By David Cruz
Correspondent
On his first full day as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Gov. Chris Christie pivoted north — to Portland, Maine — where he picked up the endorsement of Gov. Paul LePage, a kindred spirit and no shrinking violet himself.
“He’s been a governor. He knows what hard decisions are, he’s going to make them. He’s not gonna be a politician and talk out of both sides of his mouth. He’s going to do, tell you things you may not want to hear but you need to hear. And then he’s going to work to fix it,” LePage said.
LePage gives Christie credit for resurrecting his struggling campaign. For his part, Christie came to Maine to collect on that political debt.
“His campaign staff will tell you this, when they were putting together their strategy I said, ‘Guys take a deep breath, let LePage be LePage. If you let LePage be LePage he is going to be reelected by the people of Maine.’ He made sure that the voters of Maine saw him. When they did they reelected him in a resounding way and that’s why they still support him today,” Christie said.
The governors met some Maine voters at Becky’s Diner — where the patrons are accustomed to and kind of ho-hum about politicians — and then took questions from us on national issues.
What does he make of the fires in black churches down south? “Really disturbing. Let’s wait to see for the one that happened last night, whether it was lighting and thunderstorms as well. So we don’t know whether it was an act of arson or not. If it was an act of arson, it’s again a manifestation of the racism that we see from some corners of this country and we need to stand strong against that and speaking out,” Christie said.
On Cuba where the president today reestablished diplomatic ties, Christie was direct.
“The president is dead wrong,” he said. “What he’s doing is dead wrong. He’s giving away the ability to have an economic relationship and a political relationship with the United States to a dictatorial regime that has done nothing, nothing to reform itself.”
As for diners, they kind of liked the guy, even if they’re not ready to vote for him just yet.
“He was very nice. Personable,” said a diner patron.
“Christie is someone that’s known and has a good reputation, forgetting some of the crazy stuff that they all go through. I know very personable, very outgoing,” said another
When asked if Christie would be someone she would vote for, another diner patron said, “Maybe.”
“He has potential. Haven’t made up my mind yet but I’m a Republican. So there’s a few candidates that I do like so far and I do like Gov. Christie, yes,” said a fourth.
As for those critics who suggest the governor consider stepping down as the campaign heats up, we asked him that directly today.
“No. I talk to you all the time David. I can walk and chew gum,” Christie said.