An Editorial - Joseph W. McQuaid, Publisher: Christie was our bad choice 
 
 By JOSEPH W. McQUAID 
 
 New Hampshire Union Leader 
 
 Former Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, right, expresses his support for current candidate Donald Trump at an airport rally in Millington, Tenn., on Saturday. (REUTERS/Karen Pulfer Focht) 
 
 Boy, were we wrong.We endorsed Chris Christie in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. Despite his baggage, we thought that as a Republican governor in a Democratic-leading state he had the skills and experience the presidency needs (and hasn’t had of late). We also thought he had the best chance to take on and face down Donald Trump.Watching Christie kiss the Donald’s ring this weekend — and make excuses for the man Christie himself had said was unfit for the presidency — demonstrated how wrong we were. Rather than standing up to the bully, Christie bent his knee. In doing so, he rejected the very principles of his campaign that attracted our support.Voters here apparently knew better than we. Most rejected Christie but divided their votes among several others, leaving Trump to claim victory. And now, despite specifically telling us that he would never endorse him, Christie is backing Trump.If nothing else, that might wake up some Trump fans. We will look for that, just as soon as we get the egg off our face. 
 
 
 
 Union Leader Endorsements Front page editorial Chris Christie Donald Trump ||||| For our safety, our future: Chris Christie for President 
 
 By JOSEPH W. McQUAID, PUBLISHER 
 
 New Hampshire Union Leader 
 
 New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie today receives the presidential endorsement of the New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News. (FILE/Jason Reed, REUTERS) 
 
 Thanksgiving is just past. Christmas is ahead. We doubt that too many people across New Hampshire have politics front and center right now. But in just 10 weeks, New Hampshire will make a choice that will profoundly affect our country and the world. We better get it right.Our choice is Gov. Chris Christie. As a U.S. attorney and then a big-state governor, he is the one candidate who has the range and type of experience the nation desperately needs.We don't need another fast-talking, well-meaning freshman U.S. senator trying to run the government. We are still seeing the disastrous effects of the last such choice.Chris Christie is a solid, pro-life conservative who has managed to govern in liberal New Jersey, face down the big public unions, and win a second term. Gov. Christie can work across the aisle, but he won't get rolled by the bureaucrats. We don't need as President some well-meaning person from the private sector who has no public experience.Gov. Christie is right for these dangerous times. He has prosecuted terrorists and dealt admirably with major disasters. But the one reason he may be best-suited to lead during these times is because he tells it like it is and isn't shy about it.Other candidates have gained public and media attention by speaking bluntly. But it's important when you are telling it like it is to actually know what you are talking about. Gov. Christie knows what he is saying because he has experienced it. And unlike some others, he believes in what he says because he has a strong set of conservative values.Gov. Chris Christie is exactly the conservative Republican needed to take the fight to Hillary Clinton next fall and then get about the serious business of defending us and rebuilding our economy. 
 
 
 
 Presidential Front page editorial Chris Christie
– "Boy, were we wrong." So starts an "unendorsement" from publisher Joseph W. McQuaid in Monday's New Hampshire Union Leader. The paper endorsed Chris Christie in the state primary back in November, with McQuaid touting him as "a solid, pro-life conservative" who "tells it like it is" based on experience and "won't get rolled by the bureaucrats." Christie's endorsement of Trump on Friday—though McQuaid says the New Jersey governor told the paper he would never endorse him—"demonstrated how wrong we were," McQuaid says. "We thought that as a Republican governor in a Democratic-leading state he had the skills and experience the presidency needs," McQuaid writes. "We also thought he had the best chance to take on and face down Donald Trump," whom McQuaid has, um, strongly criticized in the past. Instead, Christie chose to cave to the bully and "rejected the very principles of his campaign that attracted our support," McQuaid says, adding his hope that Trump fans will soon "wake up." His full piece is here, or you can read McQuaid's thoughts on Trump here.