Chris Christie and Sarah Palin - Two Peas in a Pod

by: deciminyan

Mon Nov 29, 2010 at 06:00:00 PM EST

At first blush, a comparison of Chris Christie and Sarah Palin might seem odd. One is a former beauty queen who dresses to the nines, and the other is a former prosecutor who would never be mistaken for <insert name of male Hollywood star>.

Yet, on the political stage, they share similar traits and approaches. Both favor style over substance. Palin extols her ersatz "Mama Grizzly" characteristic, both in her campaign appearances and in the free political advertising she is given in her TV series about Alaska. Similarly, Christie leverages his "tough guy" image - usually in front of friendly crowds at his town hall meetings. Both are idolized by their respective constituencies and can do no wrong in the eyes of their supporters. Both use their offspring as props to score political points - Palin exploiting her handicapped son and Christie incessantly repeating the story about how his daughter Bridgette laments the actions of her (private school) teachers due to budget cuts.

Palin and Christie both enjoy the limelight.

deciminyan :: Chris Christie and Sarah Palin - Two Peas in a Pod

Palin has "written" two books which she promotes on tour, and is a paid talking head on Fox's GOP propaganda channel. Christie has stumped for Republican candidates across the nation, won the Virginia Tea Party presidential straw poll, and continues his cross-country travels even after the election in venues such as the $1000 a plate Goldwater Institute fundraiser in Arizona. Both have had shadowy dealings in their political careers - Palin with "Troopergate" and Christie with no-bid contracts to his benefactor, John Ashcroft, among other things.

Most importantly, both abhor the hard work of governing. Palin quit the governor's job that the people of Alaska hired her to do in order to make millions on the lecture circuit. Christie refuses to do the hard work of negotiating with his political adversaries, espousing a "my way or the highway" attitude. Even when his cabinet members (e.g. Bret Schundler) do the hard work for him, he throws in a monkey wrench if his position is even slightly compromised.

Christie and Palin both have presidential ambitions. Both are young enough to sit out a couple of election cycles before making the plunge into national politics. Palin, without any significant executive experience, may be at an advantage since she is not establishing a track record of mistakes. Christie is making plenty of mistakes in bungling the Race to the Top and the ARC Tunnel. But the public has a short attention span, and Christie's bravado may be just what is needed to propel him into the White House in 2016 or 2020. God bless America!