie diet, I shudder to think of what he must have abandoned it in favor of.
3 reasons not to trust Chris “Krispy Kreme” Christie:
1) He’s 100% RINO
2) He’s a politicritter from a blue state
3) See reason #1
I might, and let me reiterate that, might, think about him if he immediately did the following.
Allow constitutional carry in NJ.
Recognize any person from any state to constitutional carry.
Remove any ban from any firearm or ammunition in NJ.
So in other words. He can eff off.
I’d go with having a track record of actually doing anything actionable for gun rights in his state, which does not seem to be close to the truth.
We could believe that convenient story. Or we could live in reality.
Ted Cruz. Why bother with anyone else?
That’s kind of where I’m heading.
Lock him and the Don in a dark room and dont open the door until you hear a loud burp.
Crispy keeps saying “listen” like he thinks we’re hard of hearing. The point is we did listen and we know he’s lying.
I am in NJ, if not him we would have 10 rounds mags limits law last year, he is not perfect but still better than all other liberals in this state.