Christie "Jersey proud" in new campaign ad
Updated: 9:43 a.m.
Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., is out with his first TV ad of his 2013 re-election bid, touting his New Jersey pride and boasting of bipartisan compromise he says is possible "as long as you stick to your principles."
"Four years ago, New Jersey was broken: Runaway spending, the nation's highest taxes, and unemployment on the rise," says a narrator in the minute-long TV spot, entitled "Jersey Proud." "Then we elected Chris Christie. He made the tough decisions to get New Jersey back on track."
Christie, a Republican governor in a blue state, highlighted his willingness to work with "with Democrats and Republicans," and his belief "that as long as you stick to your principles compromise isn't a dirty word."
According to Mike DuHaime, a Christie campaign spokesman, the campaign spent $1.2 million on the buy, and the ad will run through next week on New York and Philadelphia network television, as well as statewide in New Jersey on cable.
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Among the accomplishments the ad lists include tax cuts, spending cuts, "government made smaller and smarter," a property tax cap, balanced budgets, job growth, and merit pay for New Jersey teachers, and "the most education funding ever."
"But the most important thing he did has little to do with numbers, statistics, or even politics: He made us proud to say we're from New Jersey," the narrator says.
Christie, whose approval ratings have been well above 50 percent since superstorm Sandy wreaked havoc on the Jersey shore, faces a challenge by Democrat Barbara Buono for the governorship. But she faces a steep battle in her fight to unseat Christie. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows Christie leading her 58-26 percent.
