Julian Zelizer : New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie is earning praise for tackling budget problems . But the governor has been criticized by some Democrats and Republicans alike over his handling of a massive traffic jam in Fort Lee, N.J. It runs counter to a national GOP trend of stressing issues such as birthright citizenship , he says . And now with the Tea Party movement as an additional force in the party , Republican leaders are struggling to contain tensions between right-wing activists and fiscal conservatives . Zelizer : Christie , others in GOP like him could give Democrats trouble in many states .
Julian Zelizer : New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie is earning praise for tackling budget problems . But the governor has been criticized by some Democrats and Republicans alike over his handling of a massive traffic jam in Fort Lee, N.J. It runs counter to a national GOP trend of stressing issues such as birthright citizenship , he says . Zelizer : Christie , others in GOP like him could give Democrats trouble in many states .