In the eyes of one former George W. Bush aide, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) could stand to profit from the George Washington Bridge traffic troubles.
In a Friday interview with ABC's "Good Morning America," Matthew Dowd expressed his belief that Christie's "contrite" and "humble" tone in Thursday's apology demonstrated his skill at dismissing the scandal in a swift fashion. Dowd served as chief strategist for the victorious 2004 Bush reelection campaign.
"I actually believe if he gets through this and everything he said yesterday turns out to be true he could actually benefit from this because, as you and I know, most people and most politicians succeed have to have gone through serious adversity, overcome it, and they get to another level,” Dowd added.
Christie waded through nearly two hours of adversity on Thursday, vowing that he was victimized by untruthful staffers who carried out the traffic scam. The governor said he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by their actions. But despite being in an unknowing position, "mistakes were made, and I'm responsible for those mistakes," he added.
Not every Republican strategist presented as positive a view as Dowd did. Former Rudy Giuliani adviser Rick Wilson claimed to National Journal Thursday that Christie "goes out of his way to be a d*ck to other Republicans," and any fallout from the bridge scandal would exacerbate that tenuous relationship.
"You're going to see conservatives returning the favor he gave them over the last year," Wilson told National Journal. "There's no love lost between Chris Christie and conservatives. I don't expect them to be in love with him, and he doesn't want their love. But if you want to win a GOP primary, you better find a way to get there."
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