Gov. Chris Christie wants his party to spend its time promoting the middle class, not defending the wealthy.
The potential 2016 contender urged Republicans to adopt a positive agenda for working families ahead of next year’s election in an interview with radio personality Laura Ingraham Thursday. The two shared a stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Oxon Hill, Md.
“[Democrats] say we’re the party of the rich. And I’ll tell you something: I don’t mind rich people at all, but we don’t need to be standing up as a party defending them all the time,” Christie said. “What we need to do is start fighting for the people who are trying to lift themselves up, who haven’t had a wage increase adjusted for inflation in 15 years.”
Christie dinged Hillary Clinton and Democrats for having an uninspiring solution for such workers, saying that the GOP can offer a more hopeful message.
“Now, Mrs. Clinton’s answer to that is to say, ‘Raise the minimum wage.’ I will tell you this: No parents are sitting around a kitchen table tonight saying, ‘If our child can get a higher minimum wage, my gosh, every one of our aspirations for them will be realized.’ It’s not happening,” Christie said to laughter and applause. “I want a country where those parents can honestly look at their children and say, ‘You can aspire to be anything you want in this country, no matter where you come from.’ ”
Christie appeared comfortable in the setting, speaking loosely and swiveling in his chair as he fielded questions from the friendly broadcaster for more than 20 minutes. But he found himself defending his personality and record a few times, particularly when Ingraham brought up mainstream media scrutiny — a hot topic in conservative circles given the recent headlines featuring fellow state executive Scott Walker.
Walker, another possible 2016 hopeful, has received attention for his reserved answers to inquiries about President Obama’s faith and Rudy Giuliani’s comments on Obama’s patriotism. Christie is no stranger to such heat from the press.
“I’m in New Jersey. I have The New York Times in my media gaggle every day, and when you do things like I’ve done in New Jersey, to take on a lot of these special interests frontally, that they support, they just wanna kill you,” Christie said. “Here’s the bad news for them: Here I am, and I’m still standing. I’m gonna continue to do it, because what matters more is the fact that I wake up every morning knowing how to fight for the people of my state, and that’s what I do. I don’t care what they write about me in The New York Times. They can keep it. I don’t subscribe.”
Christie’s name remains a prominent part of the presidential conversation, but pundits and polls have been sour on his prospects of late. He has polled in the single digits while Walker has surged, political outsider Ben Carson has activated the grassroots, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has loomed over the field. True to form, Christie said he wasn’t concerned.
“Is the election next week?” he joked.
Christie has not yet announced if he will seek the GOP nomination.
