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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie still refuses to run for president

By: Dan Spencer (Diary)  |  June 1st, 2011 at 06:00 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Last night, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie rejected the entreaties of a group of Iowans that he enter the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

The Iowans, energy company executive Bruce Rastetter and a half-dozen other prominent Iowa Republican donors, met with Christie over dinner at the governor’s mansion in Princeton.

According to the Associated Press, Christie told Iowans that “a run for the Oval Office is not something Christie and his family have begun contemplating.”

Governor Christie has explicitly and repeatedly rejected the idea of running for president in 2012. By now, everyone should understand that Christie says what he means and means what he says.

This isn’t the only instance this year of Republicans seeking to widen the GOP’s 2012 presidential field. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and others have been courted to run by the so-called party elites.

The good folks seeking the perfect candidate should just suck it up and support one of the candidates who want to run for president in 2012. You should not beg someone to run for president. That fire in the belly thing can’t be over emphasized.

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  • acat

    Of course, I never got the fascination with The Sopranos either …

    Mew

    • Goldwater_Conservative

      there is an element in the conservative movement right now that values those that they see as “talking tough” (Palin, Christie, Tump, Bachmann) even over actual records of consevative action. They whine about the coverage that the MSM gives, yet they pine for a candidate that will have a good one-liner that will fit into the MSM 2 minute news cycle.

      • LibertarianHawk

        Personally, I’m satisfied with Gov. Pawlenty. And I think it’s highly likely that the nomination will end up going to either him or Mitt Romney.

        Yes, I’d have been happier with Gov. Daniels, who IMO has a marvelous record. But that’s water under the bridge.

        And, while I understand the trepidation people have over Pawlenty’s record on cap-and-trade and such, it’s not the sort of thing that’s disqualifying to me.

    • http://slcliberty.blogivists.com randy streu

      I’ve personally put out the warning a number of times: just because somebody does something good, it doesn’t mean we should automatically be running around trying to draft the guy (or gal) for POTUS.

      but the fact remains: where there is a victory for Republicans, a faction will run to the person around whom said victory is “centered’ and start a draft movement. Remember when Scott Brown was a big deal? Many of us here even said at the time, don’t get excited. It’s a liberal seat in a liberal state. He’s NOT a Conservative. But it was a win. People got excited.

      And let’s face it, Christie is exciting. Doesn’t mean I want him for POTUS, though.

  • raginpatriot

    Though I haven’t followed him closely, but my impression is that other than taking on the public sector unions (for which he deserves great credit), Christie is a “moderate.”

    Methinks that people are taking his fighting-unions YouTubes and PROJECTING their political wish-list aspirations onto him.

    Conservatives, recall that a lot of us did this with Scott Brown, and look how he turned out. And consider how a lot of the electorate projected onto Obama in 2008 without examining his collectivist reality.

    We musn’t fall into that trap, and must be careful what we wish for.

    • bs61

      He still believes in man made global warming, does not believe illegals are here illegally, supported gun bans, let a muslim go free as Attorney who had ties to Hamas. Wish we could get the Iowans to do some research!

    • LibertarianHawk

      …I must say that I’m growing pretty tired of the “He’s a RINO!” pablum.

      There are such things as RINOs — and Gov. Christie may well be one of them. He is, after all, seeking votes from one of the bluer states in the union. And full-throated, no-holds-barred conservatism probably isn’t the best way to go about getting them.

      But we’d do really well as a movement — do well *for* our movement — to cut out the self-defeating dogmatism. While I appreciate the sentiments behind it, it’s a recipe for political irrelevancy.

      • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine
        • LibertarianHawk

          I’ve never been anything but in favor of weeding out genuine RINOs to the extent possible….at least out of leadership positions in the Republican Party.

          The problem, as I see it, is that it’s a label way too easily thrown around these days. And I think that portends bad things for our movement.

          Pragmatism is not ideological heresy. There is such a thing as ideological heresy, of course. But we confuse the two often — and it does our agenda no favors.

          • rcatheart

            And also, we can rail against the RINOs all we want, but I think it’s worth remembering that they have districts and constituents too. There are genuinely “center-right” districts (and voters) who are well-represented by what some here would term “RINOs”.

            Is it the duty of a Republican congressman/senator/governor to behave in a manner that keeps every “perfect conservative” in America happy, or is it their duty to vote and govern in a manner consistent with the wishes and desires of their constituents?

          • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

            and it does depress this 2000 covert to conservatism and the GOP that even our party has so many that prefer big govt and/or lack the courage to be conservatives even after elections show that majorities prefer same.

            But I do favor being quite strict on who we would make our presidential nominee given what i think are the best policies and given the Reagan and other examples that show that unapologetic conservatism wins majorities. The GOP does best with pro-life and calling out Dems for their race-baiting and class envy.

