New Jersey Democrats are keeping a very close eye on the Republican National Convention (RNC) and firing back at what they consider to be something of a disconnect between some of the rhetoric and reality. One day after Gov. Chris Christie’s keynote speech, NJ Today Managing Editor Mike Schneider sat down with former Gov. Richard Codey to get his reaction to the speech. The former Democratic governor didn’t hold back in his criticism of the governor as well as his own party.
Watching Christie take the stage last night, Codey says he was shocked by Christie’s failure to acknowledge the man the GOP is nominating to challenge President Obama in this year’s election.
“If it was me I would have turned to Gov. Romney right away and said ‘governor, thank you for this incredible honor you have bestowed upon me. I will never forget this;’ he didn’t at all,” said Codey.
And it didn’t go unnoticed by Codey the number of times that Romney’s name came up throughout the speech. “He never mentioned him in the first 16 minutes, and for the whole speech, he said ‘Romney’ seven times and ‘I’ 37 times,” observed Codey.
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According to Codey, the scarcity of Romney references said a lot about Chris Christie and his inability to be a team player. “I thought that he had a great opportunity to come across as a statesman maybe, hopefully a gentleman, and someone you could enjoy sitting down with and talking to, and yet he came across as someone who was promoting himself.”
It wasn’t just the self promotion that Codey took issue with in the speech. When it came time to highlight the differences between the two parties, Codey says Christie’s talk of bipartisanship isn’t something he has experienced or witnessed since Christie came into office.
“I’ve been here 39 years, worked under Democratic governors and Republican governors, I’ve gotten along with each and every one of them. I consider them all friends and when I was governor I put my staff around the table and said we will not criticize any former governor. It’s below the dignity of this office. He does it every day, it’s part of his stump speech.”
Although Christie did not mention a Jersey Comeback, Codey couldn’t help take a shot at the governor’s frequent refrain in light of New Jersey’s economic state right now.
“He didn’t mention that of course our unemployment is almost 10 percent, worse since 1977, the year Elvis dies and Jimmy Carter was President. And yet, he’s talking about a New Jersey comeback. What comeback?” asked Codey.
In his keynote speech, Christie emphasized the importance of respect over love when it comes to leadership. But Codey has a different take on Christie’s style of governance, saying “I think he likes to be feared more than respected to be honest with you.”
By governing through fear, Codey says Christie has had his way with the state legislature. “I feel bad for Republican legislators. They might as well mail in their votes because they’re told how to vote.” Calling that behavior sad and pathetic, he says he has never witnessed anything like it in his 39-year career.
Codey didn’t direct his ire at just Republicans, he took aim at some notable Democrats like George Norcross III and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo for making what he called a pact with the devil.
“[Christie] went to the power brokers in the Democratic party and said you get me these votes. And when you play with devils, there is a price to pay and we’re paying that price right now… My party is in absolute shambles.”
As for his own political future and whether he is planning to challenge Christie in next year’s gubernatorial election, Codey says a lot depends on the outcome this November.
“We don’t know if Chris Christie is gonna run again, what happens if Romney wins, what happens if Obama wins?”