Why Does Chris Christie Hate Obamacare?

It's no secret that many republicans are strongly against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. But why?

Governor Christie says there are many reasons.

During a town hall meeting in Elmwood Park, the Governor said he opposes Obamacare because "each state should deal with health care on its own. I don't believe there can be a system from Washington, D.C. that can deal with the healthcare challenges effectively that we have in New Jersey, given our population, its diversity, its density."

He says, "We're very different, this is a huge continental country, and because, if you travel the country, you see the enormous differences between the challenges that are faced. When I talk to other Governors, they all have particular challenges with healthcare…The health care challenges out west, where everything is dramatically spread out, are much different than New Jersey, where we're the most densely populated state in America, the most diverse state in America…The federal government can help and can encourage, but I don't think they should be running it centrally from Washington D.C. I think the more times we do that, the more trouble we get in."

Christie adds, "As a Governor, I know what's needed in my state a heck of a lot better than what some bureaucrat in Health and Human Services in a cubicle in Washington D.C. will know about how to deal with your healthcare …I'm willing to be held accountable for that - and making those decisions. But right now, what Obamacare does is bind my hands in terms of the flexibility I would need to make those decisions."

He points out, "In New Jersey, we have the second most generous Medicaid system in America, in terms of eligibility. We have a family care program that takes care of the working poor in New Jersey…We've made those decisions as a state to invest that money to take care of folks who are economically disadvantaged here. They make much different decisions in other states, that aren't nearly as generous as ours…I don't understand why would anybody would think a Washington D.C. solution will be appropriate, efficient, effective, cost-effective for the entire country."

Christie also stresses, "I don't believe it will achieve the things it claims it will achieve. I think it's going to be significantly more expensive than they claim it's going to be, and we can't afford another huge Washington D.C. program…I understand there are challenges in health care that we need to deal with, but I think what the President should do is block grant Medicaid to the states, let each state decide how to deal with their poor population…I find it insulting that the President of the United States thinks that somehow, if he block-granted that money to me as Governor, that somehow I couldn't be trusted to take care of the citizens of my state…I'm the Governor of every citizen of this states, not just the ones who voted for me. And when the President doesn't allow each state to figure out its health care solutions, what he is saying is, 'I don't trust you to take care of your least fortunate- I have to make those decisions from Washington D.C.'"

"I completely reject that."