Ask a simple question here at DailyKos, and often you get a simple, insightful answer.
Ask a simple question of Governor Christie, and usually you get a snide, insulting, overly-aggressive non-answer.
Christie says it's Democrats, not he, playing politics with GWB traffic flap
by Michael Phillis, State House Bureau, northjersey.com -- December 2, 2013
[...]
At a press conference Monday, Christie responded with thick sarcasm when he was asked whether he had anything to do with the lane closures.
“I moved the cones, actually unbeknownst to everybody,” he said.
Couldn't he have just said
"No, I do not" ???
But instead he belittled the questioner, and then went on to try and "shut up" the government official hurling the "abuse of power" accusations his way ...
Christie Appointee Resigns Over Huge Traffic Jam to NYC
by Bill Hoffmann, newsmax.com -- 13 Dec 2013
[...]
Asked about the closures Monday, Christie quipped, "I moved the cones, actually unbeknownst to everybody."
But Christie is definitely not laughing behind the scenes.
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Christie phoned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, to complain about a Cuomo appointee's handling of the flap.
The newspaper says Christie complained that Patrick Foye, executive director of the Port Authority, was "pressing too hard" to get to the bottom of the issue.
Notice how Mr. Christie
avoids answering the reporter's direct question: "whether he had anything to do with the lane closures?"
If Mr. Christie did indeed "have nothing to do with the 'traffic study' closures" -- Why then, did he complain so vehemently about it?
About something he allegedly knew nothing about?
A DailyKos member has few thoughts on Christie's "over the top" reaction here, just over the traffic snarl emoticon ...
Dailykos member Marnie1 had these insightful comments into Christie's "cone moving" denial:
To mis quote "Me thinks he doth protest too much."
Christie's cones statement was too over the top. It was a what's wrong with this picture moment.
Why answer a simple straight forward question with a stupid over the top insult your intelligence crack, that does not really answer the question?
Because Christie is used to turning aggressively rude to make people back off. He was basically trying to warn the press off from asking any further questions about the traffic mess.
Christie is used to growling and snarling and being extremely rude and loud and having people back out of the conversation or away from the question they were trying to have with him.
Mature adults don't say things like that to the serious press, especially if they are trying to look Presidential.
His knowledge of the act kicked his protective instinct into gear.
Couldn't have said it better myself,
thanks Marnie1.
What was Christie trying to defend or protect, with that "I moved the cones" wisecrack?
Why such a "defensive" reaction, to a plainly simple 'yes or no' question?
Could it be, that saying "Yes, I knew all about it," would have only encouraged the investigative sharks, that are now circling around, despite his best dismissive "tough guy" routine?