Maddow on Chris Christie's Brand: "I'm the Guy Who Will Scream at My Constituents"

Rachel Maddow's a super talented host, but sometimes it's nice to see her out of her environment -- particularly when she's relaxed enough that it seems like she's bantering with friends. Which is what happened this morning on the Today Show, in which Ann Curry and Maddow have a really chill but smart conversation about the presidential frontrunners. She was characteristically pragmatic and analytical about Pawlenty, Bachmann and Palin, but when it got down to extreme New Jersey governor Chris Christie, she definitely loosened up a bit. "Chris Christie is auditioning for vice president. Chris Christie would like to be taken seriously on a national stage," Maddow said. "That's why he's embarrassing himself in his own state, leaving his son's baseball game in a state helicopter so he can go meet with Iowa Republican donors when he's not running for president. And his brand is 'I will be rude.'" Watch here, via Mediaite:

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