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Before Gov. Chris Christie set off for Thursday night’s Fox Media-sponsored debate he faced a crowd of protesters on the way to his inaugural presidential campaign fundraising event held Tuesday in the Paramount Theater at Asbury Park’s historic Convention Hall.

And while the Christie for President supporters who attended the fundraiser outweighed the protesters who gathered at and then marched through and around Convention Hall, it was a high flying banner that was unmistakingly unmissable.

Organized in part by New Jersey Working Families, the protestors also included members of the New Jersey Education Federation, the Sierra Club, New Jersey Citizen Action and earned sick time supporters – as evident from the banner [show at right].

“While Governor Christie focuses almost exclusively on his presidential campaign, working families in New Jersey continue to suffer from his refusal to support earned sick time legislation,” Rob Duffey, New Jersey Working Families Policy and Communications Director wrote in an email blast prior to the protest. “Nine New Jersey municipalities have passed their own earned sick time laws, but 1.2 million New Jerseyans still can’t take time to care for themselves or a loved one in the event of an illness. New Jersey advocates will protest their absentee governor’s opposition to earned sick time at a high-dollar fundraiser in Asbury Park.”

But inside the fundraising event that cost anywhere from $250 to $5,400, supporters praised Christie’s record.

“Anyone who is going to write him off is making a mistake,” said 2014 U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Bell. “He’s capable of making the monetary policy – the zero interest rate policy – an issue. He’s already talked about it in June and I’m hoping he will again because it’s the biggest issue.

“He’s fearless for one thing,” Bell said. “You have to be fearless if you want to be president. He’s very good at grabbing onto the guts of an issue, to know what it is the country most needs. I’m a believer really that campaigning helps bring that home. I worked for Regan, I worked for Nixon. I know that Christie is of that quality because when he gets up on stage he doesn’t speak from a text. Everybody is waiting to hear what the next thing he is going to say. He knows how to be memorable.”

There were an estimated 250 protestors and over 500 event attendees, who according to Mary Pat Christie raised $1.3 million that night.

“I find it absolutely appalling that he is here in Asbury Park to raise funds for a national campaign that will in no way shape or form benefit not only the citizens of the state but the citizens of this country, NJEA Vice President Marie Blistan said. “What we are really trying to do is to put some attention on the facts. He could not find the where with all to find the funds to properly fund our public schools, properly fund the pensions that our members have continued to put in throughout their careers. We have a poverty rate and an unemployment rate in this state and he has time and the energy to gather people into this state to fund his own campaign – It’s a disgrace. I think our people in this state want people to know nationally what an abysmal record he has here in this state.”

Blistan said the NJEA’s 200,000 members are so outraged over Christie’s antics and his latest comment Sunday that teachers’ unions deserve a punch in the face.

Among them was 37 year educator from Neptune, Judy Strollo [at right], who carried a sign that read, “Do you really want to punch me in the face” – “I’ve made 740 pension payments” – “I am union!!”

But inside many said they admire Christie’s uninhibited straight talk.

“I think he is a person of principal,” said Amy Chen-King of Freehold Township. “He is not afraid to say something when he thinks he’s right and I think that is something we need.”

“I like his style,” said Steve Newmark of Florham Park.  “He means what he says, he’s going to do what he says. He’s got class. He’s intelligent. I think he’s the guy. I want a real leader. He’s it.”

But outside the chants included: “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Chris Christie has to go.”

Asbury Park educator Margaret Katz [shown in feature photo above] said, “Teachers have earned the right to be shown respect by their leadership.

Fellow protestor and Asbury Park educator Juslaine Constanza said, “He’s supposed to fund the pension. He’s breaking laws by not doing so.”

Back inside, Point Pleasant resident Joe Warade said ““He’s done a lot of reforms [and] straightened out the pension. He’s kept property taxes low. He’s a very good leader. I’m looking for my son to grow up without having major debt. He’s going to do a great job. I’m looking forward to the debate Thursday. I like the way he tells it like it is.”

But educator John Wodnick of Montclair ardently disagrees.

“I feel like Christie has done a lot of damage to our whole state,” Wodnick said. “His economic policies are irresponsible. If you look at where we are as a state, his run has been indefensible. He has millions of dollars, probably billions of dollars, in corporate giveaways designed to create jobs and they have not been creating jobs. At every turn he vetoes creative responsible options to help our economy grow from the ground up. People need to be able to live. We have a very high cost of housing in this state and we have very high living costs and for the average working person in the state of New Jersey, they have not seen their pay go up substantially for 40 years. We keep on cutting taxes for the rich, we keep on cutting costs for corporations, and we keep on giving away money to forces that do not help us grow our economy. It’s irresponsible.”

There were little comments of support for Christie’s environmental platform but many outside said he dropped the ball.

“What happened to this beach and dune replenishment project that we need to protect the New Jersey shoreline to keep everyone safe,” said Paul Jeffrey [at right], President of the Ortley Beach Voters and Taxpayers Association. “We are going into our third year of hurricane season – we need protection.”

The federal government has approved the beach replenishment project to be conducted by the Army Corps of Engineers but over 400 easements are needed to move the project forward. The action group has held rallies with 600 people in Trenton and at home, Jeffrey said.

“Christie has failed us because in the 2 ½ years since Hurricane Sandy no progress has been made,” Jeffrey said.

“He’s not doing anything good for the environment,” said Elizabeth Banwell of Howell. “It’s the fracking and it’s the oil that he wants to send through the Pinelands. Who is he, why he is he running for anybody. He doesn’t represent New Jersey.  Why would anyone think he represents anyone but the big business interests that have gotten him where he is.”

Back inside Christie, during is close to 45 minute long speech said he will work to win the votes of not Republicans but also Democrats and Independents.

“I want the vote of every thinking, smart, hardworking American to say we want a new chance in America,” Christie said. “Because of who I am there’s four promises I will make to you that are totally within my control that I promise you I will keep everyday if you honor me with being your president.”

The first he said is that we will never have to wonder what he is thinking.

“You’ll never have to wonder what I’m feeling, Christie said. “You’ll never have to wonder what I’m willing to fight for. And you will never have to wonder how hard I’m willing to fight for it. That’s the way my parents raised me and that’s the kind of president of the United States I will be.”

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