Chris Christie May Have Just Screwed Up the Revolution

In order for us to take back America, we will have to win the first two challenges in 2009: the governships of New Jersey and Virginia. These are crucial wins. Both will send a message to Washington and to the nation that "it has begun." But if the party and the candidates screw this up, you can kiss the Republican Party goodbye for many years. Chris Christie has just made the first political mistake in this battle and its a doozy.

"This is about New Jersey issues and New Jersey, and I don't think having Governor Palin here would do me, or frankly the state, a whole lot of good in the sense that we need to talk and focus on what the New Jersey issues are," said on a radio show according to The Save Jersey Blog.

This is all due directly to an orchestrated political trick that the DNC is using to put a wedge between the Republican gubernatorial candidates and the constituencies they are courting. The Associated Press is COMPLICIT in this strategy. Again, the media is doing its best to defeat Republicans. The Associated Press might as well just open up a PAC for Democrats.

It's absolutely appauling to see a highly established, well known news agency like the AP participating in such a stunt. But it's the soup du jour in today's politics. Republicans run against Democrats and the media. The internet is the only true source of information now. Without the internet, TV and print media would be as useless as Pravda was during the Soviet Union's hey day.

It's the equivalent of playing a basketball game where the referee plays on the opponent's team.

But a lot of blame also needs to be laid at the feet of Chris Christie. His taking the bait is obviously a sign that he is not as good of a candidate as originally hoped. If he's dumb enough to fall for a stunt like this, could he be dumb enough to take off the fake conservative suit if elected and throw New Jersey to the fiscal wolves, too?

Christie now has no alternative but to court moderate and liberal Republicans and independents now. He can kiss part of his conservative base goodbye by alienating Palin supporters. They'll be staying home. Corzine can send the AP a thank you letter and just abuse Christie on the campaign trail the rest of the way.

There is still hope in Virginia, though. Bob McDonnell is a savvy political ace who didn't fall for the trap. He realized that the question does not have to be answered right now. He realized that by answering the question, he answers it on the AP's terms and falls for the trick that just destroyed Chris Christie's chance of becoming governor.

I explain how Bob McDonnell so adeptly avoided falling into the trap in this blog.

Chris Christie is now an example of what not to do. It should serve notice to McDonnell and other Republicans that by not respecting the power of Sarah Palin's base, they risk blowing the revolution.

Bob McDonnell punted and knows he's strong enough of a candidate that when he gets the ball back and the smoke has cleared, he can deal with Sarah Palin on his terms, not the AP's or their parent company, the DNC.

Chris Christie, on the other hand just fumbled.