Chris Christie Kicks Off New Hampshire Bus Tour: ‘Iowa Is Now in the Rear View Mirror’

NASHUA, New Hampshire – New Jersey Governor Chris Christie kicked off a bus tour of the Granite State at a town-hall meeting here, telling an audience of about 400 it is “time to put Iowa in the rear-view mirror.”

Christie, who scored a dismal one percent of the vote in the Iowa GOP caucuses, believes his chances are better in New Hampshire, where recent polls indicate that he has the support of about 10 percent of GOP primary voters, according to the Real Clear Politics average of the most recent polls.

Christie arrived at the Automotive Center of Nashua Community College in style, sitting in the front seat of a huge bus as it drove right into the assembly hall.

“We are focused ahead,” Christie said. “Iowa is now in the rear view mirror.”

Christie then bashed the three top vote-getters in the Iowa caucuses — Sen. Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and Sen. Marco Rubio.

Christie honed in on the two senators for their answers to the immigration question posed at the Fox News debate in Des Moines, Iowa, last week.

“I really missed Donald. It was really tragic not to have him there,” Christie said of Trump, to laughter from the audience.

“I want to say what is the most instructive part of the debate Thursday night… because of the way the candidates reacted on immigration,” Christie said.

Christie noted that the video montages of Rubio and Cruz both showed them changing their positions on immigration. “Now I’m standing there thinking to myself, this isn’t fair. This is like the layup the year. They ask me what’s going on and I say I changed my mind. That’s all,” Christie said

“I got new information and I changed my mind. It’s the easiest thing in the world to say, and by the way, the American people won’t penalize you,” the New Jersey governor added.

“What they’ll say you’re a thinking, breathing human being. When you get new information, you’re going to change your mind on certain subjects,” Christie noted.

After about 15 minutes of remarks, Christie fielded questions from the audience.