Christie got a lot of cred from GOP state parties and other Republican governors for his work as head of the Republican Governors Association. He excelled at fund-raising.
Rumors are that he refused to cooperate with background checks to be Romney’s VP, and the Trump team also backed away from him after closer inquiries into his background. (Can any NJ FReepers share scuttlebutt from there?)
It may not be that he’s a ‘snake’, but there is something about Christie that a lot of high-profile people don’t want associated with them.
That’s all news to me. I think he’s been pushed aside simply because of his close ties to the GWB regime.