Former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, a stalwart Republican, presented his discerning viewpoint on the current political climate during Friday’s segment on ABC’s ‘The View’. His central contention revolved around his belief that Vice President Harris, despite her significant political standing, could invest more effort into carving her own identity among voters. Christie emphasized this point with a little less than two weeks remaining until the next Election Day.
According to Christie’s analysis, Harris hasn’t fully seized the opportunity to differentiate herself from the political framework established by President Biden. Rather, she appears somewhat blurred in the shadow of the Biden administration’s policies and objectives. Christie began his discourse by reflecting on his past confidence in her potential electoral success, but admitted his certainty has since wavered.
He iterated, ‘About ten days ago, my conviction was firm that the upcoming election was to be hers. However, the last ten days haven’t been markedly favorable.’ He further elaborated on the unique predicaments that accompany a late entry into a political race after foregoing the preliminary rounds.
One immediate benefit, Christie pointed out, is the avoidance of the exhaustive process that primaries entail. However, the downside to skipping the initial public engagement is the lack of widespread familiarity. He expressed his doubts over how well voters had come to understand who Harris genuinely is, an aspect that he implies may affect the coming election.
In Christie’s wisdom, the Vice President’s role often entails tasks that, though crucial, might not be in the public limelight as much as the President’s. The former governor was interrupted by ‘The View’ co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Joy Behar who found his comments about Harris needing to do more to convince voters challenging to reconcile.
Hostin questioned, ‘How could voters not recognize her, given her tenure of four years in the high office of Vice President?’ Christie responded that while holding the vice presidential mantle, much of Harris’s work fell outside the public spotlight, thereby explaining the perceived unfamiliarity.
Behar interjected, expressing confusion as to why Harris was perceived as ineffective during her term when compared to predecessors. She queried, ‘What did her predecessor, Mike Pence, achieve?’ This led Christie to elaborate further on what, in his view, was missing from Harris’s approach – a clear articulation of her policy differentiation.
He remarked candidly, having observed several of her interviews, ‘One needs to wonder, what policies would she implement differently to President Biden’s? She didn’t answer that. I believe there must be aspects that she disagrees on, being an intelligent and independent woman.’ He advocated that she should vocalize any constructive disparities she might have in her political position relative to Biden.
Hostin defended Vice President Harris’s position, implying that any discordant viewpoints might be seen as throwing President Biden ‘under the bus’. Christie clarified: ‘Sunny, I must emphasize that disagreeing openly with a respected colleague, like the President, is anything but an act of betrayal.’
Behar, differing with Christie’s outlook, minced no words in her riposte, ‘Compared to the politics of the other side, this is barely a blip!’ Christie maintained his standpoint, arguing that the supposed indecisiveness of voters would not solely be influenced by any potential ‘anti-Trump’ sentiments.
His view is that voters are evaluating whether they have confidence in Harris to succeed as a president. While acknowledging that the public is receptive to her, he expressed that to secure victory, she needs to convince the electorate of her leadership capabilities.
He explained, ‘What voters seek is assurance that electing Harris holds promise for a robust presidency. While they are inclined towards her, the final persuasion lies in her hands. Even with mere ten days to go, it’s premature to declare definitively whether victory leans towards one side over the other.’
The discussion subsequently took an intense turn when Ana Navarro, another ‘The View’ panelist, questioned the basis for Christie’s remarks. Navarro passionately stated that he was setting a higher bar of expectation for Harris when compared to his considerations for former President Trump.
She vocally challenged Christie claiming, ‘I observe you spending ample time dissecting Harris’s actions!’ Christie calmly retained his stance, insisting, ‘My intention was not criticism.’ Navarro voiced her disbelief, ‘It echoes critiquing to my understanding.’
Christie finalised his point with, ‘If you listen carefully, you will realize that my intent was to offer advice that in my belief, can assist her to finalize her argument for election effectively. Yet, my role here isn’t to serve as her advocate. Her upward ascent lies within her own capacity to persuade voters.’
“She’s had a bad 10 days” – even Chris Christie is no longer confident Kamala Harris will win pic.twitter.com/QEf9qrLhuQ
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) October 25, 2024