      • Goldwater_Conservative

        those who are angry at guys like Brown and Christie because if they (the candidate) show up at a tea party rally or something like that, they affix all the ideas and ferver that the movement leaders say is most important on to that candidate. Christie and Brown are exactly who they were on the campaign trail, you just read something into them that wasnt there. Far lefties are saying the same thing about Obama. Oh, and here is another one, Rubio isn’t going to be the tea party patriot that many of you thought he would be, but again thats a you problem.

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Christie is John McCain movie rerun. They could title it “Closet Liberal, Part II; Back with A Fiscal Plan.”

    Christie has made some tough choices for NJ. Good for him. But what people overlook is exactly that; he’s from NJ. On most other important issues he is out of the mainstream. He still refuses to address Obamacare, is weak on illegal immigration, has generally not responded to the federal assault on states rights, etc., etc.

    People like his tough, unapologetic, brash talk. They should, because all we have heard since Mr. Obama took office is blather, unfulfilled promises, scolding, and other condescending remarks. In fact, these qualities will be critical to winning the next election and right now there is nobody in the field with Christie’s moxie.

    But we should pine for a conservative to rise up and take that outspoken mantle. Not foolishly put up another cardboard figure who sounds pleasing at the starting gate but never makes it over the finish line.

    • YnotNOW

      Because Christie is way to the right of most of the NJ Govt – so a big improvment. The fact that he provides so many great sound bites and gets us excited is a bonus. But the fact remains that his is conservative for NJ, but not conservative compared to much of the rest of the country.

      Vote for the most conservative candidate who can win. In NJ that’s Christie. In the restof the country we can do better.

  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    and then accept his blemishes as a price for doing so.

  • sundaycombo

    is that Roger Ailes at Fox seems to have a high opinion of him and Ailes fancies himself a presidential “kingmaker”.

    I just read today he (Christie) took a a state helicopter (at taxpayer expense) to watch his son’s baseball game. This raises all sorts of red flags to someone who saw Mark Sanford in SC do the same thing. And look where he ended up.

    • acat

      …”wiener-esque” problem…

      What ended Sanford’s career was his inability to keep it zipped, not using state vehicles for personal events.

      Regarding the ball game, first you need to bring a cite. Then, you’d have to show me a cost analysis comparing the price of sending Christie to the game via limo – with security escort because there have been threats – and the cost of the chopper.

      If it were me, I would have blown off the afternoon during the game, and then worked at night… but I understand not everyone has that option.

      Mew

      • sundaycombo

        Since I spend quite a bit of time in SC I am well aware of his Appalachian Trail issue.

        But long before that event his mis-use of State aircraft and high rolling plane travel were already driving his numbers down.

        As far as a cost analysis of Christie’s use of a State Patrol helicopter to attend a baseball game how do you quantify a tone deaf PR move like that?

        • acat

          Simple. Did it *actually* cost more, or is it just “perception” ?

          You have yet to cite anything, so I’m assuming you don’t actually know….

          You’ll need to figure out how much the chopper trip cost, then calculate the equivalent cost of a ground trip. Keep in mind, the number of vehicles on the ground would be higher, as would the number of officers…

          Further, the ground trip may have disrupted traffic. Having been in New Jersey several times, the only thing that seems to get the locals more riled up than a jerk causing a traffic jam is being compared to New York…

          Mew

          • sundaycombo

            If I have to try to convince you that perception IS reality in politics then we are not going to make any progress.

            There is an expectation that a Governor will get the use of a state car and a state patrol type driver. Maybe even an additional bodyguard. But for the average voter/resident/taxpayer, using a state helicopter to attend a personal event is over the top. And the average person isn’t going to “run the numbers” . The sad thing is Christie (if he was smart) would have just scheduled an “official” visit to a nursing home or school before or after the game and then the whole thing never comes up on anyone’s radar

          • acat

            but do disagree with your premise that “all the residents of New Jersey are dumb enough to not run the numbers”…

            Strongly agree that his secretary should have scheduled this more .. strategically… Unless, of course, there wasn’t a way to get out of the capitol on that particular day. I’m not currently in New Jersey, so don’t know what issues would have been on Christie’s plate …

            Mew

  • BigRedConservative

    Proverbial elephant in the room. Literally, looking at his size.

    • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

      There is a photo of him toasting with white wine on Drudge. Friends don’t let friends vote for candidates who drink white wine.

      Or, it’s champagne, but not in a flute…

  • rcatheart

    I mean, it’s not like it’s a supremely easy job. Just the task of *getting there* is ridiculously expensive, stressful, and time-consuming. Once you’re there, you basically never get a day off, you have actual control over very little, but get blamed for everything, and the things you do have control over, you never get any credit for. It’s got to be killer on your marriage and kids. We could go on…

    Not every doctor wants to be Surgeon General, or even Chief of Staff of the local hospital. Not every lawyer wants to be AG. Not every teacher wants to be the Superintendent of Schools. Not every businessman wants to be his company’s CEO. Not every soldier wants to be a general.

    If the dude doesn’t want to run, for heaven’s sake, leave him alone.