Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision not to run for president
I have been less than impressed with the GOP candidates for president: I am having trouble getting past Rick Perry’s continual defense of the Texas DREAM Act, and his statement that if you do not agree with his decision you are heartless really bothers the hell out of me; Mitt has Romneycare and his history of flip-flopping; I like Ron Paul when it comes to financial issues and his strict interpretation of the constitution, but his foreign policy is isolationist and dangerous. I like both Rick Santorum and Herman Cain but they are not going to win the nomination. And John Huntsman is nothing but a plant to make the other candidates seem radical by comparison–at least in my opinion. Hell, during the debate last night Mitt Romney even stated that there were plenty of reasons to vote against him and the rest of the GOP field–if Romney feels this way, and states in on national television during a debate, what must the voters be thinking?
So I am open to other candidates entering the race in order to give us other options and now it is being reported that Chris Christie may be reconsidering his decision not to run for president. This is welcome news to me as I have not yet been able to connect with any of the candidates; this will give me one more option, and I will take a close look at him moving forward if he enters the race.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is reconsidering his decision not to enter the 2012 presidential race — and he says he will let top Republican donors know within days about his plans, Newsmax has learned.
During the past few weeks, several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular Republican governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary.
According to the story, the voters are not the only ones who are unhappy with this crop of candidates; many of the GOP’s top fundraisers are also unimpressed and they are pressuring Chris Christie to reconsider his decision. While I welcome this news on its face for the simple fact that it may stir up the current field of candidates, I still wonder how effective or committed he will be as a candidate having already professed a desire to sit this election out.
If his heart isn’t in it and he is simply bowing to the pressure of GOP donors I think that the voters will see through this and he will not gain traction. However if he is serious about running for president, is dedicated to running for president, and is doing this because he thinks it is the right thing to do for the country than I feel he would instantly jump to the top of the polls in the same manner in which Rick Perry did when he announced.
One thing is for sure; if Chris Christie does enter the presidential race it will shake up the GOP field and could prove to be quite interesting as we head into Iowa and New Hampshire early next year.
America's Watchtower 
It would be interesting if CC were to enter the contest. But like Perry, he is an unknown at first and thing may come out as his entire record is exposed. At this moment, I would be very supportive of the man, that could change as I learn more about the man. Little doubt he is a “in your face” no bullsh*t politician and that will be a breath of fresh air!
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Very true Ron! I was excited when Perry entered the race because I heard quite a bit about him but didn’t know much about him. I had hoped that I would be able to support him, but as I learn more about him it is hard for me to support him. The same could be true of Christie; he seems good on the surface but as we learn more about him we might find out that he isn’t what he seems to be. I hope he enters the race and gives us another option to look at.
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Well I guess we all have more homework to do. What little I’ve about Christie has been positive except he seems to have a blind spot for Muslims. This will definitely stir the pot. Now all we need is Palin to jump in and then we will really see some fireworks. This is good. I don’t trust Romney and Perry just doesn’t seem to have what it takes. Ready! Fire! Aim! Oops! 🙂
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I am in the same boat as you Jim; I also have more homework to do. Christie seems good on the surface, but I have heard the same Muslim issues as you have. At least this would give us someone else to look at.
I guess you didn’t get the memo on the violent rhetoric, did you? Only Democrats are allowed to use that type of vitriol. 🙂
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Christie was always my hopeful. When he decided to not run, I was very disappointed. I think his straight shooting style is exactly what people want, How else would he get elected in the blue state of NJ?
I had even said, if he doesnt get in now, he never will. I believe a republican will win in 2012. I dont see Christie either running or winning a primary against the Rep. incumbant in 2016, which leaves 2020 as the nearest possible run date. I just dont see him being able to hold out 10 years in order to make a real run. So if he was going to wait, Obama would have to win re-election in order for Christie to be successful in ’16.
The only thing the media will be able to cling to him on is his “read my lips, I’m not running”. Everything else is minor straw-grasping desperations.
I just hope the voters are not too divided by the time he gets in. In which case, Romney or Perry will win the nomination by a small margin in the three way race.
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I think there are quite a few people who felt the way that you did when he decided not to run, and I think that you are right on when you state it is now or never. I hope that is whay he is reconsidering and is not doing this because he is being pressured.
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I think it is not only a now or never time for Chris Christy, but for the Republican party. The same goes for Sarah Palin, people are getting tired of the will she or won’t she run approach. I believe this might be our last stand. If, just my opinion, Obama gets in we may have so many bills and executive orders put thru, that there will never BE another election. I hope I am wrong, but that is becoming my gut feeling. Does anyone else think that? Congress is becoming a non-entity and they don’t even know it, they just keep drawing their paycheck. Obama is making sure they are there for show, but is doing more and more on his own, in spite of them.
