Courtesy of polticalcartoons.com 

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie,  a popular Republican politician who has been sharply critical of President Obama, very recently developed a more positive view on the President’s leadership in the wake of Superstorm Sandy.

Christie praised Obama profusely for his swift initial and follow-up response to the storm, stating that: 

“The president has been all over this and deserves great credit…he gave me his number at the White House and told me to call him if I needed anything.” 

However, the generous praise he has bestowed upon the President is generating uncertainty about his loyalty to the Republican Party. Some, like Rush Limbaugh, are outraged that the governor is doing his job (you know, as governor) and brushing aside partisan politics to do things like survey the damage from the storm alongside Obama.

Others speculate that Christie might have ulterior motives, or that something must have gone awry between him and former Governor Mitt Romney.  

Yet another theory is simply that on Christie’s list of priorities, playing partisan political games is at the very bottom. His state did just incur extensive damage from a massive superstorm, after all. 

In fact, in an interview with Fox News, Christie had this to say when asked if Romney would also be invited to come view the damage:

“I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested. I have a job to do in New Jersey that is much bigger than presidential politics. I could care less about any of that stuff… If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.” 

What do you think about the matter? Should Christie exercise greater restraint with regard to his laudatory comments in order to display solidarity among the Republican party?

Or is this simply a matter of putting politics aside and offering praise when it is due, no matter what side you’re on?