Chris Christie's Sly, Futile Move (Christie is done as a presidential prospect)

The American Prospect ^ | October 31, 2012 | Robert Kuttner

[Zhang Fei]

Once again, Barack Obama has proven to be the luckiest politician alive.

Just when the race was tightening to a dead heat in the election’s closing days, one spectacular betrayal and one rank miscalculation on the Republican side have turned the contest back in Obama’s favor.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who will tour his storm-ravaged state today with President Obama, was all over the networks Tuesday telling what a wonderful leader his president was.

“I spoke to the president three times yesterday,” Christie boasted, calling Obama “outstanding.” When Fox co-host Steve Doocy meekly asked Christie if he planned any events with Romney, Christie snarkily replied, “I have no idea nor am I the least bit concerned or interested.”

Christie’s caper, of course, is so opportunist that it almost makes Mitt Romney look principled—almost. What a swell party of back-stabbers is our GOP.

For Christie, who is up for re-election next year in a blue state, this caper accomplishes three things: It portrays him as a bipartisan; provides extensive publicity in service of his image as a good leader in a crisis; and hoses away Mitt Romney, the better to position Christie for a presidential run in 2016.

Of course, if Christie thinks he has a snowball’s chance of being the Republican nominee, he is delusional. Republicans will never forgive Christie for this act of high treason. Assuming Romney loses, the 2016 nomination belongs to Paul Ryan, probably by acclamation. Christie has a better shot at being appointed by Obama to head FEMA.

[House Atreides]

“being the Republican nominee, he is delusional.”

True. But, he could switch parties and win handily I bet.

He seems more like a Truman Democrat anyway.
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Nah, I don’t believe Christie will do well if he switches political parties. Chris Christie as a New Jersey Democrat (or designated official Friend of Democrats) will be akin to what Charlie Christie is as a Florida official “Friend of Democrats”—basically some tool the Rats will trot out when they want to show they’re “bi-partisan” or when they need him to perform a BJ on a given Rat. Not a very pleasant self-respecting future Christie has built for himself