On April 15, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) said he is trying to find the “right balance” between gun rights and gun control.
He apparently wants to keep from going as far as Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and other GOP presidential hopefuls went at the NRA convention in Nashville. He appears to be seeking, instead, a “centrist” approach that allows him to appease both pro-Second Amendment and pro-gun control voters.
According to Politico, Christie was speaking to voters in Manchester, New Hampshire, when he turned to the issues of guns. He said, “We’ve got to make sure we have public safety, but on the other hand we have to protect people’s rights both as sportsmen and hunters and for self protection too, find the right balance.”
On March 25, Breitbart News quoted Christie saying he would “respect” gun rights “appropriately” if voters would give him a pro-gun legislature. The Wall Street Journal pointed out that this followed earlier comments by Christie in which he said he supports “strictly enforcing” New Jersey’s gun control laws.
Politico reports that Christie gets a C grade from the NRA. But Christie claims he has “govern[ed] as a conservative for four years” and “would be a formidable candidate in the general election.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.