Can Chris Christie get back into the GOP's good graces?
The New Jersey governor angered many in his party when he showered praise on Obama's response to Hurricane Sandy

For years, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been touted as a rising star in the Republican Party, with many luminaries in the conservative press having called on the Garden State's blunt-spoken executive to run for president in 2012. However, Christie has been persona non grata ever since he effusively praised President Obama for his response to Hurricane Sandy, a vital assist to Obama's campaign in the final week of the election. The images of Christie and Obama touring areas ravaged by the hurricane were splashed across cable news and the front pages of newspapers, bolstering Obama's bipartisan appeal. Now, Christie is working overtime to repair his standing within the GOP, a project that could be as daunting as reconstructing the Jersey Shore, says Michael Barbaro at The New York Times:
[B]ehind the scenes, the intensity of the reaction from those in Mr. Christie’s party caught him by surprise, interviews show, requiring a rising Republican star to try to contain a tempest that left him feeling deeply misunderstood and wounded…
[I]n the days after the storm, Mr. Christie and his advisers were startled to hear from out-of-state donors to Mr. Romney, who had little interest in the hurricane and viewed him solely as a campaign surrogate, demanding to know why he had stood so close to the president on a tarmac. One of them questioned why he had boarded Mr. Obama’s helicopter, according to people briefed on the conversations.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Barbaro reports that Christie even contacted Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, for advice on how to contain the damage. He has also "tried to frame his repeated praise of the president as a virtue," says Margaret Hartmann at New York, "saying he couldn't even think about politics during the crisis."
Christie is "a convenient scapegoat for Romney supporters," says Azi Paybarah at Capital New York, many of whom are unwilling to acknowledge that Romney lost the election for a whole host of reasons that had nothing to do with Sandy. But Republicans, still smarting from Romney's loss, aren't cutting Christie much slack. Some wounds heal with time, but "few conservatives will forget his panegyric praising of the president's 'outstanding' leadership," says Allysia Finley at The Wall Street Journal.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published