Politico: Christie Was Romney’s First Pick for VP

News Max ^ | November 3, 2012 | Patrick Hobin

[COUNTrecount]

Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey was Mitt Romney’s initial pick for running mate but the GOP nominee suddenly changed his mind just days before an announcement was to be made, according to a new report by Politico.

Plans were even made to reveal the selection in late July, shortly before Romney headed off for his foreign tour which included the London Olympics, campaign insiders told the website.

But when Romney returned he had changed his mind and suddenly Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan was in and Christie was out, Politico reports.

Romney advisers loved the idea of Christie on the campaign trail as Romney’s running mate, delivering the Republican message in a way which would connect with working class male voters, especially in blue collar areas.

“Mitt liked him because he saw him as a street fighter,” a Romney official told Politico. “It’s the kind of political mentality that Romney doesn’t have, but admires."

The reasons for Romney's change-of-heart were not revealed but insiders say that while Christie would have been a campaign asset, there were fears about how he would act as vice president. "The explosiveness had some risk," one adviser said.

[Twinkie]

I absolutely love Paul Ryan. Christie’s going to have his hands full with New Jersey for a while; I’m thankful he didn’t choose Christie for a lot of reasons.

[Ms Mable]

After watching Christie jump onto Obama’s campaign bandwagon I say Romney made an excellent choice by picking Ryan over Judas...uh, oh, I mean Christie. After the 6th see how much cooperation O gives Christie. Christie was just a “cheap date/one night stand” for Obama’s campaign strategy.

[clee1]

Mitt HAD to pick a conservative or he wouldn’t have had a chance.

Christie is NO conservative!

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Christy has dropped a million points in my view.

I can understand a little ass kissing for his constits but this threatening to act because of the union sabotage of utility workers is crap.

I speak from some experience of an ice storm when electrical utilities were down for 6 days.

Don’t talk! Act, call out the national guard and jail the thugs without notice and let the lawyers sort it out. He should have done it on the first or second report.

Push came to shove he was a Fat Assed Pansy. Too late now!

[JediJones]

At the time there wouldn’t have been enough campaign donations coming in to cover the increased donut budget.

[McGruff]

I'll never vote for Christie. He's a bigger RINO than Romney. I'd write in Sarah Palin instead.

[VeniVidiVici]

Lenin was Obama’s first pick but Putin wouldn’t give him up.

[JediJones]

But it would have been cool to see a Chris Christie Girl music video with a plus-size bikini model.

[SamAdams76]

Not sure how true it is that Christie was Romney's first pick but if that was the case, this could have been the incident that did Christie in back in early July. Christie showed then and there that he is not presidential material.

[Breto]

Recall he was çoulters first choice for the n 1 spot, then the n2 spot. I recall a love affair with him here and some folk blasting others for calling him a fraud.. or do I recall wrong

[BunnySlippers]

I’m with you.

[who knows what evil?]

‘Insiders’...’sources’...the usual BS from our communist comrades at Politico...completely and utterly irrelevant at this stage of the game.

[gswilder]

Romney campaign has denied this report. Just politico trying to parlay a few more votes for Obama because of the Christi love fest.

[nkronos]

Coincidence this “story” comes out right after all the Obama-Christie photo-ops?

I think not.

[SueRae]

That conclusion I go with. I would have been DEEPLY concerned with Christie as a pick.. Romney picking Ryan as his first executive decision cemented it for me.

And Christie may have the taste of sour grapes in his mouth.

I like him...but as the governor of New Jersey, not the VP slot.

[Morris70]

Agree Ryan better pick plus don’t want
Christie to leave NJ until I do , then
I could care less what happens here:)

[LADY J]

"Recall he was çoulters first choice for the n 1 spot, then the n2 spot. I recall a love affair with him here and some folk blasting others for calling him a fraud.. or do I recall wrong"

You are right about Coulter. She was loud & clear about her love for Christie. She had already lost a lot of conservative support, for a number of reasons & I think it will give her a huge problem with any future book sales.

[Thickman]

Christy has been weighed. He has been measured. He has been found unworthy.

[genghis]

the number of stupid things ryan has said
zero
I was skeptical at first, but in hind sight, picking ryan was a stroke of genius.

[Tex-Con-Man]

A Christie/Biden debate would have been a YouTube goldmine.