TAMPA – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivered a tough-love message to Republican leaders at his party's national convention Tuesday, telling them to "choose respect over love."
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By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the keynote address Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
By Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the keynote address Tuesday night at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
"I believe we have become paralyzed by our desire to be loved," said the first-term Republican governor of an overwhelmingly Democratic state, giving the keynote address.
Christie punctuated a night when themes of motherhood prevailed, giving an autobiographical speech built around advice his late Sicilian mother gave him:
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"She told me there would be times in your life when you have to choose between being loved and being respected. Now she said to always pick being respected, she said that love without respect was always fleeting — but that respect could grow into real and lasting love. Now, of course, she was talking about women," he said, punctuating a night full of references to motherhood.
"But I have learned over time that it applies just as much to leadership."
Since Christie defeated Democratic governor Jon Corzine in 2009, the former federal prosecutor has become a national political figure, taking on public employee unions and cutting taxes.
His blunt brand of politics has contributed to his national profile and earned him a prime convention slot. YouTube videos chronicle his encounters. To a reporter: "Are you stupid?" To hurricane watchers: "Get the hell off the beach." To the New Jersey Nets: "Good riddance."
To Christie, choosing respect over love means telling the truth about debt to working families, about entitlements to seniors, and about education reform to teachers.
Though he vowed to "stray off the prompter" at times, his prepared remarks did not mention President Obama by name, but did address him directly.
"There's only one thing missing now: leadership," he said. "You see, Mr. President, real leaders don't follow polls. Real leaders change polls."
Christie's own poll numbers show 34% of Americans have a favorable impression of him, while 26% said they had an unfavorable opinion, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The survey of 1,033 adults was taken Aug. 20-22. The error margin is +/-4 percentage points.
In an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe program earlier, Christie dismissed a New York Post story saying he doesn't believe Romney will win. He called the report "completely false."
Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, who is in Tampa as a surrogate for Obama, said he expected a brusque tone from his New Jersey counterpart, saying Christie offers "plenty of angry rhetoric supporting the disastrous Romney-Ryan agenda."
