While there is no timetable for him to make up his mind, the realities of the political calendar dictate that Christie must do so in short order.
In Iowa and New Hampshire, home to the first-in-the-nation caucuses and primary, Republican strategists say there is no sign that Christie or his political advisers are laying the groundwork for a run. For instance, Christie has not reached out to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R), a call that prospective candidates normally would make, according to a Branstad aide.
“I haven’t seen the due diligence done,” said Rich Killion, who was Tim Pawlenty’s New Hampshire strategist but has been unaligned since Pawlenty dropped out.
Michael Dennehy, another uncommitted New Hampshire-based strategist said: “It’s quiet and a little weird. If he’s really seriously considering it, when does he start putting calls into New Hampshire?”
But there are other signals that Christie is giving serious consideration to a run. One Iowa businessman, who sought unsuccessfully to draft Christie into the race earlier this year, said he was preparing this week to endorse another candidate, but Christie’s political advisers asked him not to.
“Something’s up now,” said the Iowan, who requested anonymity to discuss private matters. “I was ready to jump, but was told to hold off until next Wednesday.”
While Christie repeatedly had asserted that he had no interest in running for president, sources familiar with his thinking said Friday that he was moved to reconsider by the extraordinary number of pleas this week from prominent GOP donors, leaders and activists for him to make a late entry.
Christie may think twice about moving forward, however. GOP latecomers have jumped in to see a big initial splash, only to tread water.
Michele Bachmann leapfrogged ahead of Mitt Romney only to be pushed back when Texas Gov. Rick Perry joined the field in August after months of insisting he had no interest. But after two shaky performances at debates, Perry now, too, seems vulnerable to getting picked off.
Unlike Perry, Christie is most at home behind a podium and seems to relish debate -- most often with the press corps.
New Jersey's pugnacious governor has been asked about his presidential aspirations practically since taking the oath of office in January 2010. But until this week, he has swatted down the idea repeatedly, consistently and colorfully.
He said he wouldn't run because he wasn't ready, because his wife wouldn't let him and because "I'm not crazy, that's why." A more famous reply came about a year ago when he said that "short of suicide" he wasn't sure what he could say to convince people that he's not running.
But after a whirlwind week campaigning and fundraising in Missouri, Louisiana and California, which included a speech on Tuesday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in which the characteristically blunt Christie repeatedly criticized Obama, he started to dial back his denials -- he stopped saying he wasn't ready to be president and started referring reporters to previous statements.
When asked about running, Christie urged a capacity audience gathered at the Reagan Library to look at the website Politico, which had pieced together a long string of video clips of him saying he's not a candidate for the White House.
"Those are the answers," he told the crowd.
Christie later said he was flattered by suggestions that he should run in 2012 but said the decision "has to reside inside me."
"And so, my answer to you is just this: I thank you for what you are saying, and I take it in and I'm listening to every word of it and feeling it to," he added.
Later in the week, he dialed up his criticism of the president.
"If you're looking for leadership in America, you're not going to find it in the Oval Office," Christie said at a rally in Louisiana before a fundraiser.
Before the speech at the Reagan library, Christie's brother, Todd, told The Star-Ledger of Newark that there was no change in Christie's decision to run.
"I'm sure that he's not going to run," Todd Christie said. "If he's lying to me, I'll be as stunned as I've ever been in my life."
But after the speech, Christie's inner circle clamped down and Christie didn't make any other public comments about it.
A short primary season could make it tough to organize a campaign in time, but Christie has been making inroads with big money donors and media moguls.
He was the keynote speaker this summer for a retreat held by the billionaire oil tycoon brothers David and Charles Koch. This week he held a fundraiser at the California home of Meg Whitman, the new CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., who lost last year to Democrat Jerry Brown in the governor's race. Last summer, Christie met with the head of Fox News, Roger Ailes at Ailes' home.
A large part of Christie's hesitation to run has been his family. He has four children, ages 18 to 8. At a Sept. 22 event with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who was also courted but said no to a 2012 bid, Christie said it just wasn't the right time for him.
"It got to be something that you and your family really believes is not only the right thing to do, but I think what you must do at that time in your life both for you and for your country," Christie, 49, said. "And for me, the answer to that is that it isn't."
But he and his wife have been reassured recently that White House life isn't that bad. Months ago, former first lady Barbara Bush made a call to Christie's wife, Mary Pat, to encourage her to think about a presidential campaign, and Nancy Reagan also encouraged Christie when they sat together at the library.
The weeklong trip was a clear success for him, advisers said. It was also long planned. Nancy Reagan sent out an invitation for him to speak at the library this winter, and Christie made a similar fundraising trip last year around election season.
Christie's longtime friend, former law partner and adviser Bill Palatucci traveled to California with the governor and said there was no doubt it was inspiring.
No comments:
Post a Comment