Much Conservative angst with Chris Christie started from his hug of Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy at a critical point during the election last year. That visit gave succor to the Obama campaign as bad debate performance and the Benghazi scandal were threatening his support.

Many in New Jersey affected by Sandy are still waiting for the promised help from the government, although the media has long since moved on.

But it isn’t only about the hug.

When Christie had the option to appoint a replacement after the death of Frank Lautenberg, he passed on making a Republican appointment. He had the option of having the election for a replacement with the regular election in which he was running again for Governor on Nov. 6. Again, he passed on this option, an option that would have greatly increased the possibility of a Republican winning the seat with some coat tails from Christie.

So instead, Cory Booker ran against Steve Lonegan in a special election (costing thousands extra) in October. Booker won, although Lonegan closed, as information about all Booker’s falsehoods began to tumble out. Imagine if there had been another month of campaign…

Why did Christie do this? In order to make his victory as big as possible to maximize his presidential chances for 2016. If Booker were on the ticket on Nov. 6, for example, some Democrats who voted for Christie, may have been more encouraged to vote straight down the line for Democrats.

At a time when it is incredibly significant to increase Republican senatorial strength, it was more important to Chris Christie to increase himself.

Now, comes another story of Christie throwing the Republicans under the bus.

Christie, fresh off his big victory on Wednesday, spent most of Thursday knifing a Republican ally in the back, according to the Washington Post.

Christie and his staff lobbied Republican state senators to dump their leader, Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., after three terms atop the GOP conference. At least four Republican senators paraded through Christie’s office Thursday morning to get the hard sell.
Christie was pushing Senate Republicans to choose Kevin O’Toole, an Essex senator, to replace Kean. Ultimately, Kean won 10 of the 16 votes inside the Republican conference to keep his job.

Why did Christie want Kean out? Kean was working to increase Republican seats on the state Senate. Democratic Senate President Stephen Sweeny was unhappy that Kean was targeting his seat as a seat to pick up:

Despite Christie’s 60 percent showing Tuesday, Republicans didn’t make up any ground in the state Senate. Two New Jersey Republican sources told GovBeat that Christie wanted Kean out in part over Kean’s feud with Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), with whom Christie has to work to get legislation through.

Christie sided with Sweeny, angering many in the Kean camp.

Prior to the election in New Jersey Nov. 6, Christie ran as a “bipartisan” seeming to skew center or more liberal on social issues in order to win the big vote in New Jersey. Yet, almost the minute he was elected, he declared, “I’m a conservative”, since his next election would be running in the GOP primary where Conservative bona fides would be important. That quick pivot reminds one of the “quick pivots” of Obama, not a kind thought.

The media also reacted predictably from touting him as a check to those “extremist Conservatives” to attacking “the elephant” the minute he won and focus became a presidential run.

While it is true that any Republican is better than Hillary and Christie has many talents, he also has many deficits, not the least of which is this self-focus, and the failure to be concerned about issues beyond himself. Every politician has to have ambition. But he shouldn’t allow it to sacrifice this values or the causes for which he claims to fight.

There are many options, and it is early. Let’s not be too quick to fix the crown upon his head.