Massachusetts Gov . Chris Christie 's State of the State address garnered national attention . He tackled head - on a controversy that involved political manipulation by aides . John King : CNN Political Analyst John Avlon : `` He needed to address the elephant in the room right off the top , and he did . ` ` He did exactly what he needed to do by getting to it first '' Ryan Lizza : Christie used language associated with past scandal that has been mocked .
Massachusetts Gov . Chris Christie 's State of the State address garnered national attention . He tackled head - on a controversy that involved political manipulation by aides . John King : ` ` He did exactly what he needed to do by getting to it first '' Ryan Lizza : Christie used language associated with past scandal that has been mocked .