Retail Politics: Selling Beyond New Hampshire

If you read the headlines, you probably think there is only one side to Governor Christie – brash, loud, bossy. But when you’re on the ground with him at event after event like I am, you know there are at least two sides to the man.

When Governor Christie makes an appearance, he’s very good at connecting with people. He listens and nods knowingly. If a person wants a selfie with the Governor, he’s always game. When someone says “Governor, remember me from <insert small event or meeting place>?” “Yes, of course!,” he replies.

And when I see these interactions, I have to wonder if the people will forget the headlines and remember the small talk? The answer to that question could be the difference between a successful Republican primary for the Governor, or a complete dud.

Retail politics is a phrase used regularly when talking about a politician’s ability to make personal connections with the people. Politicians can’t just shake your hand and keep walking; they have to shake your hand and then have a personal conversation with you. And when it comes to a presidential election, it is well known that retail politics matter in the state of New Hampshire.

Here’s some background: New Hampshire, a state with only four electoral votes, hosts the first in the nation primary. While the number of votes won’t sway an election, the state is still tremendously important to presidential hopefuls. New Hampshire polls and the primary results set the tone for each election cycle.

I recently visited New Hampshire to cover Governor Christie’s remarks at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Concord. And while I was there, I took every opportunity to speak with the people about politics, since the state plays such a meaningful role in the selection of each President.

The majority I spoke with took an interest in and concern for the election. Most had met past presidents and presidential candidates. One shared a running joke that sums up the culture pretty well: “If you don’t meet a presidential candidate at least twice in a diner, than they’re not getting your vote.” Another told me that when a candidate comes to town, “…you can only get away with canned lines and worn out speeches for so long before somebody calls you on it.”

Governor Christie shaking hands at the Merrimack County/Concord City Republican Committee Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Concord, New Hampshire

Before the Lincoln-Reagan dinner began, I was trying to find out what time Governor Christie would begin speaking. He was scheduled for 6:55PM, and I commented that the Governor is usually late. The woman I was speaking with responded that he better not be late; the people of New Hampshire expect and deserve more. And wouldn’t you know it, he was on time.

I had to wonder if Governor Christie made the effort to be on time because he knows it matters to the people of New Hampshire? And could he possibly think it doesn’t matter to the people of New Jersey? I regularly tweet pictures of an empty podium as I wait for the Governor to arrive at events in New Jersey. Is it possible that he focuses on a small detail like timeliness in New Hampshire more than he does elsewhere? Or was his timeliness just an accident?

A recent article in the New York Times (Critics in G.O.P. Say Chris Christie Is in a ‘Bubble’) listed arriving late amidst a host of “complaints” about the Governor. Not returning phone calls and limited thank you notes were also mentioned. And this time it had to do with potential donors.

Whether it’s a potential donor or a potential vote, you don’t need to be an expert at retail politics to know these details matter. Shaking hands and friendly conversation can only take you so far.

All Press Is Good Press…Unless It’s Bad Press…But Even Then, It’s Pretty Good…

Chris Christie found himself in the middle of a media mess after answering questions about vaccines while on a recent trip to the United Kingdom. If you’re interested in what he said exactly, you can read the transcript here. Unfortunately, most people aren’t interested in the entire exchange. Based on their personal beliefs they’ll pull out the tidbits that make them feel good.

1. Pro-Vaccine? Read this portion of his remarks: “All I can say is that we vaccinated ours [kids]. That’s the best expression I can give you of my opinion…Mary Pat and I have had our children vaccinated and we think it’s an important part of making sure we protect their health and the public health.”

2. Anti-Vaccine? Read this portion of his remarks: “parents need to have some measure of choice…you have to have that balance in considering parental concerns because no parent cares about anything more than they care about protecting their own child’s health…”

Anti-Christie? Pick either, mix them up, misquote, whatever. Or just ignore the whole thing.

Look, even if you’re well-intentioned, that’s what most people do after hearing complicated remarks about an especially controversial topic. In the age of Twitter, we do our best in this 140-character world.

And sometimes those small soundbites are to the benefit of the politician, and other times to the detriment. In this instance, Governor Christie took a beating from the media, clearly exacerbated by the concurrent measles outbreak in this country. Even with the backlash, Governor Christie had nothing to worry about. Press coverage is a good thing. There are only a handful of governors who can be identified across the country, and Christie is one of them. His ability to attract the press, with both negative and positive coverage, has propelled him into political stardom. It’s the reason he’s a cash cow when it comes to RGA fundraising.

