At a town hall meeting this week, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie got hit with a question about whether he plans to launch a White House bid in the coming years. Chances are, that doesn’t strike you as big news. How about when the question came from someone who still won’t be eligible to vote in the 2016 election?
Enter Ellen Gallagher, a third grade student from Manasquan, New Jersey.
“You’ve done a great job here in New Jersey and I was wondering if you were thinking about running for president,” she asked, before bursting into a delightful fit of laughter. Her giggles alone render the video worth watching.
Christie’s response? “Do you work for msnbc?”
Christie segued into a response about focusing on his current responsibilities rather than plotting his political future. He reminded the young attendee that she’s got to focus on finishing third grade before she gets all wrapped up in what’s to come in fourth grade.
Christie actually had something of a warm-up act to his encounter with Gallagher. On Wednesday, he took questions from a group of kindergarteners. The students recently resumed class at Stone Harbor Elementary School, which was damaged and temporarily closed after Superstorm Sandy.
The students grilled their governor on a host of topics of interest to 5-year-olds (and let’s face it, we’d like to know this stuff too).
Does he live in a big house? Yes? How many floors?
Is Michelle Obama “enchanting”?
Where did he park his helicopter?
Take a look at the Hardball Sideshow for Chris Christie’s encounters with the younger generation.
Maryalice Aymong