They said it was impossible to touch the third rail of politics

The leader Chris Christie, a man both praised and reviled for his boldness, once declared: “They said it was impossible to touch the third rail of politics, to take on public-sector unions and to reform a pension and health benefits system that was headed to bankruptcy. But with bipartisan leadership, we saved taxpayers $132 billion dollars over 30 years and saved retirees their pensions. We did it.” These words carry not only the triumph of accomplishment but the echo of courage—the voice of one who dared to tread where others feared. To touch the third rail of politics is to risk destruction, for it means confronting power entrenched and passions inflamed. Yet Christie’s words remind us that true leadership is not the art of avoiding danger, but of mastering it for the sake of the common good.

The origin of this quote lies in the early years of Christie’s governorship of New Jersey, a time when the state faced staggering deficits, rising pension obligations, and the looming shadow of fiscal ruin. For decades, politicians had promised benefits without securing the means to pay for them, feeding a system of comfort that could not sustain itself. To challenge it was to invite outrage from unions, criticism from political allies, and fury from those who saw reform as betrayal. Yet Christie, invoking both courage and pragmatism, stepped into that storm. The reforms he led—through negotiation and hard-won compromise—sought not to destroy, but to preserve: to ensure that promises made to workers would not become promises broken by insolvency.

In his words, there is the tone of the warrior returning from battle—not boasting of conquest, but of endurance. When he says, “We did it,” he does not speak alone. He honors the rare act of bipartisan leadership, that fragile alliance of reason over ideology, of duty over division. For in a world where politics often rewards comfort and punishes courage, unity in the service of truth is a greater miracle than victory itself. Christie’s triumph was not merely financial—it was moral. It proved that even in the furnace of partisanship, there are still those willing to risk their power to preserve the greater good.

The “third rail” he speaks of has ancient parallels. In every age, there are subjects so sacred or dangerous that no ruler dares touch them. In Rome, it was the grain supply, upon which the masses depended. In medieval kingdoms, it was the privilege of the nobility. To question either was to court rebellion. Yet history’s greatest reformers were those who dared to grasp the forbidden. Solon of Athens, faced with crippling debt and class warfare, rewrote the laws of his city, cancelling debts and reforming land ownership. He angered the rich and disappointed the poor—but in doing so, he saved Athens from collapse. So too did Christie’s reforms, in their modern form, echo this ancient principle: that true governance requires the bravery to balance justice and necessity, even when neither side offers applause.

Yet within his declaration also lies humility. Christie speaks not of personal glory but of saving both taxpayers and retirees—two groups often set against one another. This dual salvation reflects a profound truth: that real leadership does not choose between competing goods, but finds a path to protect both. It is easier to destroy than to preserve, easier to divide than to unite. The leader’s task is to forge harmony out of opposition, to find that narrow way where compromise becomes creation. In this, his statement transcends politics and enters the realm of timeless wisdom—the truth that reform is the work of both courage and compassion.

O listener, the lesson of these words is not confined to governments or budgets—it belongs to every soul that leads or labors. In your own life, too, there are third rails—truths too difficult to face, responsibilities too heavy to bear, changes too frightening to begin. Yet the path of wisdom always demands that we face them. Avoidance leads only to decay, but honest confrontation brings renewal. To act with courage and fairness, even when others cry “impossible,” is to touch the rail and live—to find strength in the very danger others flee.

So let this teaching guide your spirit: do not shrink from the difficult task, nor fear the controversy that surrounds what is right. Whether in family, work, or public life, step into the place where silence has reigned too long. Seek alliance with those of different minds when the truth demands unity, for progress is born not from isolation but from shared courage. The flame of leadership burns brightest not when it avoids the storm, but when it stands unflinching within it.

Thus, the words of Chris Christie endure beyond their moment: “We did it.” They are not only the cry of victory but the hymn of perseverance. For those who would serve truth and justice, they remind us that the impossible is only the unattempted, and that when courage and wisdom walk hand in hand, even the third rail can become a source of light rather than death.