Christie Campaign Press Release - What They’re Saying, Volume III: "Christie Managed To Be That Voice Of The Common Person"
What They're Saying About...
"Christie Managed To Be That Voice Of The Common Person"
Christie "Brought It Back To What The Debate Should Be About Which Is The Middle Class And Helping The American People"
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Charles Krauthammer: "Christie had a good night. Christie, I think rose above expectations. He showed himself to be controlled but really strong. He held his own on several issues. He's able to debate and he had a bit of humor." (Fox News, 9/16/15)
The Weekly Standard's Stephen Hayes: "I didn't think this was a great night for the Governors with the exception for Chris Christie. I thought Christie did pretty well. He distinguished himself, he jumped into several exchanges, he sort of redefined other exchanges." (Fox News, 9/16/15)
Howard Kurtz: "A very strong moment by the Governor of New Jersey because there was so much back and forth encouraged by the moderator Jake Tapper that it was a way of pivoting the conversation back to you the voter. For some people who might be tired by all the sniping." (Fox News, 9/16/15)
Fox News' Brian Kilmeade: "I was fascinated by the fact that Governor Chris Christie, who kept with one theme, it was about the people. From the first time he said reverse the cameras and look at the people, he kept with that theme." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Fox News' Elizabeth Hasselback: "When it came to jobs and it came to security, he was able to reshift focus back to the man and woman out there looking for a job who maybe didn't have one, who wanted some straight talk there." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Focus Group Voter: "He seemed very genuine. There was bickering going back and forth between Fiorina and Trump and he brought it back to what the debate should be about which is the middle class and helping the American people." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Focus Group Voter: "In the group, her and Chris Christie were the only ones who didn't seem flustered under pressure, everyone else did." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Frank Luntz: "He said it several times in the debate and the reaction was exactly the same. He is the only candidate of the people standing up there that kept saying - look, it's not about my background, it's not about what I've done, it's about what you need. He referenced middle class voters and people are waiting eagerly, anxiously for a candidate who doesn't try to sell themselves on the voter but instead says to the voter I get you, I understand you and empathize with you and now I'm going to fight for you. It was one of the highest moments of the debate." (CBS, 9/17/15)
Nicolle Wallace: "Chris Christie introduced himself the most effective way of the night. ... He did what every candidate needs to do, he made it about the people, not about himself. He had a great night." (NBC, 9/17/15)
Jeff Sonnenfeld: "I think Chris Christie absolutely got his voice back and he stole what Trump wanted - which was to be the voice of the oppressed middle class. Trump has a very good tax package to address that issue. He hardly got to it on substance, being distracted by style issues, whereas Christie managed to be the voice of the common person." (CNBC, 9/17/15)
NBC News' Kasie Hunt: "I also think we learned that there's a little bit of fight left in Chris Christie. he's somebody who -- you know we saw the flashes of the old New Jersey governor who really enjoys getting into it, enjoys mixing it up, and he's somebody who actually, you know, turned the conversation back to what he described as regular working people on a number of occasions. I think hitting in a way that was authentic to him, that same note that's driving these anti-establishment candidates." (MSNBC, 9/17/15)
CNN's Jeff Zeleny: "I thought it was pretty effective. I think it was one of Chris Christie's better moments, because I think he's right. Most people sitting at home, most voters, hard to be all that sympathetic to Carly Fiorina, Donald Trump, sort of the back and forth. It was a little bit in the weeds. I thought it was a good moment for Chris Christie. Kind of like the side of Chris Christie, the bully we like to see. The kind of a nice bully who is sticking up for the kid." (CNN, 9/17/15)
CNN's Athena Jones: "He really had to make the most of what ends up being a limited amount of time for each of these candidates and he did that from the very beginning by trying to show that he's for the people. He's for the voters. He cares more about them than he does about talking about himself." (CNN, 9/17/15)
Larry Sabato: "Chris Christie was very near the point of being eliminated. I have to say though he had a good, solid performance last night, and he had several of those moments, notice in your clips he's included. That is what a candidate wants the day after a debate. He or she wants to be included in the summary." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski: "A lot of good answers and a lot of candidates really shined last night. I mean, I talk about Carly, but actually Chris Christie ... had a great night." (MSNBC, 9/17/15)
MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: "Chris Christie did well. I thought he did great." (MSNBC, 9/17/15)
IJReview: "If You're Wondering Whose Final Answer Won Google, One Candidate Stands Well Above the Rest" (IJReview, 9/17/15)
CNN's Brianna Keilar: "Here's what [independent dial testers] did like. This is Chris Christie when he was talking, and this is their response when he called out Fiorina and Donald Trump on that back and forth and instead focused his ire on Hillary Clinton." (CNN, 9/17/15)
Joe Trippi: "I think Chris Christie did himself a lot of good as well." (Fox News, 9/16/15)
David Axelrod: "[Christie] a very strong night, very strong performance tonight." (Fox News, 9/16/15)
CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson: "Chris Christie I thought did well. He had a sense of personality." (CNN, 9/16/15)
CNBC's John Harwood: "Chris Christie who had a strong performance as well." (CNBC, 9/16/15)
Asbury Park Press: "Christie Scores In Presidential Debate" (Asbury Park Press, 9/17/15)
Fox News: "New Jersey Gov.Chris Christie had a similarly good showing when he talked about the fighting between Trump and Fiorina as a distraction from real issues." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Fox News' Jessica Tarlov: "Chris Christie won that exchange. I think there is a strong argument to be made for Chris Christie to get some extra backing now to say, enough, we are all successful up here. We've all done well. You wouldn't be running for President if you weren't, but let's talk about the middle class. Let's talk about the average voter and the guy who doesn't have a job the guy who lost his job and is struggling. Chris Christie, I thought he did really well." (Fox News, 9/17/15)
Chris Christie, Christie Campaign Press Release - What They’re Saying, Volume III: "Christie Managed To Be That Voice Of The Common Person" Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/311634