And this is the GOP Answer?

It appears Chris Christie will soon be announcing his bid for Republican  Presidential nomination, after the expected landslide victory in New Jersey today. And it appears he may be the top conservative candidate at the moment (CNN). But what should we think of this Governor and his record? His handling of Hurricane Sandy was certainly impressive, particularly crossing the partisan divide to work closely with Obama (and actually commend him for his assistance). But what can we say beyond this? Some data and thoughts …

-         Poverty rates have hit a 50-year high, with an astonishing 24.7 percent of the state’s population now categorized as poor. That’s one in four!

-         And that poverty rate happens even as New Jersey continues to have the highest property taxes in the country and as he cuts business taxes by $600 million a year and pushes personal income tax cuts (though the poor will pay more with his plan)

-         Even given this, New Jersey’s credit rating has fallen under Christie

-         He cut the budget deficit of $11 billion through major spending cuts

-         Christie has attacked teachers and teachers unions, cut retirement and health benefits and potentially undermined the incredible work they have done (NJ has the lowest dropout rates and among the highest test scores in the country)

-         Vetoed expanded early-voting system (fitting within the conservative push to undermine poor and minority voting)

-         Christie does hold some “liberal” positions on homosexuality, immigration reform, green energy and gun control – though he switched from pro-choice to pro-life in 2011 (and eliminated family planning from the state budget in June 2012) and is against gay marriage

-         Beyond this, are questions regarding his ethics, tendency to be late and (though probably unfair) weight.       

Is this really the answer to the nation’s problems? I’ll leave that for my dear readers to decide.