Speculation over New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s possible bid for the White House has consumed much ink in recent weeks and the announcement headlines have seemed to feature everyone but him.
After the Bridgegate scandal last year, some analysts declared him a non-entity in the race for the Republican nomination, but Christie’s supporters were quick to mention John McCain faced the same doubters in the 2008 primary before he ultimately came from behind to win the nomination.
In what Real Clear Politics’ Rebecca Berg reads as a possible resurgence, Christie began a New Hampshire tour this week with the unveiling of his new entitlement reform plan. In it, he argues for an aggressive scaling back of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
Before a crowd at Saint Anselm College, Christie argued that Washington refuses to admit the ‘crisis’ situation in which the nation faces in terms of unfunded-debt for the aging baby boomer generation.
Among the details of his plan is a transformation of Social Security into a sort of insurance plan that would include limiting payments to Americans who make less than $200,000 per year.
The bold proposal is part of what he promised to supporters in New Hampshire. In his “Tell It Like It Is Tour” he stated “I will not pander. I will not flip-flop. And I’m not afraid to tell you the truth as I see it.” But the biggest question is whether the Republican primary voter base can warm to his tactic, given that he is already upside down in the approval/disapproval numbers in virtually every survey in the last few months.
