GOP debate #5 is a wrap. Governor Christie was back on the main stage and needed to make the most of this moment. With less than two months to go before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, it’s getting to be do-or-die time for all candidates not named Trump. Ted Cruz is surging in the polls and Governor Christie may have jumped to second place in New Hampshire, but the brightest glare of the spotlight still shines on orange hair. So how did Christie do? New Jersey Public...

The Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran has been locked in a war of words with Grant Bosse, Editorial Page Editor of New Hampshire’s Union Leader, over the paper’s endorsement of Christie. Moran says the Leader didn’t do its homework. Bosse calls The Star-Ledger Christie’s “crazy ex-girlfriend.” We bring the editors together to debate endorsements and the vetting process. Also: It’s tough to be perfect out there. With dozens of town hall events and TV appearances running back-to-back during this...

For months, pundits have been saying that Governor Christie’s presidential aspirations were dead in the water. But lately, whispers about a potential Christie comeback have increased in volume. The argument goes like this: after the terrorist attacks in Paris, everything changed. And Christie, who has long positioned himself as the law-and-order national-security guy, is the candidate primary voters will run to in a time of uncertainty and fear. It still hasn’t really shown up in any polls....

From Governor Christie’s comments about Syrian orphans to Donald Trump’s assertion that he saw thousands cheering in Jersey City on 9/11, New Jersey has become a central part of the national discussion on refugees and terrorism in the aftermath of the Paris attacks. In his response to Trump’s claims about Jersey City, Governor Christie was accused of going easy on the front runner. Instead of issuing a blunt denial that the widely discredited rumor was fiction, Christie said simply, “I do...

In the days following the terrorist attacks in Paris, shock and sorrow quickly shifted to outrage and blame on the Republican campaign trail. From Donald Trump saying he would consider closing mosques to calls for religious tests for refugees, candidates seemed to be in a race to out-hawk each other. And Chris Christie was not to be outdone. He sent a letter to President Obama saying he would no longer accept Syrian refugees in New Jersey and told radio host Hugh Hewitt he wouldn’t even...

It’s been a bumpy month on the Christie Campaign Express. At first, things were looking up. There was a good response to his 3rd debate performance, a bump in the polls in New Hampshire, and then a video of him talking compassionately about drug addiction went viral. It seemed like the moment his campaign had been waiting for. Then, the sudden jolt: when he was booted off the main stage for the 4th debate due to low national poll numbers. New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz discusses...

Senator Ted Cruz. Governor Chris Christie. Neither man lacks for confidence. Or ambition. Both are fighting for a shot to take on the Democratic challenger in the 2016 presidential race. And both had widely talked about moments during the CNBC debate that came via their attacks on the media. This week, NJPR’s Matt Katz and special guest Ben Philpott from KUT’s The Ticket 2016 podcast, join us for an in-depth look at two forceful candidates who have been struggling to be heard in a crowded...

52 times the New Jersey legislature attempted to override a Christie veto. 52 times it ended in failure, with nearly every Republican legislator voting against an override. But streaks are meant to be broken. And this time things were different. NJPR’s Matt Katz and Bergen Record columnist Charles Stile join us to consider what this moment means for New Jersey. Also: The New York Times editorial board called Christie’s comments about the Black Lives Matter movement “racially poisonous.”...

Is the campaign money bag half full or half empty? Or wait, maybe the bag is just way too small. Reaction to the first fundraising reports from Governor Christie's presidential campaign varied. Christie's team said they were pleased about how much money they had. Pundits called it a disappointing haul. NJPR's Matt Katz says "It's what you would expect from someone who is now clearly a second-tier candidate." This week, Matt joins host David Furst to assess the state of the...

To understand Chris Christie you need to consider his Bruce Springsteen obsession. Come on, the man has been to over 130 Bruce shows. This week, the Christie Tracker Podcast looks at Christie, the Springsteen super fan – who follows Bruce to shows, writes about him on message boards and trades tapes with fellow fans. New Jersey Public Radio’s Matt Katz guides us through Christie’s life of worship at the Church of Springsteen and explains why messages posted 15 years ago shed light on the...

It’s enough to make a guy want to spend some quality campaign time in New Hampshire. Governor Christie spent much of last week preparing for a natural disaster. But as Joaquin headed out to sea, the governor was stuck at a storm press conference in south Jersey – trying to avoid questions about a resigning cabinet member. Departing Transportation Commissioner Jamie Fox had been the subject of multiple news reports linking him to both the Bridgegate and the Chairman’s Flight scandals. So a...

Jamie Fox. Christie cabinet member, former United Airlines lobbyist, long-time New Jersey political operative. Oh, and a guy with connections to both the Bridgegate and the Chairman's Flight scandals. NJPR’s Matt Katz joins host David Furst to talk about his reporting on a man who has somehow avoided the scrutiny of legislators investigating Bridgegate. Fox worked for three out of the last four Democratic governors. He’s currently Christie’s transportation commissioner. Matt says even...

