BIG TARGET: Gov. Chris Christie’s political aspirations are taking a hit over his warm embrace of President Obama after Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey. (AFP/Getty Images)
Fat chance for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s White House aspirations in the wake of his post-Sandy bromance with President Obama.
National Republican political consultant John McLaughlin said Christie didn’t do himself any favors with his enthusiastic embrace of Obama after Hurricane Sandy devastated his state — or with his arguably self-serving Republican National Convention keynote speech.
“It certainly hurt him, certainly among activists in the Republican Party that will remember that,” McLaughlin told The Post’s Fredric U. Dicker yesterday on Albany’s 1300 AM talk radio.
McLaughlin added that just “a couple of days after” Christie lavished praise on Obama, the president “certainly might have deserved some criticism, and still to this day, because the federal response in the area is nonexistent in a lot of ways.”
Christie has been unapologetic for his praise of Obama and noted his stumping on Mitt Romney’s behalf.
Meanwhile, failed 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gingrich declared he was “dumbfounded” that Romney won far fewer votes than 2008 GOP standard-bearer John McCain — who got spanked by Obama.
“If you had said to me three weeks ago that Mitt Romney would get fewer votes than John McCain — and it looks like he’ll be 2 million fewer — I would have been dumbfounded,” former House Speaker Gingrich (R-Ga.) said on NBC’s “Today” show.
The Associated Press’ latest count gives Romney 58.8 million votes; McCain received 59.9 million votes in 2008.