Chris Christie Couldn't Bring Himself to Watch Springsteen Mock Him

[identify]

I knew that out of everything that humanity has thrown at him these past few weeks regarding Bridgegate, the Springsteen/Fallon skit turning 'Born To Run' into a de facto indictment (no innocent until proven guilty here, and on national TV!) would probably be a massive Hulk Smash to the bawlz and his soul.

"Silver lining: Bruce Springsteen says your name"

[Tx4obama]

1. An excerpt and a link to the original article below...

G.O.P. Advice for Christie: Pick a Better Team

-snip-

Mr. Christie has told friends and contributors that he can weather the slings and scrutiny, even as he complains about what he sees as “piling on” by his enemies and a once-admiring news media, according to people told of his thinking, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not want to be associated with comments that could upset the governor or his aides. Mr. Christie has leaned hard on his wife and brother for advice, in long, searching conversations. (The governor could not bring himself to watch the traffic jam-themed parody of “Born to Run” sung by his idol, Bruce Springsteen, on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon,” though he was told by his college-age son, Andrew, that it was funny.)

-snip-

Full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/nyregion/gop-advice-for-christie-pick-a-better-team.html

p.s. the excerpt above is the tenth paragraph in the article.

[identify]

2. need to learn how to snip

thanks Tx4obama, could not figure out how to snip! how do you do that?

[Tx4obama]

3. It's a simple 'copy and paste' --- I go to the article (or any text), then...

I highlight the text (hold down the left side mouse button or the left side on a laptop, etc what ever you have that you left click with) and run your cursor over the text you want to highlight.

Then right click and select 'copy' (or you can hold down Control key and C key at the same time)

Then come to the DU text box and right click and select 'paste' (or you can hold down the Control key and V key at the same time)

The word '-snip-' I type that word to show that there is more text in the article at the link.

Does that make any sense?

Edited to add...
Then after I have everything pasted here at DU, I highlight all the text in the text box and click on the DU 'excerpt' button above the text and that puts it in a gray shaded box after you click on the post button.

[calimary]

21. Welcome to DU, identify!

Glad you're here! That's probably the cruelest cut to him, that the one guy he really idolizes is calling him out now. That's gotta hurt. And to that, I say "GOOD!!!!!"

[bvf]

10. Poor Christie!

Thanks for the excerpt! Didn't go back to the original article, but my first thought was, "Boy, is this guy fishing for sympathy or what."

Couldn't bring himself to watch it. How bad everyone must feel for him, poor guy.

[calimary]

22. Welcome to DU, bvf!

Good to have you with us! That is a WUNNNNNderful clip, isn't it, especially when you consider it - or rather, savor it, in context! For me, I wasn't too happy when Springsteen embraced christie and called him a friend when he's nothing but a bully. But maybe Springsteen is just a loving, forgiving, inclusive guy. Maybe also, back then, you couldn't find two people to dislike this thug (except maybe for separate isolated islands like DU) and see him for what he is. Awfully easy to overlook all that stuff, or put it aside, when one is being inclusive and magnanimous. But look a little deeper and start peeling away the onion layers, and you may finally see what's really at the heart of it. And it bites and stings and makes you cry.

[bvf]

34. Thanks for the warm welcome, calimary!

Other than his occasional bullyboy outbursts at public hearings and pressers, I hadn't paid much attention to Christie until Sandy happened, and even then spent more time reveling in the RW's outrage that the guy would get within ten feet of Obama--much less shake his hand--than I did paying much attention to all the let's-put-politics-aside-and-get-down-to-the-people's-business speechifying on Christie's part.

Kinda chilling thinking back to that now that we're all getting a better look at what was really going on.

[CANDO]

33. I hate the grey box.

On my phone browser, when anything is in the grey box, it doesn't auto zoom and fit my screen. Sucks

[freshwest]

4. You mean, this parody?

Last edited Mon Jan 20, 2014, 05:02 AM - Edit history (1)

And Bruce keeps on saying:

I GOTTA TAKE A LEAK!

I think the 'hurting the working man' may have got through to one of Christie's delusions he cons himself with about really caring about people. His behavior does not bear that out. Hope NJ realizes what they elected there and clean house.

[Skittles]

6. Bruce's arms

*SWOON*

[SunSeeker]

18. +1

[In_The_Wind]

7. I thought it was awesome.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018558250

[spiderpig]

9. Me too.

Mr. pig is a huge Springsteen fan & laughed his butt off.

[silverweb]

5. I could almost feel sorry for him.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Then I remember watching him screaming at everyday people and calling them names, and I remember his vindictive behavior in the past.

Nope. No sympathy from me, Chris. This is your self-inflicted karma humiliating you.

