Story highlights
Rand Paul said Chris Christie's "bully demeanor" might not play well all over the country
Paul was referring to Christie's shout-down of a protester last week
The two potential 2016 rivals have been feuding for more than a year
In the latest round of Rand Paul vs. Chris Christie, the Kentucky senator tweaked his potential 2016 rival Sunday for his recent outburst in which the New Jersey governor told a heckler to “sit down and shut up.”
After watching a clip of the confrontation on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Paul smirked and suggested “this sort of bully demeanor” might work well in some places – but not in all.
“I can’t imagine that – I grew up in the South. And we’re ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘no, sir’ and a little bit more polite,” the Kentucky Republican said.
Rand Paul on Chris Christie in one word: ‘Bridges’
“I think people want someone to be bold. And there was a time when I thought, you know what? When he stands up and he says things boldly, that’s kind of good. He’s not taking any flak,” he continued. “But there can be too much of that, too.”
The first-term senator and Christie have butted heads through the media for more than a year over their ideological differences.
Rand Paul ‘sucks’ air out of GOP conversation
They’re both considered potential top contenders for the GOP presidential nomination, as they’ve aggressively traveled across the country this year, campaigning for 2014 candidates and laying the groundwork for possible White House bids. They’ve each traveled to more than 30 states.
On some issues, Paul and Christie sound a lot alike
“We live in a world where we have so much cacophony of voices on TV sometimes of yelling back and forth,” Paul said. “And I think there’s a resurgence of people who want a little more civility and discourse.”
Christie defended his reaction to the heckler, telling reporters in New Mexico that it’s simply his style to confront people who are being rude. As he put it, the heated exchange was “just another day at the ranch – Rancho Christie.”
Christie to heckler: ‘Sit down and shut up’
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who clashed with Christie over the Republican Governors Association chairmanship, also criticized the governor for his tone. “I did say after the last presidential election, if we want voters to like us, we have got to like them first,” Jindal, another possible 2016 Republican, said Friday on Fox News.