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I agree Lou, if Palin is going to run she should make an announcement. Actually she should make an announcement either way and stop leading us on. I want to know if the field is set.
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Chris Christie has convinced us he CAN win! He has the necessary guts. I hope he can find the stomach for it. He treasures his family and his life in New Jersey and that’s great, but if we continue down the path with Obama, we may not have a nation or a state. Obama has transformed the US. It’s a different landscape in 2011 than it was in 2008. That’s to Obama’s credit. He ran on change and he did it. Most Americans don’t want the change he brought, though. Please, Christie family. We understand the sacrifice you’d be making for Chris to run for Pres. What are our choices at this time? PLEASE think of our country. It needs you now!
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If Christie is doing this because he fears the direction the country is headed in and he is committed to winning than I am all for his candidacy. Perhaps he feels he can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch Obama bring this country down.
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I am not a political guru, by no stretch of the imagination, but it seems to me that it is a bit late for another entry into the campaign, especially for someone who has no national political organization. Were it Sarah Palin, who has those things already in place, then I wouldn’t be as skeptical. Keep in mind that the Iowa caucus is only about 4 months away. That wouldn’t give Christie a lot of time to undertake a campaign in the state.
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A very good point Larry. I wonder how long it would take him to ramp up his campaign, but I do think that he has name recognition and that would help to expedite the process. It is going to get interesting and I think that Palin may jump in as well before all is said and done.
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Dear Lord, I hope she doesn’t get in the race. That’s something I can do without.
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I am not a huge Palin fan either but she does drive the left mad and that is fun to watch.
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I guess I have become bored with hearing Sarah Palin talk. She stirs the pot and gets other talking, so that is a good thing, but I don’t think we are ready for her. I just can’t be settled on anyone at this point. The more I hear what they say, the more I am hoping there is someone with all the strong points I want. I know that is not a possibility, but say, 80% of my points would be good. Who ever we end up with for the nomination, we will just have to grin and bear it and pull the lever OR we will have this administration back in and that, is not a pleasant thought.
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Ageed 100% Lou, at this point it appears as if there is not perfect candidate and we will have to pick the least flawed. It is sad but true.
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LD, you are always the voice of reason in an unreasonable world. As usual you make a clear point and in that perfect world it would be taken. However, we are in uncharted waters with an electorate that is in flux and traditional norms are not in play. I’ve just gotten back into full swing after my loss and look forward to visiting yours and others sites again. I value your input!
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Thanks, Ron. For sure, this may be uncharted waters. Who knows how it will all turn out.
I am sorry to hear about your loss. I know from experience how rough losing your wife can be.
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I second what you said about Larry and I welcome you back. I hope you are doing well.
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Not sure that Christie is the answer. There is a great deal we don’t know about him. I know he has stood against the unions and is helping get NJ’s financial house in order. I get that. However where does he stand on immigration? What does he think about the second amendment? What kind of energy policy does he embrace? Does he support green energy or coal, natural gas, and drilling for oil? Before everyone throws their hat in the ring for Christie, check out the following link: http://www.ontheissues.org/Chris_Christie.htm We need a Marco Rubio type conservative, one who embraces solid conservative values. What we don’t need is the flavor of the month and right now Christie is that flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I do think he should throw his hat in the ring so we can learn more about the man. I just don’t think we should crown him king of the world just yet. That’s my two cents for what it’s worth.
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I agree John, he looks good now because we don’t know enough about him. Perry looked good until we learned about him as well. WIll Christie turn out to be another Perry? I don’t know but at least it will give us another candidate to look at.
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Chris Christie would certainly be a nice big breath of fresh air. I think you might be surprised just how much name recognition he has. If this is only a rumor, then I think I will be supporting Herman Cain. He is no further behind than John McCain was 4 years ago. All I know for certain is that if the general election comes down to NObama and Ron Paul, I will be voting for myself!
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I do think that Christie has some name recognition and would instantly be put in the upper tier of Republican candidates. I really like Herman Cain as well.
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I believe you’re going to find that Christie is not perfect either. I’ve heard that his immigration stance has been somewhat left leaning. I know he’s a lawyer.
The problem that we are all having is basically a messiah complex. We perceive that things are so bad that only the perfect candidate will save us. We’ve even forgotten that Reagan was not perfect before or after being President, but he got us back to where we all wanted to be.