The problem is what happened next…or what didn’t happen. Governor Christie’s decision to cancel the rest of his media availability during the trip was short sighted and silly. A man who never shies away from a fight with constituents, let a mob of reporters get the best of him. And when you suddenly stop taking questions, you look guilty. You look like you have something to hide. You look like you regret those comments you made about vaccines…

His lack of remarks during the rest of the trip, allowed the press to focus on his silence as a negative, creating even more bad press. And while I do believe in the mantra that all press is good press, there is simply no reason to create more bad press than necessary.

Governor Christie: Next time you find yourself in the middle of a media mess, keep your availability and speak up. You would have likely given us something new to talk about. Hiding behind the veil of “no availability” is beneath you and a wasted opportunity to create a positive buzz.

And buzz is simply inevitable with Governor Christie. The fact that Governor Scott Walker refused questions during his entire trip to the United Kingdom made just a few headlines – most just comparing him to Christie. Christie’s got the x-factor that makes the media talk. So Christie should always make the most of it and give the press something worth talking about.

February 2, 2015 – Governor Christie’s Vaccine Q&A

If you’re interested in what Governor Christie actually said when asked about vaccines in the United Kingdom (2/2/2015), you can review the transcript below. This transcript was provided by the Governor’s office.

Question: Governor you’re here, this company makes vaccines. There’s a debate going on right now in the United States, the measles outbreak that’s been caused in part by people not vaccinating their kids. Do you think Americans should vaccinate their kids? Is the measles vaccine safe?

Governor Christie: All I can say is that we vaccinated ours. That’s the best expression I can give you of my opinion. It’s much more important, I think, what you think as a parent than what you think as a public official. And that’s what we do. But I also understand that parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well so that’s the balance that the government has to decide. But I can just tell people from our perspective, Mary Pat and I have had our children vaccinated and we think it’s an important part of making sure we protect their health and the public health.

Question: But you’re leaving people the option of not getting vaccinated and that potentially presents a great public risk.

Governor Christie: Michael, what I said was that there has to be a balance and it depends on what the vaccine is, what the disease type is and all the rest. And so I didn’t say I’m leaving people the option. What I’m saying is that you have to have that balance in considering parental concerns because no parent cares about anything more than they care about protecting their own child’s health and so we have to have that conversation, but that has to move and shift in my view from disease type. Not every vaccine is created equal and not every disease type is as great a public health threat as others. So that’s what I mean by that so that I’m not misunderstood.

Question: Do you think some vaccines are dangerous?

Governor Christie: I didn’t say that. I said different disease types can be more lethal so that the concern would be measuring whatever the perceived danger is by vaccine and we’ve had plenty of that over a period of time versus what the risk to public health is and you have to have that balance and that’s exactly what I mean by what I said.

Enough Is Enough

The tired topic of Governor Christie’s weight recently resurfaced. American Bridge 21st Century (a left-leaning PAC) completed a records request for all of the gifts given to Christie since he took office. NJ Advance Media reviewed the findings and revealed that he has received 77 books about weight loss in that time.

This finding put Christie’s weight back in the headlines. And even though Governor Christie has said his weight loss is nobody’s business, his political future makes it our business.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Governor Christie in person. It was May 2, 2013, the day he signed the Overdose Prevention Act. Christie and Bon Jovi were together at the Turning Point addiction treatment center in Patterson. Before signing the bill, the two took a tour of the facility and sat on a couch to chat with recovering addicts. The couch was low to the ground and you simply could not help but notice how uncomfortable and awkward Governor Christie appeared to be when sitting down and getting up, because of his size. This observation wasn’t about criticizing his weight – it just couldn’t be ignored.

May 2, 2013: Christie & Bon Jovi touring Turning Point’s Paterson Facility

Fast forward to a town hall meeting on April 24, 2014 in Brick Township. A woman in the audience asked the Governor if he would wear a “Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout” t-shirt. She openly noted she brought a few sizes for him since he was losing weight. She said she was impressed by how much smaller he looked. And it was true. The Governor was shrinking before our eyes.

April 24, 2014: Christie receives “Man Enough To Be A Girl Scout” t-shirt at Brick Township Town Hall

Weight loss is an emotional battle. And as self-assured and confident as Governor Christie appears to be, I’m sure he is no exception. Unfortunately, his place in public office makes it a fair topic of discussion. Is he healthy enough to lead? That is a question that should be asked of anyone running for public office. Christie’s decision to undergo lap band surgery in February of 2013 was brave and necessary. And now that he has clearly lost a significant amount of weight, it’s time to move on.

If Christie opponents want to make headlines, choose something substantive to question. Question the decision to bring in an emergency management team to save Atlantic City. Question the abysmal state of the Transportation Trust Fund. Question the time he spends out of the state. Or don’t. But his weight? A personal issue he has gotten under control and is now managing? If that’s all you have in your arsenal, you need to reevaluate. When it comes to his weight, enough is enough.