On Sunday's NBC Meet the Press, host David Gregory wondered if New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's 2016 presidential chances were "done" following the Bridgegate scandal. In response, National Journal's Ron Fournier cited Christie's Friday CPAC address: "Ironically, he might have done himself some good with the Republican primary audience because he now can beat up on the media." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Gregory joked: "Thank God the media's still here because what else would they talk about CPAC if we weren't here to kick around?" Fournier replied: "It's all we're good for sometimes."
Here is a transcript of the March 9 exchange:
11:14 AM ET
(...)
DAVID GREGORY: I want to ask a couple pragmatic questions about politics. Chris Christie, is he done, Ron? Or do you think the big money in the Republican Party, donors, are looking at him and saying, "Well, he's got some time here to come back"?
RON FOURNIER [NATIONAL JOURNAL]: It's too early to say that anybody's done. But the golden brand of someone who was a nonpartisan, or at least could work across party lines, who was uncorruptible [sic], who was politics unusual, that is very, very damaged. And it is hard to see – his road to the presidency is much tougher than it was. And it was never easy because his brand didn't really fit neatly into the Republican primary.
Ironically, he might have done himself some good with the Republican primary audience because he now can beat up on the media. But it's hard to see – harder to see him become president than it was six months ago.
GREGORY: Thank God the media's still here because what else would they talk about CPAC if we weren't here to kick around?
FOURNIER: It's all we're good for sometimes.
(...)
