Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Play Misty for Christie

Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," coming to you from New Jersey, the Smokestack State! If you ever watched "Jersey Shore" and saw those morons on there, you will understand how this state got saddled with the sorry nasty head case known as Governor Chris Christie.

You would have to be living in a cave to have missed Governor Christie's recent scandal, in which his closest advisers went entirely behind his back and, without any knowledge on his part, altered the traffic patterns on our nation's busiest bridge, the George Washington Bridge from Jersey to Manhattan. Poor Governor Christie! Imagine being double-crossed by the people you trust the most!

Well, if you believe his story, then talk to me. I'll sell you the George Washington Bridge, and you can manage the traffic. Good luck with that, by the way.

You know what, though? I'm going to give Governor Christie the benefit of the doubt on this. Maybe he is just a really poor leader who pays virtually no attention to what his staff members are doing, even when it makes headlines. It could be as simple as that. But what I read in the Sunday New York Times  about him did give me pause.

According to the Sunday Times, this recent scandal has forced Mr. Christie to change his schedule somewhat. He was supposed to take a tour of Europe to improve his grasp of foreign policy. And then he had planned to do major fundraising for the election of other Republican governors. Both of these duties baffle me. What could they possibly have to do with running the state where I live? How could a tour of Europe make the lives of my Camden students better? Are the Swiss going to set up chocolate shops on Haddon Avenue?

It sounds like, if this scandal hadn't happened, I would be paying a salary to a guy who would be spending more time off the job than on it.

It's no surprise that Mr. Christie wants to be president, even though he's been too coy to say so. But just now he's supposed to be running the government of New Jersey, and he is supposed to do so with competent staff, and he's supposed to be polite to constituents. He's not, and he's not, and he's not.

Yes, the left wing media is overdoing its skewering of Chris Christie. But take it from one of the citizens of his state: After a thorough evaluation using the Danielson Model, I find him ineffective as a public servant.

Stop Chris Christie right here at the gates of New Jersey! Don't let him bring his bully tactics and abrasive personality onto a wider platform. The man is not fit to govern. If he thinks the first duties of the governor should be a whirlwind tour of Europe, he's clearly out of touch with his voters.

Hey! I'm here, serving a life sentence in New Jersey. Send me some orange cones, and I'll be glad to block the lanes that would lead Chris Christie onto the highway to Washington, DC. I would consider this the first act of a patriot. The man is a menace.

6 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

You're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on the bridge traffic scandal? You astonish me. I don't blame his political enemies for riding that hobbyhorse for all it's worth. Nail him! Nail him good!

Anti Kate said...


What is the Danielson Model?

Yeah, he is running for President, isn't he? Like those of us outside of Nebraska know who the governor is. They say any publicity is good publicity, as long as they spell the name right. Let's start casting confusion on the spelling, then.

Anne Johnson said...

Anti, the Danielson Model is a teacher evaluation tool put into place by Gov. Christie's so-called "reforms." It is so complicated that the evaluators don't know how to use it. However, it does generate a NUMBER, like a grade point average, as a proficiency score for teachers. My latest score was 3.44. Imagine putting a number to something as nebulous as teaching! And this is what Christie has wrought.

Davoh said...

um, just thought to say "hello" again, remind 'youse guys' in the Northern Hemisphere that self remains alive - and that ... erk - we seem to have a "right wing" gummint. The um, "Minister for Education" seems intent on re- establishing "Christian" values - whatever that may mean - but from my point of view "hypocrisy" seems to be the 'baseline'.

oops, must'n't get too agitated ...

My best wishes to you, family and readers (whatever calendar we work with).

Cheers to all those dealing with "winter".

Anne Johnson said...

Hello to you, Davoh! Yes, we are having a "real" winter here this year. Today's high temperature is about 3 Celsius. Good to hear from you ... enjoy the warmth!

Christian values in school? I thought Australia was a rather liberal-minded place!

yellowdoggranny said...

I have a bullshit detector..I detect it in copious amounts in CC.