Washington ( CNN ) New Jersey Gov . Chris Christie 's political brand is built almost entirely around a single personality trait : authenticity . He 's a self-styled what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of politician , unapologetic that his blunt style can come across as brash . The approach has earned Christie plenty of love for being himself and sets him apart from other potential 2016 presidential contenders such as Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush , who often come across as stiffer and more disciplined . Christie 's authenticity was on full display this week when he stood by his beloved Dallas Cowboys . In the face of Internet bullies who shunned his love for America 's Team or mocked his bear hug with Jerry Jones , Christie brazenly defended his lifelong loyalty for an out-of-state team that 's either the most loved or most hated franchise in the NFL . `` You are who you are as a fan , '' the Republican said in a radio interview on Monday . While he faced scrutiny for his long-distance affair with the Cowboys , he won some admiration for not pandering all these years by switching to a local team . Former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe tweeted that it `` takes guts '' for Christie to back the rival Cowboys when he 's `` surrounded by Giants , Jets & Eagles fans . '' But Christie 's insistence on remaining true to himself is the same quality that has gotten him in trouble over the years and , if left unchecked , could run the risk of being seen as more schtick than authentic . It was just a few months ago when Christie shouted at a heckler who was interrupting an event to `` sit down and shut up ! '' The moment became instant fuel for critics to push a narrative of Christie as a bully and paint the governor as a loose cannon who 's not ready for the presidential stage . In an interview with NBC 's Matt Lauer , Christie argued that he never lost control and knew exactly what he was doing when he gave the heckler a verbal beat down . `` I 'm not going to change , Matt . This is who I am , '' he said . Asked whether Christie can learn to hide that part of his personality , the governor said `` there 's no hope in that . '' Trying to get it just right . Voters often say they 're looking for real , genuine candidates . But striking that perfect balance of authenticity without being too hot or too cold is `` one of the most difficult lines to navigate '' for a politician , said GOP strategist Ford O'Connell . It 's a tough cycle to break out of , experts say . No one is perfect and if a candidate tries to be himself or herself entirely , flaws will eventually be exposed . But those flaws could result in criticism or negative media coverage , which then prompts politicians to be more guarded . There 's no steadfast rule to finding just the right middle ground . `` And that balance is different for every candidate because you do n't know what the candidate is going to do until you shine the spotlight on them , '' O'Connell said . Craig Shirley , a presidential historian who 's written two books on Ronald Reagan , says the authenticity factor for voters dates back to President Andrew Jackson and has seen periods of popularity off and on ever since . Its most recent resurgence started with Jimmy Carter in 1976 , not long after Richard Nixon resigned amid the Watergate scandal . `` The American people had had it with all the corruption in Washington , '' he said . Carter frequently used the word `` trust '' in his campaign and invoked his Christian and farmer roots as a way to build a populist reputation . `` People were just hungry for something different . '' Previous elections . During the 2012 Republican primaries , Mitt Romney was often accused of being too robotic and not showing his true cards . Newt Gingrich called him out on a primary debate stage once , telling him to cut the `` pious baloney . '' The rebuke came after Romney answered a question about why he did n't run for re-election as governor of Massachusetts . Romney said he simply wanted to help the state get into good shape , then return to the private sector . `` For me , politics is not a career , '' Romney said . Yet in reality , Romney ran for president shortly thereafter in 2007 , and in addition to his successful 2002 bid for governor , he ran for Senate in a failed 1994 attempt . Similarly , Al Gore was noted for having difficulty appearing comfortable in his own skin and was criticized for trying to adopt a regular guy persona . In The Politics of Authenticity in Presidential Campaigns , author Erica J. Seifert notes that voters in 2000 sided with Gore on nearly every issue in the polls , but fell well behind George W. Bush on questions about character , honesty and personality . Whether voters consider a candidate authentic is also heavily dependent on how successful opponents are at defining them . President Barack Obama 's campaign and allies , for example , spent millions trying to craft Romney as greedy and out-of-touch because of his background in private equity . Clinton also been accused of struggling with authenticity , particularly during her 2000 Senate campaign in New York when she said she was a lifelong Yankees fan despite having grown up as a fan of her hometown team , the Chicago Cubs . Clinton struggled to connect with voters during much of her 2008 campaign . Clinton 's supporters argue she was in fact a Yankees fan as a child and photos from 1992 published in her 2003 memoir `` Living History '' show her in a New York hat . Still , Christie mentioned the Clinton example in a 2013 radio interview defending his adoration of the Cowboys . `` I 'm not going to be Hillary Clinton , OK ? I 'm not going to , you know , be a Cubs fan my whole life , and then when I go to run for office in another state , pretend I 'm a Yankee fan , '' he said `` I do n't think there 's anything -- in sports -- more reprehensible than that . '' A challenging cycle . On the flip side , when politicians try to be themselves in the public eye , they may wind up saying or doing something that people find politically incorrect , offensive or careless . Vice President Joe Biden has gotten in trouble for being too candid at times , or as some like to say , Biden just being Biden . He took his freewheeling approach to the Senate this week , where he joked around -- sometimes awkwardly -- with senators and their families as he swore in lawmakers for a new term . One of Biden 's most memorable moments was when he endorsed same-sex marriage in May 2012 , before President Obama had officially evolved on the issue . Biden has frequently tried to clarify his off-the-cuff remarks with a go-to line : `` No one ever doubts I mean what I say , but sometimes I say all that I mean . '' Renowned surgeon and conservative activist Ben Carson , who 's known for making controversial comments , is also sometimes too honest for his own good , his spokesman acknowledged last month . `` If I could create the Webster 's dictionary of words Dr. Carson could use in the campaign , there would be some words I 'd leave out , '' Terry Giles told the Washington Post . `` Like 'Nazi ' or 'Hitler . ' '' Whit Ayres , a Republican strategist and pollster , said a good politician is almost by definition careful with what they say and how they say it . `` That does n't mean they ca n't be candid or they ca n't be clear or they ca n't say what they mean , but it does mean that they ca n't say the first words that come into their brains without thinking about the consequences , '' he said . Christie is certainly aware that he has to tone himself down at times . When he was in Mexico last September , reporters noticed the governor was acting more guarded and restrained than his normal Jersey Guy self . In an interview with the New York Times , he acknowledged that he can be `` flamboyant '' at times . `` But it does n't mean that 's the way I am all of the time , '' he added . Being able to adjust to different contexts is an important perquisite for leadership , he continued . `` You know , I have more than one club in the bag , and I 've demonstrated that over time , '' he said . It 's unclear whether voters in Iowa or South Carolina will buy Christie 's explanation , or whether it will break past opposition ads and attacks against his personality . Christie has dismissed such skepticism as `` garbage '' and forcefully defended his style in a radio interview this summer . `` Yeah there are some ... regional differences in our country . But in the end , people like people who are genuine , who are real , '' he continued . `` People who are real do well . And they 're happy , too . '' `` I would rather lose than try to pretend to be somebody else , '' he added . O'Connell , the GOP strategist , acknowledges there 's always a risk in being too much of yourself on the campaign trail . But at the end of the day , he argued , `` it 's better to be too authentic than to be too plastic . '' CNN 's David Chalian and Dan Merica contributed to this report .
Chris Christie 's fierce loyalty to the Cowboys demonstrates the governor 's authenticity . Comment: Experts say it 's hard for politicians to find that fine line of being themselves without exposing flaws .