While some believe the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision is so significant that it may influence the midterm elections, for the last two and a half weeks Chris Christie has had no opinion on the matter, or at least refused to share his thoughts with the public. “Who knows if the Supreme Court is right?” Christie declared during an appearance on CNBC a day after the ruling was handed down last month, adding, “Why should I give an opinion on whether they’re right or wrong?” When asked last weekend if he’s concerned that some New Jersey women could lose birth control coverage, the governor said, “No.” When asked to elaborate, he explained, “Because I’m not.”
Christie finally stopped dodging the question on Thursday, so apparently the third time’s the charm (or he didn’t think he was on camera). The governor is in Iowa as part of his “campaign before the campaign,” as ABC News put it, and during a stop at M.J.’s diner a man in the crowd asked him to share his thoughts. “Do I support the Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby case? I do,” Christie said. The man went on to ask if he’s in favor of “Hobby Lobby’s position on birth control for its employees.” “I just said I support the case. If I support the case, and they support Hobby Lobby … ” he answered, before turning to greet another customer.
The video of the incident, which was posted by the Democratic group American Bridge, doesn’t really enhance Christie’s image as a bold leader, but it could be worse. When a Guardian reporter tried to ask former Massachusetts senator/aspiring New Hampshire senator Scott Brown about the decision, he hid in a bathroom, then ran into his car with a cell phone pressed to his ear.
