Dennis is ‘back to being suspicious’ of Christie’s goals

Our governor, Chris Christie, has broken his embargo of major media appearances lately, popping up on Fox News, CBS Sunday Mornings among others. You can bet it has a lot more to do with the direction of his future than what's in the best interest of the future of the people that elected him governor twice — us!

I started out suspicious of Christie's motives and goals. Then I was briefly smitten with the possibility that this was finally the guy who got it and was going to get it done. But as we enter his final year as governor, I'm back to square one and even more suspect of his goals and ideals.

He is no doubt a very shrewd lawyer, adept politician and great communicator...one of the best we've ever seen. Judi and I have been in his company several times and on two occasions, nice intimate lunches in his office. He was personable, down to earth, warm and genuine. I appreciate the courtesy and honor of the opportunity to spend that kind of time with the governor of our state.

He disconnected from us just before the re-election campaign. I get it. He couldn't take a chance on being put in a weird spot or saying something on our crazy show that would unnecessarily trip him up on his campaign. But it was much more than that. He had a unique opportunity, with his tremendous popularity at the time to win seats for his side in the Legislature, so that he could get more done for the long suffering taxpayers of our state.

Instead he went for a large margin win, which he knew would be the right springboard into a presidential campaign in 2016. That ultimately failed and he's a hobbled governor with record breaking low approval numbers in a state that is still struggling to accommodate the working class families that are leaving by the droves.

Judi feels bad for him. Do I feel bad for him? No, he'll be just fine. I feel bad for the rest of us who continue to hope for a governor or a movement that will keep our children from moving out of state to find work and keep the rest of us from fleeing the crushing tax burden that makes it nearly impossible to stay here.

My feeling is the overwhelming popularity he enjoyed a few years ago got to him and clouded his judgement, or he was always a calculating politician who had a few of us fooled for a while. His story isn't over and I wouldn't worry about Chris. I wish him well.  Wherever he ends up, he will be just fine.

More from New Jersey 101.5: