A Servant of the People? Really?

Are you as fed up with reading about Donald Trump as much as I am writing about him? Every week, there seems to be another Presidential outrage, unrelated to what one would regard as Presidential politics. Why would Trump tweet an old, staged video of himself beating up Vince McMahon, the head of the World Wrestling Federation, with a CNN logo replacement head?  Can you get more un-presidential?

Two years ago, the media was looking at the Republican front runners for the White House. Jeb Bush was an early favourite, as was Chris Christie, then the popular governor of New Jersey. Donald Trump had not made much headway and was looked upon as a joke. So what happened to Christie’s run? Hurricane Irene hit the American eastern seaboard in 2011, when Christie received praise from many, including President Obama, for the former’s handling of the crisis occurring on the New Jersey shores and elsewhere.  That was the time Christie urged his fellow citizens, “get the hell off the beach.” Last week he uttered the same refrain but for very different reasons. He was treating the New Jersey’s Island Beach State Park as his own property, having closed the beach to the public amid a local government shutdown.

Christie would be an appropriate subject for a Hogarth-like satire. Hogarth was an 18th century artist, famous for a series of eight paintings called “the rake’s progress.” The paintings told a story of the rise and fall of a wealthy man, Tom Rakewell, who wasted his money on luxury and ended up in debtors’ prison. Christie is a man who rose to become the front runner in the 2016 race for the Republican nomination for President but then fell out of political favour, crashing and burning.

At a news conference last week about the use of a beach as if it was his private domain, Christie told reporters: “I don’t know if it’s fair, but ... my family doesn’t ask for any services while we are there.” Later he added: “Run for governor, and you can have a residence there.” When asked if he got any sun, he retorted: “I didn't, I didn't get any sun today.” Later his spokesman explained: “He did not get any sun. He had a baseball hat on.”

It's difficult to believe this is a man who was the GOP's great hope just five short years ago. Some Republicans almost begged him to accept the nomination, when his approval rating was sky-high in a blue state and the party was unhappy with its other choices. However, in something akin to a modern-day Greek tragedy, Christie's career started a free fall in 2012 when the Bridgegate scandal hit. A bridge was closed by the New Jersey government to embarrass a local Democrat politician. The action led to criminal convictions of top Christie aides. It was soon followed by a 2016 Presidential campaign in which Christie gradually became the least-liked candidate. On realising he was not destined for the White House, Christie quickly embraced Trump. His stance was seen as currying approval for future favours.

New Jersey has since turned on Christie in stunning fashion. With about six months to go before he is term-limited and cannot run again for Governor, Christie’s approval rating is a desperate 15%, according to a June, 2017, Quinnipiac University poll. That is the worst approval rating Quinnipiac has found for any governor in two decades of polling across a number of states.

When the state government re-opened this week, following budget approval, Christie again explained his position for using the beach: “I don’t apologize for it. I don’t back away from it. I think my poll numbers show that I don’t care about political optics. Shame on those people who wanted to make this as if we were taking advantage of something. I just don’t agree with it, and I don’t believe it.”

This repeated denial seems to be in character with a man who clearly has trouble with the truth. If he was not taking advantage, why were no other New Jersey citizens allowed to use the beach? What was the Governor’s rationale for believing he was entitled to a privilege denied to his fellow citizens? Had I been at the news conference, I would have asked this question: “Do you believe you are still a servant of the people? If so, how do you reconcile this belief with your use of a beach as if it was your own private property?”

Christie is not the first public servant to have forgotten his place. Sherman Adams, Eisenhower’s chief of staff, was forced to resign in 1958 for accepting gifts from a supporter who was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commissions. Spiro Agnew, Nixon’s Vice-President, resigned for accepting “brown paper envelopes” from building contractors. Bert Lance, director of the Office of Management Budget under President Carter, resigned amid allegations of misuse of funds. He was acquitted. Reagan’s Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger, was indicted on two charges of perjury. And so it goes on.

In case you think we Brits are pure as the driven snow, just go back to 2009 and the exposure by The Daily Telegraph of the abuse by some Members of Parliament in claiming expenses. MPs had claimed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money unlawfully. A handful were prosecuted and imprisoned. For others, it was literally payback!

What is it that makes people in public life forget they are servants of the people, not the masters? Why does their election often result in a belief they are above the law and not responsible to all the voters? If I ever start to talk about my running for office, please remind me immediately of this blog!