For Chris Christie, a YouTube moment is about as common as a traffic jam on the George Washington bridge.

But NJ.com attempts to pinpoint five flashpoints from the year that reveal the governor’s inner ID.

It includes three quotes that encapsulate what Christie is known for: Being blunt, brash and unapologetic.

His moment calling a New York Daily News reporter a “jerk… a complete idiot.”

His moment talking down to a school teacher: “What do you want?  I’m tired of you people.”

And his moment telling The Philadelphia Inquirer that “If I was in the Senate right now, I’d kill myself.”

But the top moment recalls a time when Christie showed a rare, if not underappreciated flash of discipline.

It was in the middle of the first gubernatorial debate with Democrat Barbara Buono, when he declined a shot at humor or derision and killed his opponent with kindness.

“She’s obviously a good and caring mother and someone who cares deeply about public service in this state because she’s dedicated her life to it,” Christie said in a response to the customary question asking the candidate to name something he likes about his opponent.

It was a gentler, softer, smarter Christie — and how he fares on the stump in small towns in Iowa and New Hampshire could largely turn on whether he can adopt that posture readily and repeatedly.

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