Perhaps I don't qualify as sane under your standards, but Christie has so many major faults, primarily the fact that he is another big government liberal in the mold of Romney, that the GOP will lose if they nominate him. "I'm not as bad as the other guy" didn't work with McCain in 2008 or with Romney in 2012, and it will not work in 2016. Ronald Reagan was not by my standards perfect; he just came close enough. Christie? Nowhere close.
Reagan is said to have stated, "The person who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and an ally -- not a 20 percent traitor." Christie scores about 51%, at best, and not always on the critical issues, while Bill Clinton scored a 40% and Barack Obama scores a 0%. Perhaps that makes Christie a friend and an ally, but it does not make him an acceptable leader, at least not for the Republican party.
I mentioned a few issues that he vetoed. These are important issues with widespread, long term destructive multiplier effects that Jon Corzine would have gleefully signed into law.
Christie will be running for Governor of NJ and my family and I will be doing our best in terms of money, time and effort to make certain he’s reelected. I would much prefer RR’s 80 percenter as the next Republican candidate but this November I would have gladly taken a Christie or Romney at around 51% than a reelected Zero at 0%, If we’re still around and able to in four years, perhaps we can have a further discussion to see how well that worked out.
Given current realities and to the extent possible, have a Happy and Healthy New Year