Just after the release of his first ad in New Hampshire, candidate Christie’s unleashing verbal shots at the Democratic President and Republican front-runners. He’s aiming to make the cut for the next debate that’s just 12 days away. Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron caught up with him last night and was able to get an exclusive five minute interview with the governor.
Aron: Governor you seem to be stuck in the polls at 2, 3, 4 percent. You’re so good at what you do here tonight, like some of the first town halls in Jersey. Why can’t you gain traction here?
Christie: Well, nobody is, Michael. Just look at the Monmouth poll today, OK. The difference between third and ninth is six points. The only people who are even in double digits right now are Trump and Carson. So I think everyone’s kind of taking their time, trying to figure out what to do. You know, my job at this point is just to work, talk to the people in New Hampshire and Iowa and we’ll get there eventually. It’s very rare in this race, Michael. Between the ups and downs we went up through in 2009, you covered that race. You know there were some really difficult moments in that race for me and times when it looked like I wasn’t going to win. So I’m used to that. I know how to deal with it. So we’ll just keep working. I think what you said about what goes on in there — that’s what really matters in states like this. You know, can you connect with people on that kind of individual basis? I know I can, so I have confidence that when we get to February 9 I’m going to be in good shape.
Aron: How frustrating is it to just be at the same spot week after week after week?
Christie: Nobody likes it, but I got to tell you the truth, Michael. If it weren’t for the debates nobody would even care about the national polls right now. Remember like four years ago? You know who was winning right now four years ago? Michelle Bachmann, and she had just taken over the lead from Herman Cain. So if it wasn’t for the debates and all the people that try to remain on the debate stage, I don’t think anybody would care about the national polls. It’s not that frustrating to me yet. Come to me in December and January and maybe I’ll be frustrated then, but not in September.
Aron: You’ve been on television a lot the past week. You’ve ratcheted up the rhetoric, it seems to me, on the Iran deal, on Trump and Bush going back and forth against one another on the FedEx analogy. Is that the strategy? Get on TV, ratchet up the rhetoric, make some news?
Christie: Well you know me, I always like being on TV. That’s how you and I became friends, so you know there’s nothing different. It’s stuff I’ve been saying all along, I’m just getting more attention now. So I don’t think it’s really a different strategy. Like on the Trump/Bush stuff, I mean that stuff just happens. So they were asking me about the two of them going at each other, and I think the two of them are being ridiculous. It’s not about them. It’s not about who speaks Spanish or who doesn’t speak Spanish. I mean that’s silly stuff. We should be talking about the issues. You heard the stuff people were asking about in there. Those are the things people want to hear us talking about. So it’s not a strategy other than in a crowded field you want to get as much attention paid to you so you want to get on TV as much as you can, and certainly I’ve been successful at doing that in the last couple of weeks.
Aron: One of your advisers said to me today that progress is being made and that Bush and Walker are fading in the polls and that’s one thing to thank Donald Trump for. Do you feel that? Is there some residual positive from the Trump phenomenon?
Christie: Well, I don’t know. I don’t know what the answer to that question is going to be and I don’t think anyone does yet, Michael. What I do know is that this work I’m doing up here is paying off. I can feel it. We’re getting more volunteers everyday. I feel more positive things on the ground and it will eventually be reflected in the polls. But people don’t make up their minds in New Hampshire. You know, four years ago 72 percent of the people made up their minds in the last month. So people in New Hampshire are very discerning. You heard that guy, ‘well I talked to Kasich about this.’ These folks are use to window shopping, and that’s what they’re doing. But I think I’m going to have the most powerful message for them when the time comes because I’m talking about the things that they really care about and I have answers to the questions that they are really asking. So I feel good about where we’re going to be. I don’t know about the other phenomenon. That’s why I pay those guys. They’re the political analysts, I’m not, I’m the talent. I got to go out and do the work, that’s what I do.
Aron: You’re working it.
Christie: I’m working hard, Michael. You know, you’ve watched me campaign now three different times. Both for Governor in ’09 and for Governor in ’13 which were two very different campaigns, but each time I was able to get through and get done what I wanted to get done and I’m absolutely confident that I’m going to be able to do this, too. You know, it’s harder, but it supposed to be harder. It’s President of the United States, so it’s hard. I’m working hard, Mary Pat’s working hard and I got a day job too as you know. It’s a lot of work and I got to be ready everyday to give everything I got, and that’s what I’m going to do. There will be no regrets, no regrets at all.
Aron: Have you made peace with the whole process regardless of the outcome? You seem to be enjoying yourself regardless of how this ends.
Christie: I’m enjoying myself because I think I’m going to win. I never make peace with losing. If I lose, then I’ll have to make peace with it because I have a life to live, but I don’t think that way at all now. What I think is everyday when I do one of those — I’m getting more voters. You saw it, you were watching afterwards. People were coming up and saying, ‘I’m with you. You changed my mind. I’m with you now.’ I’m changing minds one at a time and that’s the way to you do it in New Hampshire. So I’m more encouraged everyday that I do this up here. And you know me — I like people so I enjoy doing this stuff. You know the parts that I don’t like. I like this. This is fun.
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