As thorny as pension funding is, the compromise he forged four years ago would likely be a feather in Gov. Chris Christie’s cap should he become an official presidential candidate. But Bridgegate trials are looming. And his popularity is declining in an increasingly crowded field of Republican contenders. NJTV News Correspondent David Cruz was in Manchester, New Hampshire to get the lay of the land in the nation’s first primary state.
Christie is the honorary chairman of a political action committee called Leadership Matters for America. Cruz said he will be in New Hampshire gauging what New Hampshire folks feel about the issues and perhaps gauging whether or not their feelings coincide with his and perhaps might give him some impetus to make an official announcement that he’s going to run for president.
Tomorrow Christie is scheduled to take a tour of a drug treatment center and be part of a roundtable. Later, he’ll have a meet and greet and tomorrow night he is scheduled to speak at the Cheshire County Lincoln Day Dinner. Friday he’ll have some more opportunities for some retail politics, according to Cruz. He’s going to have two Christie-type events — one at a diner which will be a meet and greet and then he will have a town hall in a bar Friday night.
Many may wonder if the bridge scandal will be an issue in New Hampshire. “The last time we were here the bridge scandal hardly ever came up. One person asked him about it kind of jokingly at a diner meet and greet. But indications are right now, as far as media coverage, there hasn’t been very much of it and we’ll find out tomorrow whether or not what happened Friday and Monday will have any impact here and whether folks will ask the governor about it,” Cruz said.