Live After Quit

“Chris Christie Reignites Race with Trump-Targeting Ad Blitz!

Chris Christie, the New Jersey Governor, has robustly pushed back against calls from party leaders and commentators to drop out of the 2016 U.S. presidential race. He contends that he should remain in the race until the candidacy of another GOP candidate, Donald Trump, is challenged directly. In what could be seen as a further attempt to solidify his presidential candidacy, Christie recently launched a blistering attack against Trump, both on television and in an extensive ad blitz. In the advertisements Christie has decried Trump’s “divisive” rhetoric, he has attacked the billionaire’s inexperience in politics, and he has proposed that the American people are willing to elect a “common sense and purposeful commander-in-chief.” In the television ad Christie states: “[Donald Trump] is a dangerously unserious person who uses his money to burnish his credentials. We don’t need a president who thinks being president is like being on reality TV. We need a president committed to leading this country.” Christie’s ad blitz is part of a broader strategy to make a case for his own experience in politics, even as most of the media has largely shifted its focus from the New Jersey Governor’s campaign onto the feud between Trump and other candidates. The instinct of Christie’s campaign team is that a less aggressive approach to attacking Trump may be more effective in halting the tycoon’s momentum, which has been propelled by both the billionaire’s notoriety and his vocal anti-establishment stances. In addition to targeting the real estate mogul, Christie has utilized part of his television budget to draw attention to his experience in office. The campaign asserts that, unlike Trump, Christie has faced numerous political challenges during his time as a state Governor, which, in turn, have equipped him with a set of skills that are vital for a President. However, some political experts contend that, despite the best efforts from the Christie campaign, the core of his base of supporters – largely Caucasians living in suburbia – have already shifted their allegiance to either Carly Fiorina or Jeb Bush. As a result, in order to remain competitive Christie will need the support of other demographics of the Republican base. Chris Christie’s vehement rebuttals of calls to drop out of the race and his subsequent attack ad blitz against Donald Trump could be seen as a way for the former Governor to differentiate himself from his opponents and reignite enthusiasm for a second term in office. Only time will tell if Christie can successfully garner enough support to stay in the competitiveness in this race.