Charles Stile in The Record offers as good an explanation of Gov. Chris Christie’s generally high levels of support in the state as I’ve seen. The governor is a master of public relations, someone who can turn every image to his advantage even as he fosters a sense that he is unconcerned with how he is viewed by the public.
Christie has shown an uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of any voter resentment, mainly by staying on the offensive — and out of Trenton. Christie promotes his own, unfiltered messages with carefully edited YouTube videos, sent via email to voters, supporters and media around the country. Christie’s staff carved up the speech into seven Christie-glorifying videos, packaged with headlines like this one, “Governor Christie: Sandy Did Not Destroy Our Spirit.”
He also turns “town hall meetings” into de facto campaign rallies packed with friendly audiences who rarely ask him pointed questions. Christie will also reprise the image of his management of the storm, when cameras followed Christie touring storm-battered sites. This time, he will be there as the governor leading recovery. He is scheduled to visit Belmar today to mark the reconstruction of the town’s boardwalk.
This media strategy is central to Christie’s success. It is why he enjoyed strong approval ratings despite the stubbornly weak economy that stalked his agenda before the storm.
The strategy fosters an image of Christie leading, taking charge, confronting problems head on. It banks on the belief that most people don’t care too much about the details. They just want a sense that an “adult” is in charge.
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Hank Kalet 