LePage, Christie, Rhetoric, Grace, and Law

Governor Paul LePage of Maine is a self-made man. An orphan by choice at a young age, he fled from abusive parents to make his way in the world.

He worked odd jobs throughout his childhood, receiving care and education from caring adults so that he could go to college and establish himself successfully in business. Later on in life, he ran for Governor and won in a five-way contest.

He has betrayed a hard edge in his rhetoric, almost as if he is striving with all of his might to prove himself to himself and others that he is capable and qualified to be governor.

in contrast, Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey is smooth, graceful, tough when he has to be, but calm and consistent by nature. He does not resort to profanity or nasty name-calling. There is no trace of force or fierceness when he confronts rude constituents. He knows how to make people laugh.

Governor LePage speaks at length about his efforts to grow from poverty to prosperity.

Governor Christie never talks about what he did to become favored with the chief executive office of New Jersey.

Paul LePage's motto, encapsulating his philosophy of life: "If it is to be, it is up to me." This is a clear testimony to self-reliance and self-effort, one from a person exerting to meet the standards set upon every person.

Chris Christie works with others, never takes the credit, and makes no small pretense of a religious background in his life. He makes the case time and again of letting the voters in his state keep their money and make decisions for themselves. He gives.

LePage lives like a legalist, striving on his own, and his efforts are mixed, despite his stirring, caustic rhetoric. He is favored with little attention beyond the state of Maine. Combative and judgmental, he has alienated many, including his own party.

Christie reaches out to the opposition, not afraid to speak his mind, calling the President to account for poor decisions, yet he did not shirk to walk in warm comity with the President when Hurricane Irene devastated the New Jersey seaboard.

LePage is like the Law. Christie demonstrates a life of Grace. Without striving, consistent, assertive, and respectful, Christie has accomplish far more for his state and his constituents than the Governor of Maine, who evinces the characteristics of one living under condemnation, acting like he does not deserve what he has received.

Framed another way, LePage is striving to prove something -- that is what living under Law will do to a person.

Christie is proof of one thriving -- that is the ease of one who live by God's Grace.