I'm from NJ and can understand the appeal of Christie, at least initially

[Fuzz]

He is refreshingly plain spoken. For example he said just now, paraphrasing I don't have the personality for the number two position. He also is self deprecating about his weight and doesn't get all defensive all the time.

If one doesn't pay attention too closely to him and just sees that, you might like him. I live here though and see the way his policies hurt working people and aid the wealthy, the way he lies and bullies, etc.

[LiberalEsto]

1. He may be plain-spoken

but what he says is all crap. Like calling teachers "thugs".

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I'm also from Jersey. And he enacted policies that he NEVER mentioned

during his campaign. He was the alternative to Jon Corzine and that seemed to be enough at the time.

[Fuzz]

6. Yup. But again, if you don't pay close attention to politics, you wouldn't even know that.

You would just see him on days like today when they play the press conference 'greatest hits'.

[C_U_L8R]

3. And he just doesn't stop talking...

about himself.

[skypilot]

4. I live in Philly...

...and have only seen him on TV a few times but the one time that I can't get out of my head is when he was on some talk show and a woman called in to ask how he could justify cutting funding to public schools when he sends his kids to private school. His obnoxious, blustery "It's none of your business where I send my kids to school" response is really all I need to know about him.

[tridim]

5. Just don't ask him about his school choices.

[vi5]

7. Also from NJ and I agree.....

Again, as you point out correctly you can't pay too close attention to his policies.

My parents are moderately liberal Dems. My mom has basically said to me in so many words "When I look at all that he's cut I don't agree with EVERYTHING. But he's blunt about it, and after all SOMETHING has to be done."

The problem is, far too many Democratic voters and more specifically politicians have bought into and fed into the "There's a problem and SOMETHING needs to be done!" narrative. And once you've allowed that to establish as conventional wisdom, then the one who is really willing to do "SOMETHING" is the one who gets credit.

[soleft]

8. I made 31 bucks off his Get the Hell off the Beach bluster.

I also find his persona appealing, but then I'm a Jets fan. Of all the potential nominees he's the only one I thought could beat Obama. So, glad he's not running. Now let's get Corey Booker to knock him off in 2013.

[Fuzz]

10. Jets fan here too, and love what Booker is doing.

[JackBeck]

13. Democratic insiders (re: South Jersey party boss Norcross and North Jersey boss DiVincenzo)

have already quietly floated that Booker's time has come and gone. Aligning with Christie and Zuckerberg to spend millions on Newark charter schools hasn't helped Booker's image among many progressives.

Looks like momentum might be behind Sen. Barbara Buono for the nomination.

[JPZenger]

9. NJ had much higher state and local taxes and waste than most states

It is not hard to see Christie's place in New Jersey. The state has the highest property taxes in the country, and some of the highest state taxes and insurance rates in the country. The state govt. was spending much more per resident on average than most other states, and there were some obvious sources of waste and public corruption. He shined a light on some of that governmental waste (including authorities) that previous governors quietly tolerated.

[Fuzz]

11. I have NO problem addressing waste and corruption here in NJ. Would rather have it

approached from a liberal perspective though and not have it taken out on teachers and our kids.

[JCMach1]

12. For someone from the South (it's a regional thing), he's like nails on a chalkboard

[DrDan]

14. voters seem quite happy with him

Gov. Chris Christie's approval rating has increased dramatically since he signed the pension and health benefit overhaul for public workers and publicly led the state through Hurricane Irene.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released this morning shows 54 percent of New Jersey voters approve of Christie's performance, while 36 percent disapprove. That's up from a 44 percent even split in May.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/gov_chris_christies_approval_i.html