It’s no surprise that liberal New Jerseyans are not happy with the painful sacrifices that Christie is demanding—some of my friends and relatives among them. But anyone on either side of the aisle who’s fed up with our focus-grouped, winning-is-everything political culture should be watching Governor Bully closely. Christie’s crusade is not about 2012 or 2016; he doesn’t seem to mind being unpopular. Instead, it’s about really testing conservative principles against the hard stuff of reality. New Jersey’s constitution endows the governor with more power than most of his counterparts, and so far Christie has not been shy about exercising it.
As a result, the Garden State has suddenly become a fascinating test case for GOP governance: can a conservative response solve this fiscal crisis, at least on the state level? Can Republican leadership—as opposed to the Republican oppositionism we see in Washington—actually solve problems? If notoriously misgoverned New Jersey considers itself better off in a few years’ time—if businesses are moving back to the state, if the budget deficits are under control, if the balance between taxes and services is reasonable—Chris Christie will deserve most of the credit. If not, conservative policymaking will be discredited. Rarely are the battle lines so clearly drawn.
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