Wilson, who served two terms as president in the early 20th century, so far remains the only New Jersey governor to ascend to the presidency
An undated photo of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, a former New Jersey resident whose success in capturing the White House may provide precedent if Gov. Chris Christie tries to follow suit.TRENTON — The New Jersey governor soars in popularity, despite his short time in state office. He takes on Jersey’s political bosses, draws national attention and heads west on a national speaking tour.
Hyped as a presidential candidate, he shies away from the early buzz, biding his time.
Sounds like a familiar Chris Christie news cycle, right?
But this tale is more than 100 years old. The year was 1911, and the man was Woodrow Wilson, a then-Jersey governor ready to catapult onto the national political stage. He would become the nation’s 28th president and leader during World War I.
But Wilson, the first and only New Jersey governor to ascend to the presidency, wasn’t exactly eager to jump in the race.
"Thought of the presidency annoys me in a way," he told his friend Mary Peck, according to an excerpt from a detailed biography of Wilson by John Milton Cooper Jr., a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. "I do not want to be President. There is too little play in it, too little time for one’s friends, too much distasteful publicity and fuss and frills."
Obviously, Wilson overcame his aversion to the office. Whether Christie does so as well will be clear soon, as pressure mounts for him to enter the 2012 presidential race.
Although the similarities are fun, Wilson was a liberal and Christie is decidedly to the right of him.
Known as a leader of the Progressive Movement (think: Federal Reserve System, women’s suffrage, anti-trust laws), Wilson became a darling of the Democratic Party. A former president of Princeton University, he managed a quick transition from academics to politics.
According to Cooper’s biography: "Woodrow Wilson became a main contender for the Democratic Party nomination for president as soon as he was elected governor of New Jersey. This was an unusual turn of events."
Several factors helped his quick rise. Well-known from his time at Princeton, Wilson developed a reputation as a "dragon slayer" against New Jersey’s political bosses and had a "new boy on the political block" appeal that played big for the Progressive movement, according to excerpts from Cooper’s book.
The 1912 election proved to be one of the most exciting presidential campaigns in U.S. history. Among the contenders: incumbent William Taft and past president Theodore Roosevelt.
When the White House movement began for Wilson, he showed his ability to cross party lines by getting strong support from his New Jersey colleagues. At a dinner at the Hotel Astor, all but two of the 21 state senators said they endorsed him for president, according to an article that appeared in the New York Times on April 27, 1911.
"Amid a burst of cheers, indistinguishable as to Republicanism or Democracy, every Senator present rose, and extending his glass toward Gov. Wilson, drank heartily to that toast," according to the story.
It’s a nice thought, but don’t expect state Democrats Stephen Sweeney or Sheila Oliver to be raising their glasses to Christie anytime soon, even if he does throw his name in the presidential race. The terms "rotten bastard" and "mentally deranged," words that those two critics recently uttered about him, aren’t exactly champagne toast material.
Among Wilson’s allies was then-Indiana Gov. Thomas Marshall, who became his vice presidential nominee. And you can count current Indiana governor among Christie’s fans. Just two weeks ago, Gov. Mitch Daniels, spoke at a university forum with Christie and practically fawned over him.
Easily winning the 1912 election, Wilson captured both the popular vote and the Electoral College. According to Cooper’s book, although the campaign was heated, Wilson never debated his fiercest rival, Roosevelt, head-on. Such debates were not common at the time, Cooper writes.
Among the other factors to compare: Wilson was about 5-foot-11 and slender, with glasses, a long nose and a strong jawline. A smooth speaker, he used short-hand notes for his talks because he thought "prepared texts spoiled the spontaneity," Cooper writes.
Christie, short and portly, has had his weight issues analyzed in the press. His gruff style, a Jersey swagger you could say, would make him stand out among competitors.
For those of you looking for a leg-up in trivia, remember George McClellan, a New Jersey governor who also had some campaigning experience, although in reverse order. He unsuccessfully ran for president against Abraham Lincoln and then became New Jersey’s governor from 1878 to 1881.
At the 1960 Democratic National Convention, Gov. Robert Meyner made only a blip on the presidential scene when he received 43 votes, finishing a distant fifth to winner John F. Kennedy. Former senator Bill Bradley finished second to Al Gore for the 2000 Democratic nomination.