Ingraham Grills Chris Christie on His Low 2016 Polling and His ‘Shut Up’ Remarks | CPAC 2015 FULL In lieu of a traditional speech before the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference, Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) sat down with radio host Laura Ingraham for a series of questions on his brutish reputation, his low 2016 polling, his stance on social issues, and how he would differentiate himself from other possible 2016 contenders. Asked about his reputation for “brash” and “loud” responses to criticism, Christie said the people who call him such words forget the real adjective: “Passionate.” When Ingraham brought up his infamous “sit down and shut up” remark to a heckler, he drew audience applause by responding that “Sometimes people need to be told to sit down and shut up.” Ingraham repeatedly attempted to get Christie to either criticize or draw contrast from other possible 2016 Republican candidates — Jeb Bush on immigration policy and Scott Walker on social issues. On the former, he indirectly suggested the former Florida governor has misplaced priorities on immigration; on the latter, he attempted to paint himself as a staunchly pro-life Republican, in the same vein Walker has been painting himself as of late. Perhaps the key moment of the Q&A; came, however, when Ingraham asked the governor whether he is worried about the recent Public Policy Polling data showing him at only 5%, behind Walker (25%), Ben Carson (18%), Bush (17%), and Mike Huckabee (10%). “Is the election next week?” Christie responded. The governor also bashed the New York Times a handful of times, reminding everyone just how useful The Grey Lady is for Republicans looking to strengthen their bona fides with conservatives. Gov. Chris Christie, a potential Republican presidential candidate, was interviewed by Laura Ingraham at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Engaged in a seated colloquy with the conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham, Mr. Christie was on the receiving end of some of the same blunt talk he has all but trademarked — a rare departure at an event in which those being roasted are usually Democrats and are not in the room to defend themselves. Why, Ms. Ingraham asked, was he performing so poorly with Republican voters? “Is the election next week?” Mr. Christie shot back. Mr. Christie, who early polls show is viewed unfavorably by many Republicans, used the interview to swipe at Mr. Bush, with whom he will compete for the affection of a similar pool of primary voters if they both run for president. Prompted by Ms. Ingraham, who has been sharply critical of Mr. Bush, Mr. Christie took issue with a suggestion Mr. Bush floated in 2013 that immigrants could “repopulate” Detroit. “That’s misdirected priorities, that statement,” Mr. Christie said. “Because what I would be concerned about are the people who are in Detroit right now, the hard-working people who stuck with Detroit and who have stayed there.” All but baited by Ms. Ingraham about Mr. Bush’s apparent strength in the 2016 race, Mr. Christie portrayed the former Florida governor as the insiders’ candidate and himself as someone who could better connect with voters than the son and brother of presidents. “If the elites in Washington who make back-room deals decide who the president is going to be, then he’s going to be the front-runner,” Mr. Christie said. “If the people of the United States decide to pick the next president of the United States, and they want someone who looks them in the eye, connects with them and is one of them, I’ll do O.K.” Mr. Christie also sought to implicitly contrast himself with Mr. Bush, citing his father’s humble, working-class background. And he received a warm ovation when he dismissed the role of the minimum wage in offering economic opportunity. The sharp language about Mr. Bush as the candidate of the establishment, though, was a tacit acknowledgment that his own political circumstances had changed. After serving as head of the governors’ association last year, he had hoped to win over many of the same “elites in Washington” he scorned on Thursday. Now, though, Mr. Christie must recast his role in the still-developing and already unpredictable primary. Chris Christie’s CPAC Flogging Sean Hannity bear hugged Ted Cruz, while Laura Ingraham pulled no punches with Christie. And neither are the moderators here tapped to pry answers out of the featured guests. Sitting on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received a painful assessment of his would-be presidential candidacy Thursday. His antagonist was not a member of The New York Times’ editorial board or a liberal MSNBC talk show host, but conservative commentator Laura Ingraham, who peppered Christie with a barrage of uncomfortable queries for more than 20 minutes. FEBRUARY video 2015

• published: 27 Feb 2015
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