Chris Christie and wife weigh in on Trump, Clinton, family dinners
A CBS News/New York Times Poll reveals New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sits in 11th place for the presidential elections. Some polls suggest Christie is being hurt by Donald Trump, more than any other Republican in the 2016 race.
In his New Jersey home, the governor told "CBS This Morning" that his opponent had an advantage "that no one else in the race has," thanks to his stardom as a reality TV star, reports "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King.
"We've had plenty of smart, astute businessmen run for president before," said Christie. "The difference here is this is somebody who comes in with nearly 100 percent name identification...Other people know him and they generally like him and they love the character that he played on the show."
But even some New Jersey residents don't support their governor for the executive seat, which Christie says is "kind of natural."
"When you say that you want to leave and take another job, people get offended. They're wondering, 'Why doesn't he want to stay here forever?'" said Christie. "Well, you know, I'm term-limited and I'm going to need a new job after 2017. And in fact, if I want to stay in public life, this is the only other job I'm interested in."
Christie also discussed his staunch opposition to stricter gun control laws, putting the blame of gun violence on mental health.
Referring to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Christie said, "there's not a gun control law on the books now or proposed that would've prevented that unless the people who knew that that young man was disturbed went to the authorities and got him involuntarily committed. And if he were in a hospital, rather than on the streets, those people may not have been killed."
Christie also discussed his close relationship with his family. When the governor was first elected, he and his wife decided not to move the family to the governor's mansion, but to stay in their home in Mendham, New Jersey.
"I said one day during the work week, I want to make sure you are home for family dinner," said Mary Pat .
Even with a dad who is a governor and a mom with a successful Wall Street career, the family with four kids still have family dinners. And in this family, mom has always been the primary breadwinner.
"It's all we've ever known. Chris was in law school when we first got married, so from the beginning I was playing school tuition bills and working...and it's not something that we thought about or ever really cared about, honestly," said Mary Pat Christie.
Gov. Christie said his wife's contrasting role to gender stereotypes was a "great example" for their children.
"...for our daughters, in particular that you know, your worth does not come from who you marry -- your worth comes from who you are, and when you bring that worth to a marriage, it makes the marriage even better," he said. "And for our sons, I think for them to see that this kind of false macho about 'you have to be the bigger breadwinner, the bigger presence'-- isn't the way it has to be."
The governor and his wife have been together since they were 22 years old. Next year, they will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary - most likely on the road, campaigning for president.
"The presidency's all about test, being tested. And there's no one who's been, in this race, who's been more tested than I have been," said Christie, who also explained why he was more "tested" than Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.
"My responsibilities, I think in many ways, have been greater than hers have been," he said. "I think when you're in charge of the state and you're the ultimate accountable person for what happens in that state over a period of time, I do think that that's a much more personal challenge than the challenge of being secretary of state, for instance, or being one of a hundred United States senators."