There’s a major campaign fundraiser tonight in Middletown, but not for Chris Christie. Former Republican National Committee Finance Chair and Christie friend Lawrence Bathgate is co-hosting a party for Jeb Bush, who’s already raked in $283,000 from New Jersey backers, many of whom were previously in the Christie camp. NJTV News Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron was at the Navesink Country Club, the location for the fundraiser.
Aron said there were about 150 people inside the Navesink Country Club waiting for Bush spending about $1,500 for a basic ticket to the event. Bathgate, a well-known fundraiser in New Jersey Republican Party circles organized it. Aron spoke to him and asked him why he’s supporting Bush.
Bathgate said he’s been part of the Bush family for more than 35 years, but the real reason for his support of Bush is because he believes he has the credentials and skill set to make a great president. “And I think that most Americans agree that we haven’t been exactly happy … with the direction of the government and the lack of leadership of vision that the current administration has demonstrated in Washington,” he said.
According to Bathgate, the U.S. needs people in Washington who will address the significant issues that confront our country, including immigration, the cost of education and uncertainty in the Middle East. “So you need people that think about those things. And when they get the job, they spend full time on the job,” Bathgate said. “He, being Jeb Bush, is a very smart guy. And he’s articulate and he’s thought about a lot of these issues and he’ll present those viewpoints and address those during the debates. My expectation is that he will acquit himself well during the debates.”
While Bathgate is supporting Bush for president, he says he hasn’t walked away from Christie. Bathgate says he has known Christie for more than 25 years and considers him a friend. He says each presidential candidate has a hill to climb. For Christie, Bathgate said he has to explain and answer for his record, including Bridgegate, and he has personal characteristics that may be at odds with presidential demeanor. “If you say something that he doesn’t agree with at his town meetings, then he’s quick to confront those types of things,” Bathgate said. He also referred to the widely circulated soundbite when Christie told a man to “sit down and shut up.”
“We like to believe that we have a president and a leader who is elegant and civil, respectful. I could never envision President Kennedy or President Reagan ever telling an audience member to shut up and sit down as an example. That particular incident and others like it, it plays well for a while. Is that type of behavior sustainable over time? I don’t think so,” Bathgate said.
Bathgate said Bush will be a candidate who doesn’t change his stance on issues. “One of the things that he’s told us — me and others — is that he will not run to the right to try to get the nomination. He’s going to address the issues the way that he’s thought about these issues,” Bathgate said.
In addition to Bathgate, Aron said there were other prominent Republicans at the Middletown fundraiser, including state Sen. Joe Kyrillos and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. In addition to the fundraiser in Middletown tonight, Bush is expected to spend some time at a private home in Short Hills.
Yesterday, Christie announced his own finance team, which included a long roster of names from around the country, including Meg Whitman of California, Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone and hedge fund manager Steve Cohen of Connecticut.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH LAWRENCE BATHGATE: