Why are there no "I don't give a fuck" type Democrats?

[geist]

Republicans have people like Chris Christie, who just does what he wants. People love him, I think he might end up running for prez in '16. While I don't think it'll be a successful run, it got me thinking. Where are the Democrats that just do what they want? Yeah, he's done some dumb shit, like kill the new NY/NJ tunnel, but you have to admit, his attitude is admirable because he does what he thinks is right.

Where are the Democrats like that? Has the media chosen to not pay attention to them? Or are they kept on a short leash? I think Joe Biden is an "I don't give a fuck" type of democrat, but he's kept on a short leash. Where they at?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

In a lot of ways, many Democrats in power actually take governance seriously. They actually went into politics to do good (many become corrupted once there but that's another topic). Republicans of late run on the idea that government is bad and they're going to kill from the inside (makes no sense to me but it works in their circles).

Your example of Christie doesn't quite hold up because he wasn't very popular outside GOP circles and was 50/50 on reelection in his own state. Being an asshole can be very attractive but it's not something that's long term successful in national politics. As it is, we haven't had an asshole as President since Nixon.

 

[geist]

In a lot of ways, many Democrats in power actually take governance seriously. They actually went into politics to do good (many become corrupted once there but that's another topic). Republicans of late run on the idea that government is bad and they're going to kill from the inside (makes no sense to me but it works in their circles).

Your example of Christie doesn't quite hold up because he wasn't very popular outside GOP circles and was 50/50 on reelection in his own state. Being an asshole can be very attractive but it's not something that's long term successful in national politics. As it is, we haven't had an asshole as President since Nixon.

I understand what you're saying, but that's not quite what I meant. Pretty much any election is going to be 50/50 in a state like NJ. I could've cited the governor of Wisconsin too. I used Christie because he's a media darling right now and even with a heavily democratic legislature he still manages to do what he wants most of the time. Why is it there's no democrats like that? I know there has to be somewhere, but why don't we see them?

 

[Upgrade Dave]

I understand what you're saying, but that's not quite what I meant. Pretty much any election is going to be 50/50 in a state like NJ. I could've cited the governor of Wisconsin too. I used Christie because he's a media darling right now and even with a heavily democratic legislature he still manages to do what he wants most of the time. Why is it there's no democrats like that? I know there has to be somewhere, but why don't we see them?

We'll take Christie out of the equation because he's something of an anomaly, though Republican executives, be they President or Governors, usually have an easier time with Democratic legislatures than the other way around.
But really the only Republicans in power like that have strong Republican legislatures behind them so they can say "Eff everybody else". They can the votes to get stuff passed and the power to sign it into law. Where Democrats are in power, they also get what they want as NY just passed strong gun laws and in Massachusetts, even Republican governors and politicians have to go left to gain and stay in power.
See once you take Christie out of the conversation, there really aren't any Republicans not in tossup districts or states that behave that way without Republican legislatures. So when you're looking for a similar style Democrat, you have to find them in similar trappings and that's harder to find since 2010.