When Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president in January 1981, the country was at low ebb. Jimmy Carter had spent the four previous years running the nation into the ground, leaving unemployment above 10%, inflation above 15%, Communist operatives laughing at our perceived weakness, and Iranians holding 53 of our fellow citizens hostage for 444 days. When Republican Chris Christie was sworn into office as governor of New Jersey earlier this year, the situation he faced was somewhat similar. His predecessors, among them Democrat Jon Corzine, had run the state into the ground. Because of this, Christie literally inherited...