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If Chris Christie plans to run for president in 2016, he might want to cross Colorado off his list of possible electoral votes. As you’ve probably heard by now, the New Jersey governor made some Baghdad Bob-like comments about our fair state—and some folks who travel here—earlier this week that dissed our cannabis laws and Colorado, as a whole.
Yesterday, Governor John Hickenlooper’s office responded with this, which showed Colorado ahead of New Jersey (by a wide margin in many cases) on things such as the best environment for businesses or to start a career.
Pretty good Guv, but we would’ve preferred photographs of Camden and Newark juxtaposed with Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, and Fort Collins. Or perhaps Hickenlooper could have agreed with Christie that lots of folks from outside Colorado are flying into Denver International Airport to buy pot in the state. And then he could have pointed out the large number of people who fly to New Jersey—only to get a cab and spend their cash in New York City. Or maybe the governor could have simply emailed Christie a link to this 2013 story on the struggles in Camden. Don’t have time for the whole Rolling Stone story? Here are the first two paragraphs:
The first thing you notice about Camden, New Jersey, is that pretty much everyone you talk to has just gotten his or her ass kicked.
Instead of shaking hands, people here are always lifting hats, sleeves, pant legs and shirttails to show you wounds or scars, then pointing in the direction of where the bad thing just happened.
Indeed, Governor Christie, we’re booking our flight to Jersey this week. And then we’ll take the cab to New York.
—Image courtesy of Shutterstock