Chris Christie and the George Washington Bridge

Apart from being the place with the best music, television and jokes, New Jersey has always been a source of intriguing political tales. For the latest we have to thank Governor Chris Christie, a Republican and a heavyweight — a sort of political equivalent of über-rogue Tony Soprano.

Even though it is a predominantly Democratic state, Christie is well liked in New Jersey, and this is probably because he possesses a rare gift for a politician. He says what he thinks without prevaricating, never beats around the bush and puts the interest of his state above all other concerns. He has no time at all for the sanctimonious political culture in Washington. No nonsense, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty — that is Christie’s style.

What does he do when Obama deserves praise for the way he tackles a crisis? Christie gives him a hug. What does he do when his colleagues are hanging around with the residents of Jersey Shore? He gives them hell in front of the cameras.

His star is rising in the American firmament. A lot of people who are paid to know about such things believe there is a very good chance that in 2016, he will have a shot at the highest office. However, if he wants his image to remain intact, then he could do without crises such as the one he now finds himself in the middle of.

Because Christie is also a man with a short fuse. For years, Democrats have been accusing him of running a regime based on harassment. If the mood takes him, he has been known to shout down opponents, journalists, trade union officials and even the electorate. He does not shy away from confrontation. But then again, that is what they like in New Jersey. The question is whether this will still be true following the scandal with the George Washington Bridge.

In short, what happened is as follows: Very close colleagues — now ex-colleagues — of Christie gave the instruction that traffic chaos should be created on the bridge that links north New Jersey with New York City — a bridge that, with 102 million vehicles crossing it each year, is reckoned to be the busiest in the world. This was done as an act of revenge against the Democratic mayor of the town of Fort Lee, which lies at one end of the bridge, because he refused to publicly support Christie in his election campaign to become governor. The plan worked perfectly: In September there was four days of traffic chaos, which drove thousands of motorists, as well as the intended victim — the mayor — completely crazy.

This was a huge problem for Christie, a scandal with the potential to follow him right through his career. He has a carefully cultivated image as a hard man with a good heart. This has always worked well for him, until the point at which his intimidating style carried him way beyond the bounds of acceptable behavior.

Christie reacted quickly. A day after emails revealing the actions of Christie’s regime came to light, he spoke to the press uninterrupted for two hours and displayed his characteristic bravado. He apologized, insisted that he had known absolutely nothing about any of it, that one of his employees had been responsible and furthermore had, of course, been immediately fired.

It was a fantastic example of how to communicate in a crisis. He was completely frank and didn’t dodge any questions. He did a bit of soul-searching, threw in the odd well-timed joke, addressed all the journalists by their Christian names and looked them all in the eye. It was vintage Christie.

“I don’t hide my emotions from people … Now, that has always made some people, as you know, uneasy. Some people like that style, some people don’t. And I’ve always — I think you asked me the question day after the election, are you willing to change your style in order to appeal to a broader audience? And I think I said no because I am who I am. But I am not a bully.”

When asked whether he had considered resigning, he could barely contain himself. “Oh God no. That’s a crazy question, man.”

After the press conference he even drove straight to Fort Lee in order to offer an apology to the mayor, an apology which the mayor accepted.

This, however, is far from the end of the matter. Because Christie is so widely tipped as a future Republican presidential candidate, the scandal has assumed national proportions and his reputation has been badly tarnished. Not only that, but the U.S. attorney for New Jersey has launched an investigation into what went on, and should it emerge that Christie was in fact aware of the plan to cause traffic chaos — even if he was involved in only a very small way — his career will surely be ruined. At the same time, it is hard to believe that somebody in his inner circle could have come up with this plan without Christie knowing anything at all about it. Furthermore, even if it was only one of his employees who thought this was a good idea, that also reflects badly on him.