Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has jumped into politics with an ad endorsing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for re-election.
“I don’t endorse many politicians. But Chris Christie is different. He’s working with me to bring jobs back to our cities, and on a new program to help kids in tough neighborhoods get ahead. Governor Christie’s provided more funding for schools, given parent more choices in what schools their kids can go to, and merit pay for good teachers,” O’Neal says in the 30-second ad, which was first reported by The Daily Beast. “He’s a good man. Excuse me — he’s a great man. Please join me in supporting Chris Christie – the governor.”
The endorsement will have virtually no impact on the governor’s race, as Christie is all but certain to win. The latest Quinnipiac poll from earlier this month showed him ahead of Democratic State Sen. Barbara Buono by nearly 30 points.
O’Neal is not necessarily a staunch Republican. During the 2012 election, he told CNN’s Piers Morgan that President Obama was doing a “fabulous job” and predicted he would win the election.
O’Neal is a native of Newark. He played in the NBA for nearly two decades before his retirement in 2011.
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