I’ve said this once, and I’m sure that for at least the next six to eight months I will have to say it a million times over: Governor Christie will not be running for President in 2012. However, I am having a harder and harder time blaming the media every the they attempt to make a story out of the nonexistent possibility. Why? Because our Governor continues to fuel the fire!
Governor Christie spent some time in Iowa this week, a state very familiar to the nine (or ten, or twelve) Republican candidates seeking the parties nomination for 2012. Today upon his return he
stated that the trip out to Iowa was a perfect chance, given the intense media coverage there right now, to highlight the importance of his education reform agenda for a national audience. Well thats nice and all, but clearly no one else is coming away from that short trip with a new found passion for tenure reform. It became all about the spectacle, the game of “is he in?” Especially after the recent meetings that have been going on with big time Republican fundraisers.
Normally I wouldn’t care, the publicity would be good for New Jersey, and good for Christie. However, I think the exposure has hit a level of diminishing returns for the Governor and may even be damaging to the Republican Party leading into this presidential cycle. Every time Governor Christie inserts himself into the headlines where an actual 2012 contender should be, he dilutes the field. Every time the media speculates and some talking head like Ann Coulter begs him to run on national television, it makes the current crop of GOP candidates seem more and more weak next to the big guy. And while I will be the first one to admit that Governor Christie would likely win a Republican primary and could go on to beat President Obama, he is not running, and the excitement around him would be better spent somewhere else, if he would let it.
Governor Christie’s non-campaign is also holding up a ton of cash. President Obama is raking in the dough, maybe not in the amount that he would like to see at this point, but he may still hit that $1 billion mark before this thing is through. Our candidates, in contrast, have raised a bit less than $40 million. Yes, all of them combined. This is mostly because they are being met with uneasy Republican fundraisers who normally would be in the game by now. Why? Because some of them want to be sure that Christie is really sitting the bench this year (hint: he is!).
Christie is going to be a king-maker in this primary fight. His endorsement will eventually decide where all of that establishment GOP cash flows. I think that is what he has wanted to be all along, and thats why he became so visible and continues trying to stay in the national public eye. But honestly Governor, you’re a rock star, everyone knows you, and your approval rating across the country is likely higher than it is in Burlington County. If you stopped going to key primary states and stopped doing national interviews right now, it would not hurt your image. Make headlines for the things you do in New Jersey, like passing historic pension reform and pushing for accountability in the school system. Those achievements and headlines will make for a great dossier when you do actually decide to run. For now, let the people actually campaigning run the show. They have to fight through the liberal media just to get positive headlines as it is, they don’t need a non-candidate stealing their lightly clapping thunder.
The bottom line is that no matter what the intention, this national non-campaign is currently doing more harm than good for the GOP. We don’t need a Palinesque governor in New Jersey who travels around to build herself because she couldn’t do so with a record in Alaska. What we need is that same leadership and reform agenda that has been getting so much accomplished, even with an uberpolitical, machine-run, democrat legislature to fight it every step of the way. For now, Governor, its time to let the real candidates have a turn. It’s time to stay home.
