NEW YORK — One of the easiest ways to get bad press is to ignore the press. That’s especially true on a foreign trip where news organizations have spent thousands of dollars to send reporters thousands of miles away in search of something newsworthy.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) made news this week in the United Kingdom, though not the kind a presidential hopeful wants to make on a trip meant to enhance his foreign policy bona fides. Christie came under fire Monday for suggesting parents need to have a “choice” in the matter of vaccinating children. That night, The New York Times dropped a bombshell story about Christie accepting lavish gifts from wealthy individuals, including some with business ties to New Jersey.
The Christie-press relationship quickly grew cold by Tuesday, with the governor canceling three media appearances. The decision to abruptly stop engaging with the press raises questions about whether Christie, known for his confrontational style with the statehouse press corps, is prepared for a national media spotlight in which every utterance and possible gaffe will be scrutinized.
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Stuart Stevens, a top Romney 2012 adviser, tweeted Monday that he expected the coverage of Christie’s trip would focus on domestic politics. “Odds strong that if political instead of foreign policy reporters go abroad with politicians, coverage will be focused on US politics,” Stevens wrote.
Both the Post’s Rucker and the Times’ Barbaro responded to Stevens on Twitter, arguing that in fact, the questions Christie faced on Monday were about U.K. fiscal austerity measures, trade issues and measles policy.
