How did Chris Christie win as a New Jersey Republican in 2009 and 2013?

[Suburbia]

How did Chris Christie win the NJ governorship as a Republican in New Jersey in 2009, when Bush was unpopular in NJ, he was tied to Karl Rove, etc.

I know Gov. Jon Corzine and former Gov. Jim McGreevey was unpopular, but how did he win in '09 in a blue state?

How did he win with urban/suburban centers like Essex, Hudson, Camden, Passaic, Union, Middlesex, Bergen, Burlington, Mercer?

[Pink Panther]

As for 2009, Christie was a good candidate for the state, while running in a red wave against an unpopular incumbent. In 2013, after his response to Sandy, he became extremely popular and was running in a red wave year in a sense.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

He was a compassionate Conservative R, he wasn't a hard liner at all similar to Mike DeWine

[Holmes]

He was a compassionate Conservative R, he wasn't a hard liner at all similar to Mike DeWine

Uh, no, Christie did not have a "compassionate" image at all.

[The Dowager Mod]

He played up the obnoxious New Jerseyite routine and the rubes ate it up.

[Roll Roons]

He played up the obnoxious New Jerseyite routine and the rubes ate it up.

Ah yes, the rubes in Short Hills, Livingston, Westfield, Summit, Far Hills, Bernardsville, Montgomery, Bridgewater, Ridgewood, Chatham, Chester and Mendham. All these places are really full of "rubes".

New Jersey is less blue in state races than it is in federal races. And there are a lot of rich suburbanites who may hate Trump, but don't like high taxes.

[Sir Mohamed]

Corzine was scandal plagued and by 2013 Christie had established a brand of a moderate, independent-minded politician who was kind of authentic and not a scripted dude who handled Hurricane Sandy relatively well. Latter appealed to Dem-leaning voters as he was presenting a stark contrast to national GOPers by working with Obama to help people.

[Oregon Eagle Politics]

because Obama was unpopular and Christie used to have a "moderate" image.

[PAK Man]

For 2013, I distinctly remember that, given Christie's popularity, more prominent Democrats took a pass on the race. I remember hearing people really wanted Booker to forego his senate bid and challenge Christie, but he decided not to. I also remember the senate special was held a week or two before the November election and people accused Christie of doing that on purpose so that he and Booker would not appear on the same ballot.

It's a similar situation to what happened with Nevada's gubernatorial race in 2014. If I recall, Harry Reid flat out said they wouldn't work on defeating Sandoval but they'd focus their efforts on picking up the LG race. You know, because so many people care about who their lieutenant governor is.</sarcasm>

[MT Treasurer]

It's a similar situation to what happened with Nevada's gubernatorial race in 2014. If I recall, Harry Reid flat out said they wouldn't work on defeating Sandoval but they'd focus their efforts on picking up the LG race. You know, because so many people care about who their lieutenant governor is.</sarcasm>

I mean, it’s not like Sandoval would have been in serious danger of losing even if the Reid Machine™ had put a target on his back — Nevada really wasn’t all that "Titatinium Tilt D" in 2014. Also, how did Republicans hold the LG office by 26 points when the Reid Machine™ was going after them? Aren’t all NV elections decided solely by whether the Reid Machine™ involves itself in a race or not? </sarcasm>

[Mr.Phips]

It's a similar situation to what happened with Nevada's gubernatorial race in 2014. If I recall, Harry Reid flat out said they wouldn't work on defeating Sandoval but they'd focus their efforts on picking up the LG race. You know, because so many people care about who their lieutenant governor is.</sarcasm>

I mean, it’s not like Sandoval would have been in serious danger of losing even if the Reid Machine™ had put a target on his back — Nevada really wasn’t all that "Titatinium Tilt D" in 2014. Also, how did Republicans hold the LG office by 26 points when the Reid Machine™ was going after them? Aren’t all NV elections decided solely by whether the Reid Machine™ involves itself in a race or not? </sarcasm>

The Reid machine gave up on the Lt governor race by the fall.

[MT Treasurer]

It's a similar situation to what happened with Nevada's gubernatorial race in 2014. If I recall, Harry Reid flat out said they wouldn't work on defeating Sandoval but they'd focus their efforts on picking up the LG race. You know, because so many people care about who their lieutenant governor is.</sarcasm>

I mean, it’s not like Sandoval would have been in serious danger of losing even if the Reid Machine™ had put a target on his back — Nevada really wasn’t all that "Titatinium Tilt D" in 2014. Also, how did Republicans hold the LG office by 26 points when the Reid Machine™ was going after them? Aren’t all NV elections decided solely by whether the Reid Machine™ involves itself in a race or not? </sarcasm>

The Reid machine gave up on the Lt governor race by the fall.

Surprising. Did the Reid machine also give up on the Attorney General race?

[Mr.Phips]

It's a similar situation to what happened with Nevada's gubernatorial race in 2014. If I recall, Harry Reid flat out said they wouldn't work on defeating Sandoval but they'd focus their efforts on picking up the LG race. You know, because so many people care about who their lieutenant governor is.</sarcasm>

I mean, it’s not like Sandoval would have been in serious danger of losing even if the Reid Machine™ had put a target on his back — Nevada really wasn’t all that "Titatinium Tilt D" in 2014. Also, how did Republicans hold the LG office by 26 points when the Reid Machine™ was going after them? Aren’t all NV elections decided solely by whether the Reid Machine™ involves itself in a race or not? </sarcasm>

The Reid machine gave up on the Lt governor race by the fall.

Surprising. Did the Reid machine also give up on the Attorney General race?

They really didn’t care about that race.