With monster lead, Christie yells at teacher and works at hot dog counter

Gov. Christie will destroy Sen. Barbara Buono in tomorrow's election by either 19 points, 20 points, 28 points or 36 points, depending on which poll released today you believe.

But that seemingly insurmountable lead didn't stop a feisty pro-Buono teacher from confronting the governor after a campaign event Saturday down the Shore in Somers Point. And it didn't stop Christie from an apparently feisty response.

Unfortunately, no video or audio of the incident has surfaced. But the picture, above, tells at least part of the story, and that's this: With First Lady Mary Pat Christie smiling wide next to him, the governor yelled at a constituent.

"I asked you one simple question," said the teacher, Melissa Tomlinson, in an open letter to Christie posted on this blog. "I wanted to know why you portray NJ Public Schools as failure factories. Apparently that question struck a nerve. When you swung around at me and raised your voice, asking me what I wanted, my first response 'I want more money for my students.'"

Tomlinson also told the Star-Ledger that Christie said to her: "I'm tired of you people."

A spokeswoman for Christie, Maria Comella, told the governor's side of the story: "They were having a discussion about the funding levels and the governor said that no matter how much money we spend, it will never be enough for you people."

This little flare-up -- which is not Christie's first involving a teacher -- is unlikely to change his insurmountable lead. Why? The video, below, in which he hams it up at a hot dog stand, may give you an idea: New Jersey loves their governor, warts and all.

- Matt Katz