Chris Christie to Heckler: 'Sit Down and Keep Quiet or Get Out'

[Laxman]

29. I Have Problems With This....

Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2014, 07:44 PM - Edit history (1)

and its not so much with Christie. Christie telling a heckler to be quiet isn't news. It really isn't. Its part of his stock & trade. After watching the video, this wasn't even vintage Christie bully-mode behavior. He's listening to a question from the woman and this guy is yelling over the questioner. This was not the typical over-the-top rude Christie behavior. Whatever this guy was yelling didn't even make it to the tape. Then he goes outside and identifies himself as being "affiliated" with the Working Family Alliance. Those are the folks who filed the ethics complaint about Samson. Serious people with real policy credentials and clout who have been on the front lines battling Christie when most others have been afraid to. Their representatives don't behave this way. But now to the public, they're "represented" by some guy shouting out-of-turn at Christie from the audience.

Getting into one of these "town hall" meetings is a fete in and of itself. Christie has made a point of saying he's never been asked about Bridgegate or any other scandals at these meetings. That has been by design. The crowds are restricted as much as possible to make them "safe". Instead of using this coup as an opportunity to actually ask Christie direct questions this guy yells incoherently and makes himself a prop for Christie. So, instead of making a real headline by asking Christie the questions he's been ducking for months now you get a YouTube moment that is filed along with the dozens of other instances of similar behavior. Its of zero value.

The woman's question-regarding Abbott Districts- was a Christie softball designed to allow him to spout about sending school aid to distressed districts. Every thing about these town halls is contrived. The requisite old guys with their American Legion hats, sympathetic family types...the entire crowd is a choreographed part of the show. I actually have to question the legitimacy of the heckler-to the point that I would inquire if he was a plant from Christie's side- because this was way more damaging than helpful in making Christie accountable in the public eye.

If this guy was legit, he blew an opportunity to ask Christie a hard well-thought out question that would have made it to the tape-and Christie would have either answered or ducked it-either way the point would have been made. Instead there's just a YouTube video of Christie telling a rude guy to be quiet.