I agree. He tries to talk tough, but it comes through to me as a smart a$$, blow hard punk. It doesn’t work for him. A REAL tough guy doesn’t have to be bellicose and try so hard to be tough. . . he just IS, and everybody can see it and feel it. It is exuded in their “presence” . . . walk softly and carry a big stick.
Right on. Think about the meaning of the word “bully” vs words that describe true tough guys, no one would ever call “Dirty Harry” or even a real life figure like Dick Cheney a “bully”. That’s because they did hard things and stood behind their actions, firmly and politely.
I’ve said it several times on threads about Christie: the tone is set by the man at the top. Anyone who has ever worked for an executive or top management type knows that you don’t go around doing things without firmly knowing that your boss would approve of them. These people played “small ball” because that’s how their boss rolls.