OUR VIEW: Christie did the right thing

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OUR VIEW

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In the months leading up to last week’s presidential election, Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was a vocal supporter of GOP candidate Mitt Romney. Christie endorsed Romney and even served as the keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention.

Then Hurricane Sandy rushed ashore, devastating New Jersey and causing billions of dollars in damage to the American Northeast. And in the days leading up to the election, there was Christie, openly praising President Barack Obama for the president’s concern and apparent interest in aiding those who were affected by the terrible storm.

Talk about a terrible storm. Christie has been in one ever since, as many Republicans have openly and very publicly called Christie a traitor.

Rush Limbaugh called Christie a “fool” and said the governor doesn’t “know what he’s talking about.” Others claim Christie must have had a falling out with Romney, or that Christie was hoping Romney would lose so Christie himself could run for president in 2016.

We admit, it was a bit odd. When we heard Christie speak at press conferences, he praised the president and said that, at least at that moment, he didn’t give a darn about politics and the election.

So, was it all part of some sinister agenda put to practice by Christie?

We choose to assume Christie was doing the right thing in a time of great adversity. Playing politics when people are dying is in poor taste. Grandstanding for one party or another as damages mount is just plain idiotic.

Of course, we wouldn’t have been surprised had he followed party lines in those hours before the election.

America needs less partisanship and more cooperation. Perhaps Christie sees this, and realized that even on the eve of the election, his constituents — the people of New Jersey — didn’t need a partisan politician. They just needed a leader.

Maybe Christie has something up his sleeve. Or maybe — just maybe — he was doing the right thing.

We choose the latter.

Tags: opinion, updates