Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Christie's smarter than Trump, obviously more focused and articulate. But fortunately for the country, he lacks Trump's level of charisma. This book seems like the launch of his 2024 presidential campaign, but it doesn't have the compelling message he hopes. He'll lose Trump and his supporters with his attacks on the far right, and turn off Democrats with the "radical socialist" claims. A lot of Independents will read this and, rightly, won't trust him. Christie's combination of half truths and outright lies is harder to see through than Trump's constant barrage of falsehoods. He leaves out important details so that readers won't make conclusions that contradict his rosy picture. For example, the whole "We all got covid around Trump" story. He clearly got the disease at Trump's maskless debate prep and/or the maskless party for Coney-Barrett. So did dozens of other guests and those who worked in the White House. Christie dances around Trump's responsibility to these people. He also doesn't criticize Trump's responsibility to millions around the COUNTRY who got sick or because of being maskless. Hundreds of thousands died because wearing masks looks "weak" to Donald Trump and so he wouldn't listen to public health experts. After getting covid, Christie gave the message, "wear a mask" but it was hardly enough. (He says absolutely nothing about the likelihood Trump didn't follow the rules to take a covid test pre-Cleveland debate--when he was probably already infected--and put dozens of people's lives at risk that night as a result of his selfishness.) Over time, Christie's omissions make you start routinely asking, "Well, what's he probably leaving out HERE?" He uses the "I'm going to seem honest by criticizing things that other Republicans won't" technique, but then hopes you just accept his false statements about Democrats without giving any evidence in support of them. (For example, Joe Biden does -not- have an "open border policy".) There are so many things that he writes in this book that are not honest. Yet through it all, he keeps gaslighting us with the idea that Republicans are the ones to look to for truth--if they "just" break free of the Jones' and QAnons and Gosars and Greens and McCarthys and Trumps (i.e. today's GOP). Like Trump, Christie lies while boasting about being the representative of truth. Christie's insists that Democrats, including Joe Biden, are some kind of radical leftist socialists, and that Americans need to vote Republican to save "freedom and capitalism" from them. His theme of "Fear Democratic Radicals!" is so out of touch with reality --and is surprisingly Trumpian in its presentation. He's much smarter and better informed than Trump, with the obvious ability to separate fact from fiction if he wants to. Christie's williness to lie to voters for political advantage--and to sound smart and articulate doing it--makes him even more dangerous than Trump. For example, Christie talks about the nation's teachers' unions "surrendering every classroom to radical teachers to teach critical race theory". How ridiculous is that? Anyone who's really paying attention (as I assume Christie is) knows that CRT is -not- being taught in public schools. Then again, what would you expect from a former governor who's still proud of trying to balance his budget by freezing teachers' pay for a year and making them pay more for health care? Christie lets Trump push him around--even defers when Trump orders food Christie doesn't want for him to eat--but he's got his own inner bully, too, and we can see it here. (How could anyone read his sanctimonious criticism of "Pizzagate" and see him discrediting QAnon's lies about Hillary Clinton, without also remembering Christie "prosecuting" her to chants of "Lock her up!" at the RNConvention in 2016? Unlike -his- candidate, she'd never been charged with any crime. And still hasn't.) Republicans -aren't- the party of fiscal responsibility any more than they are the party of truth and integrity. (That was funny, his praise for the GOP historically. The reality was that Reagan's 8 years led to (1) bigger government; and (2) huge deficits. GW Bush inherited a $600 billion SURPLUS from Bill Clinton--and then squandered it, including spending $12 billion/month on an irrational war in Iraq, and wrecking the economy. Trump? He added $2 trillion to the deficit. If you want fiscal responsibility--plus programs that actually help people get health care, child care, clean air/water etc--vote Democratic. They're always coming in to clean up Republicans' financial messes and trying to make life better for most Americans, not catering to the well-being of billionaires and corporations. Republicans predictably keep giving tax cuts to the rich and cutting regulations that protect workers and the environment. I guess that's what Christie means when he keeps praising the GOP for "saving" capitalism. Nicolle Wallace made an excellent point this week when she interviewed Christie. She asked why, in his desire for "facts and honesty" doesn't he ever look at the lies and propaganda spewed on Fox every night? Yes, he points out Trump that legitimately lost. Yes, he takes on the "dangers" of Alex Jones and QAnon. But he gives rightwing cable media a total pass for -their- dangerous lies. As he told Wallace re: Tucker Carlson, "I don't watch." Really? When you're trying to save the GOP by making them the party of "truth"? He even tried a false counter-attack that she was "conflating" different parts of his book--a truly pathetic attempt at deflection. He's Donald Trump with a law degree. Think about all the facts about Republicans and Democrats that Christie's leaving out when you read this book. His omissions are essential to his claims about both and show what his "rescue" plan is really about.