Gov Christie thanks sportsmen and women

After a rousing speech, and through the enthusiastic chants of more than 500 supporters filling the crisp evening air at Camp Jefferson Theater, I could still hear the warm and heartfelt words of Governor Christie asking me to personally thank the outdoors community for their support of the Sportsmen's Rally. In short, Governor Christie was thrilled, and given the fervor of the crowd, and the many comments received after the rally, so too were the participants.

I'd like to thank all of the sportsmen and women who attended the rally, some coming from as far as Atlantic, Cape May, Gloucester, Camden, and Salem Counties. I'd like to thank the 26 NJOA CF council member organizations for getting the word out about the rally to their members. I'd also like to thank Pete Grimbilas, President, NJOA CF, and John Rogalo, Chairman, New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, for their efforts in helping the Christie campaign coordinate the event and for their enthusiastic and informative speeches on marine fisheries and forest stewardship, respectively.

I'd also like to thank Frank Virgilio, President, New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, for his sense of urgency in spreading the word about the rally, and for his insightful speech about the importance of fishing, hunting and trapping in our state's conservation efforts.

I'd also like to thank Scott Bach, President, New Jersey Association of Rifle and Pistol Clubs and NRA Board Member, for making his membership aware of the rally and for his attendance. It was gracious of Scott to accept my impromptu request to address the crowd.

The bucolic setting of Camp Jefferson, the cool autumn air, and the electric atmosphere of the rally all came together to accentuate the issues that are important to the sportsmen and women of New Jersey.

Here are a few paragraphs reported in NJ Herald, written by ERIC OBERNAUER

The appearance [in Newton] was followed by a twilight rally at the Camp Jefferson Amphitheatre, in Jefferson, organized by an alliance of hunters and sportsmen and attended by more than 500 supporters.

Following the rally in Newton, Christie spent several minutes mingling with supporters and signing autographs before heading to Jefferson, where he addressed a rally of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance. The group's president, Anthony Mauro, introduced Christie, whom he praised for recognizing "the numerous conservation and economic contributions made by anglers, hunters, trappers and outdoor enthusiasts."

Christie, in addition to enumerating the points made in his Newton speech, vowed his continued support for a bear hunt. A few days ago, he said, he even told a supporter who asked him to stop the hunt that if the issue were that important to her, "then vote for the other person because I'm not doing it."

Still, he told the crowd, "if you're looking for a politician you agree with 100 percent of the time, go home and look in the mirror, because you're it.... We don't hold each other to that standard and don't hold politicians to that standard because when we do, they lie to you to try to get your vote. I've never done that and I'm not going to do it now. If I tell you I'm going to do something, I do it."