In part because he was asked so many questions, Donald Trump seemed to dominate the second Republican presidential debate Wednesday night, but Gov. Chris Christie also managed to hold his own against the rest of the GOP panel.

While Carly Fiorina might have picked up supporters with a fairly strong performance, Gov. Chris Christie also did well with a mixture of jokes, a moving 9/11 story and by telling Trump and Fiorina that nobody cared about their childish back and forth.

Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie onstage during the Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Library. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie onstage during the Republican presidential debates at the Reagan Library. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
loading...

Christie also made a good case that he is an outsider and a leader.

“As far as being an outsider is concerned, I am a republican in New Jersey,” Christie said. “I wake up every morning as an outsider. I wake up every morning with a democratic legislature who’s trying to beat my head in and fight me because I’m trying to bring conservative change to a state that needed it desperately.”

The governor explained how he has vetoed 400 bills sent to him by what he called a “crazy” liberal legislature and boasted truthfully that none of them has even been overridden. He also worked to strike a chord with voters by turning the spotlight away from him and toward voters.

“It’s not about me. It’s about all of you and getting this government off your back and out of your way and letting you succeed,” Christie said.

In his opening statement Christie asked CNN to take the camera off of him and put it on the audience and he asked the crowd if they thought their children have a better life in Barack Obama’s America.

“You see, that's why I'm running for president. Because leadership is not about me, it's about our country and what we talk about tonight is not about us, it's about the people in the audience tonight,” the governor said.

Dealing with America’s enemies also gave Christie a chance to pick up some traction and from the crowd response it seemed like he did.

“I will not shake hands with, I will not meet with, and I will not agree to anything with a country that says death to us and death to Israel and holds our hostages while we sign agreements with them. It will be an America that will be strong and resolute and will once again be able to stick out its chest and say, we truly are the greatest nation in the world because we live our lives that way, each and every day,” the governor said.

Kevin McArdle has covered the State House for New Jersey 101.5 news since 2002. Contact him at kevin.mcardle@townsquaremedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinmcardle1.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM