The excessive heat is getting to everyone, but what in blazes is Gov. Chris Christie thinking? He was caught on video on the Seaside Heights boardwalk Thursday night berating a passerby. Christie has blasted “Jersey Shore” for tainting the image of Seaside Heights. And then he reveals himself to be Gov. Snooki.

Apparently, the unidentified man had the temerity to make “snide remarks” about Christie’s education policy, according to TMZ.com, which first posted the video online.

It’s almost comical to see the governor, ice cream cone in hand, walk belligerently toward the man who made the remarks. “You’re a real big shot,” Christie said to the man. The man can be heard saying, “Nah, just take care of the teachers.”

As he walks away, Christie taunts him, the way a schoolyard bully would do when he thinks he got the best of a weak sister: “Keep walking away. Really good. Keep walking.” One gets the sense that if this exchange had occurred on the beach, Christie would have kicked sand in the guy’s face, like in the old Charles Atlas body-building ad in the back of a comic book.

Of course, the smart thing to do when confronted by a bully is to walk away. By the time someone puts an arm around Christie and guides him away, the “winner” of this unfortunate exchange is pretty clear.

It’s hard to tell on the video the identity of the person who pushed the governor’s buttons, or the exact words that were uttered to bring out the governor’s belligerence. All we know is the man is likely a constituent. Someone who — whether or not he voted for Christie — deserved better from the state’s highest elected official. Of course, even an out-of-towner visiting the Shore should not have been subjected to the governor’s embarrassing lack of self-control. At town hall meetings with cameras rolling, even at his most insulting, Christie usually dials it back. This incident is not that.

Perhaps it was Christie’s way of celebrating his 5 million-plus YouTube viewers. His staff has delighted in posting Christie’s confrontations on YouTube. There’s no denying that he makes great copy.

But this boardwalk brawl has the look and feel of a tipping point. The point at which, say, someone looking for a vice presidential running mate might just step back. And walk away.