Barely a month after pulling off a smashing re-election victory , Republican New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie finds himself fending off a local scandal that has become an early stumbling block on his road to a run for president in 2016 . And despite Christie 's cries of foul -- he claims Democrats are making a mountain out of a molehill -- all indications are that the Republican hopeful has nobody to blame but himself for his current woes . As he prepares to ascend to the national stage -- and the glare of the spotlight that comes with it -- Christie must change some of the funky , in-your-face combative style that serves him well in New Jersey but is likely to cause voters in places such as Iowa and New Hampshire to recoil in horror . Democrats in the New Jersey Legislature are still using hearings and subpoenas to piece together the particulars , but the general shape of the controversy is already known . In early September , some serious mischief appears to have been done by close associates of Christie 's who work at the Port Authority , a gargantuan $ 2.57 billion agency that controls the bridges and tunnels between New York and New Jersey along with area airports and the World Trade Center . Without notice to the public or the agency 's executive director , the Port Authority abruptly closed a set of local roads leading to the George Washington Bridge -- the busiest crossing in the world , handling 100 million vehicles a year -- causing massive traffic snarls in Fort Lee , New Jersey . Democrats believe the shutdown was an act of political retaliation because the town 's mayor , Mark Sokolich , refused to endorse Christie 's re-election . Nobody is admitting guilt , and Christie calls the political-payback accusation `` crazy . '' But two political appointees at the agency who are close to Christie -- one is a childhood friend -- have resigned . `` Mistakes were made , '' the governor acknowledged in an hourlong press conference . As local Democrats demand e-mails , memos and sworn testimony , the national party swiftly pounced , releasing a two-minute video called `` Chris Christie 's Bridge Scandal Explained . '' The controversy will likely be long forgotten by the time the race for president gets under way in earnest , but it 's safe to assume that no politician likes to see stories with headlines that include words such as `` scandal '' and `` payback . '' The idea that Christie might have inflicted pain on an entire town to settle a political score with its mayor also plays into an unflattering image of Christie as a bully -- a reputation underscored by videos that show the governor berating teachers , journalists and town hall participants . Christie fans in New Jersey love to see him telling people off , but that appeal does n't necessarily translate to the national stage . In fact , it 's safe to assume that if Christie runs for president , those videos will resurface as attack ads that question his judgment and self-control . More importantly , the controversy takes some of the luster off Christie 's case -- spotlighted in a recent Time magazine cover story -- that he , rather than fire-breathing tea party conservatives , can best lead the Republican Party to victory in 2016 . A big part of Christie 's appeal -- an image he has carefully cultivated -- is that he 's a Republican with proven ability to win over Democratic and independent voters . A former prosecutor , Christie has built a case for his crossover appeal by pointing to his two victories in New Jersey , a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans by 700,000 and independent voters outnumber both parties . `` Maybe the folks in Washington , D.C. , should tune in their TVs right now , see how it 's done , '' Christie crowed on Election Night this year , challenging congressional Republicans -- and the national Republican Party -- to follow his lead . Christie 's much-publicized working relationship with President Barack Obama , which infuriated some Republicans , was another step in the same direction , as was his rounding up support from Democratic Party officials -- an effort so successful that Christie 's Democratic opponent , state Sen. Barbara Buono , publicly declared that `` Democratic political bosses — some elected and some not — made a deal with this governor despite him representing everything they 're supposed to be against , '' which she called a `` betrayal . '' It could turn out that Christie 's followers went overboard in the effort to round up Democratic support -- and that their zeal led to the punishment allegedly visited on Democrats such as the mayor of Fort Lee . That could turn Christie into a punching bag for national Democrats and erode his crossover appeal . For the sake of his presidential ambitions , it 's in Christie 's best interests to get all the facts about the bridge controversy on the table as quickly as possible -- and then begin a long-term makeover to ensure that his image remains one of a blunt , tough-talking guy -- not a petty and short-tempered bully .
' Louis : Scandal brings new scrutiny to Chris Christie if he decides to run for president . The blocking of roads leading to George Washington Bridge seen as political retaliation . Two officials close to Christie have said , and he said , ` ` statements were made '' Louis : The episode could bolster the perception that Christie 's campaign is too assertive .