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The candidate of the bro

The candidate of the bro

by digby

This is the best analysis of the Chris Christie phenomenon I’ve read:

So here come the flurry of theories for Christie’s success from journalists eager to unleash their pent-up chatter about his presumed White House bid (“The real race is just beginning,” announced the Hill). Any number of explanations tell at least part of the story. Yes: Christie bludgeoned the NJ Democrats into submission, since his stewardship after superstorm Sandy made him near unstoppable. I submit, however, that there exists a grand unifying theory which has thus far eluded the commentariat—Chris Christie is the candidate of the Bro.[…]

Attitude is of paramount importance to the Bro, who disdains “politics,” even as he relishes the opportunity to root for strong leaders. (Bros believe a “leadership” deficiency ails America, though they have trouble identifying precisely what proper “leadership” might entail.) The triumph of Christie’s persona—his refusal to “mince words” or “tolerate any crap,” with a wisecrack-y edge, and yet win elections, represents a political victory for the Bro more than passing any legislation.[…]

It should be clarified that the appeal of Bro politics is by no mean limited to males, but back in January 2012, when he snickered “You know, something may go down tonight, but it ain’t gonna be jobs, sweetheart” at a woman who was concerned about New Jersey’s economic trajectory, the governor cemented his predilection to stoke more…masculine-oriented passions. (Christie won the male vote by 43 percent.)

Besides unlimited bearhugs, nothing titillates the Bro like a good, crisp, super-shoutable catchphrase. Once ownership of a catchphrase is established, it can be used as a rite of passage as well as a bargaining chip for Bro camaraderie. (Better still if the catchphrase is easily convertible into a fiery chant.) On the campaign trail, Christie specializes in extemporaneously reprising his repertoire of memorable catchphrases from over the years. Much to the delight of boardwalk-goers, whenever somebody tried to elicit a classic zinger, he’d happily oblige. For instance, in Ocean City, a Bro within ear-shot chortled about defying evacuation orders during the first “once-in-a-lifetime storm” of Christie’s tenure, Hurricane Irene in August 2011. “I told you to get the hell off the beach and you didn’t listen!” the governor retorted good-naturedly, harking back to one of his marquee YouTube soundbites. The Bro appeared satisfied with the exchange, high-fiving an associate.

At the climax of his keynote address to the 2012 Republican National Convention, Christie proclaimed, “Tonight, we choose respect over love.” The meaning of this exhortation has become clearer since then: Good order is best maintained when everyone knows their proper place, and when leaders aren’t afraid to remind them of where they belong. In fact, lots of folks long for this reminder, especially if it can be communicated with a little humor. “People want leaders, not lawyers,” Christie declared yesterday, postulating that his victory signified an “affirmation of leadership.” My patently untestable theory holds that he won at least 95 percent of the Bro vote.

Read the whole thing for a series of anecdotes that beautifully illustrate the point.

It must be noted that Christie managed to win a majority of the women vote in this election, but then Republicans usually get a majority of white married women anyway. And I think there are plenty of Jersey Girls who love Jersey Bros. But the point still stands: he’s got a uniquely masculine appeal. As I’ve said, even my liberals male friends like him.

If Clinton runs and Christie gets the GOP nomination I’m afraid that Maureen Dowd will have to be medicated she’ll be so excited. It will be the ultimate test of her overarching thesis of politics: the girls vs the boys. Unfortunately, having dealt with an awful lot of “bros” of both parties over the last few years, I’m not entirely sure that this country is ready for the “gals” to win one.

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