Christie should feel no necessity to appoint a democrat to replace Menendez because “the democrats won.” Had the media treated Menendez in NJ the way they treated Akin in Missouri, the republican would have won hands down.
And this was known at the time; just covered up under a blanket of media silence.
Appoint the republican contender who would have otherwise won that election.
Christie might not have anything to say about this if the courts get involved.
Remember Robert "The Torch" Torricelli? His scandal was about to take him down just before the election, and the Rat-controlled NJ supreme court forced a replacement candidate (Lautenberg) to be put on the ballot, after the date at which such a replacement would have been legal. The argument was that the people deserved a choice, and with one candidate unelectable, they woudn't have that choice.
With Menendez, the argument will be that the people picked a Rat, so they should get another Rat.
Christie will cave. That's a given.