The fact is that like it or not Perry has the proven record for what we need now. Sure, he’s shown us that he’s not the messianic figure we had hoped for, but his Federalism is proven. He supports Arizona’s SB1070, and Texas has spent 100s of millions of dollars on border enforcement. We may not like in state tuition for kids of illegals, but the Texas legislature voted overwhelmingly (only 4 dissenters) to pass the law. Texans clearly wanted it, and their unemployment rate compared to the rest of the country tells the tale. It comes down to whether we want somebody that has shown they know what they are doing or somebody that says they know what they are doing.
Reagan had the rare talent of communication and action. He may well be a once in a lifetime anomaly. Perry, like Bush, may not be a great communicator but his actions clearly show two things. Perry is against federal excess and he is pro business. Aren’t those the 2 things that we are all really looking for right now?
The last thing to remember is that he is a 3 term governor in the second largest state in the union with around 25 million people. Nobody else compares.
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? Perry is OPPOSED to SB 1070, and Texans didn’t want the DREAM Act, the legislature did. BIG difference. If Perry was as you described he would sound all right. He’s just the opposite though.
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Sorry, my mistake on SB1070. It was the lawsuit against Obamacare I mixed up on. Well, that’s a big F for me, but I find it hard to believe that Texans didn’t want the DREAM Act if all but 4 voted for it. Are you telling me that Texan’s as a people are completely ineffectual with their representatives? If that’s true wouldn’t the next election cycle cause their demise? I know that’s what would happen here in AZ and has already happened at the federal level.
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Christie allegedly refused to answer the NRA-PVF candidate questionnaire concerning the 2nd amendment. He received a (?). This raises a flag for me but needs more research.
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That is certainly a concern with me as well.
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Same here, we lose our gun rights, we are at the mercy of the government. It has happened before and we have seen the outcome in those countries, do we accept it here? I think the big jump in CC probably answers that question. People are scared, this jump tells a story.
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I don’t think we will accept it here, at least voluntarily–it may be thrust upon us but we mustn’t let this happen.
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Well, anybody can check out Christie’s bow to Islam in New Jersey, his stated belief in global warming, and his stance that illegal immigration “is a federal issue.” Hmmm, Eric Holder has the exact same position. Mr. “Path to citizenship.” He also was the lone Republican invited to the White House to party with China’s Hu jin Tao. What was that about? We have enough candidates with baggage already. Why add this guy?
Also, he did have to go the hospital a few months ago with heart issues. He’s not a healthy man. You have to consider that in a candidate. I wan’t to be reasonably sure my president will be here tomorrow. You won’t get that with Christie.
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Yeah, it seems as if Christie has as many faults as both Romney and Perry and I guess we are just going to be left with more of the same.
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With the health issues being brought up, I think we should be worried who will be the VP, as well. The other issues with Chris Christy are pretty big in my book, too. As for the immigration being a “federal issue”, well, maybe so IF they took care of it, but they have not. What are the states supposed to do, just say “oh, ok” and not worry about it? RJ, you have valid points to consider. This is good we have a sounding board here, because sometimes I have not considered certain things until I see what others have said. Always good to get other opinions. As I have said before, there is alot of thought put into what all of you are saying and we need to hear it. Thanks again, Steve, this group IS pretty awesome.
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When it comes to foreign policy, Perry comes across as someone who couldn’t point out another country besides Mexico on a map. Very unimpressive debate performance.
As for Christie… not sold on him. The GOP crowd is looking increasingly like a bunch of sad sack.s
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Harrison, I think what we are looking for is someone with “fire”, all we have so far is a “spark”, keep your hopes up. Someone needs to show up soon or we know the outcome of this next election. We need someone that will not split the conservative vote, or all will be lost.
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Perry’s knowledge of Mexico may not be so useless in the future given there is essentially a civil war going on that could very well spill over into the US more than it already has. As for the rest of the world Bush wasn’t up to speed either until he took office, and Clinton couldn’t have cared less. Obama certainly still has no idea.
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Well now that the speech is over, which I thought was pretty stinkin’ good, I heard him say no. Although the media including Foxnews chose to play the answer that didn’t sound definitive, I heard him say no;(
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Deb, I think he is back to a “maybe” after alot of people talked to him about running after he gave the speech. Guess we just sit back and wait for him to make up his mind?
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I heard parts of the speech and it sounded good, but there are issues with Christie as well; he supported cap and trade at one time, seems to be soft on illegal immigration, and has an iffy track record on Mulim extremists. I am not sure he is the answer, but because he is fairly unknown he may seem more attractive than he really is.
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