The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Cynthia Tucker said Friday New Jersey Governor Chris Christie won't run for president next year because "he realizes there’s still a crazy tax that a Republican nominee has to pay at this point."
This in Tucker's view stated on the syndicated "Chris Matthews Show" includes cozying up to the birthers, coddling Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, and denying manmade global warming (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CYNTHIA TUCKER, ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION: This is not the right time for Chris Christie because he realizes there’s still a crazy tax that a Republican nominee has to pay at this point. It’s absolutely true. You have to cozy up to the birthers. You have to coddle Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. You have to deny human causes of climate change. And that’s not who Chris Christie is. At some point in his career as a prosecutor, he supported gun control.
The Huffington Post's Howard Fineman didn't disagree:
HOWARD FINEMAN, HUFFINGTON POST: The test this time according to that same pollster I was talking about who has worked for Chris Christie is that who is going to be the nastiest, most effective, and most plausible anti-Obama candidate. Because that’s going to be – you talk about the crazy test – well, the catnip test is going to be who can really take Obama on and look like the biggest critic of Obama. And Chris Christie by nature is not exactly that kind of guy.
Substitute host Norah O'Donnell seemed pleased saying, "Alright. The crazy tax and the catnip test."
She wasn't the only left-wing media member enthralled by such insulting terms. The perilously liberal Tommy Christopher over at Mediaite also gave Tucker two enthusiastic thumbs up:
On Sunday Morning’s The Chris Matthews Show, panelist Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal Constitution may have coined a phrase that will help to define the 2012 Republican presidential field...I don’t know if Tucker is the first to use the phrase, but it is whip-smart, elegant, and more bumper sticker-friendly than Whip ‘em Out Wednesday. The difference, of course, is that the “crazy tax” exposes things about Republicans that most voters won’t find all that attractive.
"Crazy tax" is "whip-smart" and "elegant"? Seems a metaphysical certitude Christopher wouldn't feel that way if it was used against his beloved Democrats.
But this segment demonstrated something far more important: the Left are deeply afraid of Christie.
Why else would they be trying to talk him out of running?
