re: I’m not going to jump on the band-wagon to impeach him just yet.
Neither am I. Nor am I naive about how all of this fits into the Democrat playbook where they routinely scream foul at real or imagined Republican scandals while circling the wagons around Democrat politicians who are guilty as sin, insisting that the issues are either bogus are irrelevant. In contrast, Republicans typically respond by distancing themselves from the “accused”, even if the politician is innocent. I am neither circling the wagons nor attempting to distance myself. I am simply saying that based on the limited information I have, things don’t look good for Christie as a Republican leader. If he were a Democrat there would hardly be a blip on the MSM radar and this would all be a non-issue, regardless of lives lost or people inconvenienced.
re: Vindictiveness - Wouldn’t you agree that this could probably be said about most people in and out of politics?
No, I would not. Nearly all people get ticked off while driving due to jerks on the road, but most do not respond with road rage, not caring about how many others they hurt or inconvenience in the process. That behavior is in the extreme and unacceptable category, a category which also exists in the political realm. There is a reason we talk about Chicago or New York or New Jersey politics. There is a reason we talk about Democrat machines. They are known for their ruthless approaches to politics as opposed to the less ruthless varieties. Now do I believe that ruthless and vindictive forms of politics are not found elsewhere? Absolutely not. But I simply do not see it as “all the same” and the normal and natural response to not getting what you want. Comparing Democrat politicians with Republicans gives an even more varied picture. If they were dogs instead of humans, I think most Democrat politicians would be pit-bulls or other typically aggressive dogs while the Republicans would probably be neutered poodles or chihuahuas, afraid of their own shadows and perpetually trying to be liked and approved of by the dogs across the aisle. Now do I believe that all Republicans are innocent and non-vindictive? No, of course not. But I do see the majority of Republicans holding themselves and being held to higher standards than the typical Democrat. You stated, “It may not be right, but I doubt Christie is any worse than the ten nearest Democrat Governors when it comes to vindictive nature.” I doubt that as well, but if Christie was complicit in the closures, (and that we do not know yet) I believe he was acting in a manner unfitting of his office.
Regarding your observation that the media are in full attack mode, craftily formulating stories & observations with the goal of causing people to think negatively about Christie, it may be true that what I have read in recent months was part of that spin.
I wouldn’t call Christie a crook or necessarily even a bully, even if he ordered the road closures personally. But I would call him everything we called Obastard for ordering Memorial closures designed to hurt non-politicians.
There’s payback for politicians that get in a Governor’s way, but I have no tolerance for people who punish the voters as a way to get payback on their elected representatives. It’s like getting a prisoner to confess by dragging in his daughter and pulling out her fingernails.