[freshwest]

8. Agreed. Music for the bully:

[Cha]

11. Thanks for that, identify.. all the comments were

anti-Christie!

[SunSeeker]

17. Yes, the Gawker reader comments were hilarious! nt

[calimary]

24. "Do it my way... or I'll shut down your highway!"

Indescribably delicious!

[SunSeeker]

25. That's one of the tame ones. LOL. nt

[calimary]

27. Yes indeed!

But I did like the way it rhymes. And because of bush/cheney, the "my way or the highway" statement always burns. So I find it particularly sweet and savory to see that phrase toyed with and turned - well - okay, let's be honest here: MY way!

[Gothmog]

12. Poor Christie

His hero knows that he is an asshole

[90-percent]

13. Bruce and Chris

Christie is a big Springsteen fan, which is infused in the DNA of long time New Jersey residents.

However, the love is not reciprocated. I think Bruce has declined to appear with Christie or do any performances that would benefit him. Bruce has enough class to not publicly criticize the Governor, but I don't think Bruce likes the guy in the least. And why should he?

-90% Jimmy

[CTyankee]

14. He only spoke to Christie on the phone a while back because President Obama asked him to.

Springsteen was being gracious. And now look at this horrible mess!

I don't think Obama would do that now. There's a lesson here: you don't try to play nice with corrupt bullies. I know Obama was trying to reach across the aisle but all bets are off now. Wipe the manure off your shoe and go on...

[karynnj]

15. Bruce did go on stage with Christie at a Sandy benefit

However this was after Springsteen turned down playing at his inaugural celebration and he ignored many later attempts by Christie to do something with him.

The first thing I ever read of Christie/Springsteen, was a pathetic oped in the Morris County Record - the biggest paper from the NJ county he lived in - in 2004 which whined about musicians playing political shows that left out some of their really big fans. The reason, Springsteen was playing in the GOTV tour for John Kerry. (Christie said he couldn't go because it would embarrass him - as a Republican - because they might put him on the Jumbotron. This ignores that he was NOT well known then.) In fact, Springsteen HAD stayed out of electoral politics until 2004 - even complaining if his songs were used. In 2004, Springsteen gave Kerry's campaign permission to use "No Surrender". Kerry first met Springsteen in the early 198os before he was a Senator when he working on efforts to help veterans and Springsteen played at a benefit and Springsteen was very anti Bush.

I am at a loss to understand how Christie, who saw around 130 shows and knows all the words, totally misses the meaning of Springsteen's songs. Still - it seems from at least one set of Christie comments that he thought that if they met, Springsteen would see they agreed on a lot. So, that performance - on target, funny and not mean spirited - might have not just stung in its own right, but might have blown up one of Christie's dreams.

Going back to 2004, when Springsteen did several shows for Kerry and even more when he introduced Kerry at a huge Madison, Wisconsin show with words that touched Kerry and his team deeply -- is it likely that a young federal prosecutor in NJ had dreams of being the man that Springsteen could praise as potentially a great President. It may have taken that clip to know that that NEVER was in the cards.

[SunSeeker]

16. "Christie — who joked about the traffic scandal in December — couldn't take the jokes this time..."

Great article.

[ailsagirl]

19. It's ironic that...

those who are the meanest to others are often surprisingly sensitive when it comes to themselves.

They can "dish it out" but "can't take it"

[calimary]

23. OUCH! That certainly draws blood!

Love it! How many times has this bullying asshole leaned on people til it hurt, or threatened to do that? Now that HE'S being leaned on, he can't take it. That is typical of a bully. They sure can dish it out, alright. But they can't take even a whisper of it coming back at them.

[Hutzpa]

20. I know Bruce is a man with very good judgement

as we've seen in the past, there is a reason why he refused to back the Emperor with dirty linen
because he knew there has to be some kind of stain somewhere and lo and behold it emerges.

There is no clorox available to clean this one up.

Cya Gov. Bully

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

26. How can one claim to be one of his "biggest" fans...

and not listen to the lyrics of Bruce's songs?

[polichick]

28. Has Bruce said anything about the scandal (in addition to the song)?

[hrmjustin]

29. Poor baby!

[Beacool]

30. Poor baby, I could almost feel sorry for him.

Naaahhhhh...........

[Beacool]

31. Oops, that came out larger than I thought.

[libdem4life]

32. It was hilarious and the first time through a little uncomfortable to watch. The second and third

times I enjoyed totally. What struck me was that this was as close to tying Christie directly to the bridge scandal as anyone has gotten...perhaps even yet. I mean this was a "guilty" verdict without a trial. That's why we have comedians who fulfill the ancient Court Jester role. They can say and do things "serious" folks can't. See Comedy Central as another case in point.