After a few weeks as "The Law and Order Guy" and "That Guy Who Wants to Use FedEx to Track Immigrants," Governor Christie is shape-shifting again. This time, he's the Common Man of the People and Defender of the Middle Class. NJPR's Matt Katz and the Star-Ledger's Tom Moran join host David Furst to discuss the latest message from the campaign trail, and how this one might actually work better.  We'll also explain what Governor Christie has done to weaken the state's Election Law Enforcement...

The scrapheap of officials laid to waste by Bridgegate and its spin-off scandals expanded last week to include three United Airlines executives. United says the resignations are related to the investigation into the airline’s dealings with the Port Authority – and with former Port Authority Chair, David Samson, an appointee and close confidante of Governor Christie. Samson is under investigation for getting favors from the airline in exchange for lower costs for United at the Port Authority...

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why Governor Christie’s presidential campaign hasn’t caught fire. But his decline in the polls started with a traffic jam back on September 9th, 2013. Two years later, we consider what we still don't know about Bridgegate.  Host David Furst is joined by Andrea Bernstein, Senior Editor for Politics & Policy for WNYC News and Tom Moran, Editorial Page Editor for The Star-Ledger. Here's the scenario. The governor has been given a healthy dose of truth serum....

The summer of 2013. It doesn’t seem that distant. But it might as well be a political lifetime ago for Chris Christie. This was post-Sandy and pre-Bridgegate. The governor was soaring in the polls and coasting to reelection. Today? According to New Jersey Public Radio’s Matt Katz, the guy who never had a hard time getting attention is fighting for crumbs from the national press. He says, “It seems like this magic he had to make headlines, to cut through the noise, is lost.” Matt joins us...

Watching TV this month, you'd be forgiven for feeling like someone slipped something funny in your tea. It's no shock that Governor Christie has aggressively taken on Hillary Clinton’s email scandal. What is surprising is that he willingly offered up his own behavior during the Bridgegate investigation as a point of comparison. The same guy who deleted texts sent while a legislative hearing into the lane closures was taking place, says on CNN: "Can you imagine if after the bridge...

With Mike DuHaime the ballot box is never half-empty. While much of the media has been posting death notices for the Chris Christie campaign, Mike DuHaime, Chief Strategist for his presidential run, joins us to offer a different view. As New Jersey Public Radio’s Matt Katz puts it, he is “the guy you want to talk to if you’re on your death bed - he’s extremely optimistic.” But Mike DuHaime has been down before. While pundits salivate over Donald Trump’s surge in the polls and Jeb Bush’s...

It was a crowded stage of ten hopeful Republican candidates. But after the dust settled, Christie found a way to stand out from the pack. New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz and Tom Wilson, former Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee say Christie's presentation of policy ideas and his willingness to mix-it-up helped distinguish the governor in the first televised debate of the Republican primary season. Matt and Tom join host David Furst for a post-debate special edition of...

This week, we learned about the $11 million raised by America Leads, the super PAC supporting Christie. We also found out who's been forking over all that cash. New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz joins Host David Furst for a look at several donors with close business ties to the state. New Jersey has pay-to-play restrictions that are designed to prevent businesses from currying favors with the governor. But here’s the catch: they don’t apply to federal elections. Matt Katz says, "You...

"I like Governor Christie." "He tells it like it is and he seems like a regular person... he just appeals to me." "I'm so fascinated with Chris Christie and everything he's doing... he speaks from the heart – everything he says is just 100% genuine." "He seems... like he would actually protect our country – I would feel safe with him being a president. What I'm looking for in a president is to feel safe." The voices of New Hampshire residents at Christie town hall events seem to fly in...

Trump? There’s so much about the primary that isn’t going Christie's way. But he certainly didn’t expect to suddenly be the mild, more-restrained candidate in the race. This week, New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz and Paul Mulshine, conservative columnist for the Star-Ledger, join us to talk about what Donald Trump's ascendency means for the Christie campaign. With Trump generating so much attention, Matt says Christie has been 'totally outshined.' He says Christie's 'Tell It Like It Is'...

Gov. Chris Christie wants the media to apologize for their Bridgegate coverage. So we called reporters. The only person we could find to say he's "sorry" is Bob Garfield of On the Media. On the way to his apology, he places Christie among a long line of Republicans who have used the media to curry public opinion.  We also speak with New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz and Tom Moran, editorial page editor of the Star Ledger, who tells us about a man who found himself in a Christie...

Governor Christie announced he was officially running for president last week then immediately hit the road. He continued his never-ending tour of New Hampshire. He blanketed the airwaves - making appearances on NBC, CBS, Fox News and MSNBC. One place where we’re NOT seeing him much is New Jersey. So what happens to that state now that Christie is really running? New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz says, "There's just simply a lot less governing going on." Also on this week's show,...

It was the least suspenseful cliffhanger in the history of cliffs. Governor Christie has, essentially, been running for higher office for years. But now he is, officially, a presidential candidate. This week, we head to Livingston High School for analysis on the announcement from New Jersey Public Radio's Matt Katz and the Star-Ledger's Tom Moran. We're also joined by Robert Costa, national political reporter for the Washington Post. He’s seen a few national campaign launches and provides...