Free Republic

By winning Tuesday night in a landslide election for his second term as governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie moved so far to the left, it may be difficult for him to win the Republican nomination for president come 2016. The GOP governor won in one of the bluest states, where President Barack Obama beat Republican Mitt Romney by 18 points in 2012. To win, Christie had to morph close to not only blue-state values and views, but become close to Obama himself — and he did just that.

Gov. Chris Christie said today that former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney called him immediately after details of a new book about last year's vice presidential vetting process became public Thursday. -snip- The book also found Christie was on the short-list to be Romney's vice presidential running mate, but that during vetting the former Massachusetts governor's people were "stunned by the garish controversies” lurking in the shadows of his record, which was "littered with potential land mines." Those obstacles included his decision to steer hefty contracts to donors and political allies, a Justice Department report ripping his spending on travel...

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Tuesday expressed deep disappointment that details of his vice presidential vetting were leaked to the authors of a new book about the 2012 election. "It's very disappointing," Christie told CNN. "I think it's a complete violation of trust of me and the spirit within which I entered that process." -snip- According to the book, "Double Down: Game Change 2012," by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Romney advisers had major reservations about Christie's weight and physical health, along with concerns about Christie having been investigated by the Justice Department for exceeding travel reimbursement rates...