‘Boy were we wrong’ – New Hampshire paper apologizes for backing Christie

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Tales from the Trail

‘Boy were we wrong’ – New Hampshire paper apologizes for backing Christie

By Scott Malone March 1, 2016

The conservative-leaning Manchester Union Leader newspaper apologized to its readers on Tuesday for endorsing Chris Christie in the run-up to the state’s Republican presidential nominating primary last month, citing the New Jersey governor’s quick endorsement of Donald Trump.

“Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring this weekend — and make excuses for the man Christie himself had said was unfit for the presidency — demonstrated how wrong we were,” the newspaper’s editor, Joseph McQuaid, wrote. “Rather than standing up to the bully, Christie bent his knee.”

The paper said it had backed Christie, who rose to national prominence when he met publicly with U.S. President Barack Obama after Superstorm Sandy decimated the Jersey Shore in 2012, days before the 2012 presidential election. That stroll along the battered boardwalk drew the ire of national Republicans, who contended it undermined Mitt Romney in a key point in his unsuccessful campaign for the White House, and gave Christie a reputation for working across party lines that was later undercut by the “Bridgegate” scandal.

Christie finished in a distant sixth place in New Hampshire’s Feb. 9 contest, which Trump won handily. Christie ended his run for the presidency the next day and on Friday endorsed Trump, calling him the Republicans’ best hope to beat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in November.

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Read more: http://blogs.reuters.com/talesfromthetrail/2016/03/01/boy-were-we-wrong-new-hampshire-paper-apologizes-for-backing-christie/

Source: New Hampshire Union Leader

February 29. 2016 8:26PM

An Editorial - Joseph W. McQuaid, Publisher: Christie was our bad choice

By JOSEPH W. McQUAID
New Hampshire Union Leader

Boy, were we wrong.

We endorsed Chris Christie in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. Despite his baggage, we thought that as a Republican governor in a Democratic-leading state he had the skills and experience the presidency needs (and hasn’t had of late). We also thought he had the best chance to take on and face down Donald Trump.

Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring this weekend — and make excuses for the man Christie himself had said was unfit for the presidency — demonstrated how wrong we were. Rather than standing up to the bully, Christie bent his knee. In doing so, he rejected the very principles of his campaign that attracted our support.

Voters here apparently knew better than we. Most rejected Christie but divided their votes among several others, leaving Trump to claim victory. And now, despite specifically telling us that he would never endorse him, Christie is backing Trump.

If nothing else, that might wake up some Trump fans. We will look for that, just as soon as we get the egg off our face.

http://www.unionleader.com/An-Editorial-Joseph-W-McQuaid-Publisher-Christie-was-our-bad-choice

[liberalhistorian]

1. Better late than never, but I still say

fuck them. There was more than enough evidence long before Christie's endorsement of Trump of just what a chump bully idiot Christie really was. It was right there if they cared to look for it, which they didn't.

[hollysmom]

2. we all told them and they didn't listen, but then again they are probably

sorry they didn't back bush

[tabasco]

3. "Conservative leaning."

Then of course they're a bunch of stupid assholes and nobody should buy their rag.

[Tempest]

4. They told the NJ Star Ledger they endorsed him because of his campaign trail performance

And didn't know anything about his performance as governor.

It's a great read:

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/11/nh_papers_christie_endorsement_is_about_performanc.html

[Buns_of_Fire]

5. "Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring..."

Betcha that wasn't the first phrasing that came to mind...

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. A bastion of hard-line conservatism,

with egg on their faces today.

Sweet.