Chris Christie Presidential Speculation Ends Just As Quickly As It Spiked

[Hoosier Daddy]

Jason Linkins writes:

It seemed that all of America was set to endure one more week, at least, of the "Chris Christie Boomlet," as he was being urged by GOP elites to forgo his promise of suicide and jump into the 2012 race in order to save it. But Fox News is reporting today that Christie will not be making a run, just as he has said all along. Hope springs eternal, of course, but for the time being, it looks like the field for the GOP nomination remains set.

What drove this meme? Well, it's nothing that Chris Christie did. The Christie Boomlet existed because the Rick Perry Boomlet has faded, thanks to a bunch of debate performances in which Perry was seen to tire under the spotlights. After a third performance in which he was ineffective in his attacks on Mitt Romney and bloodied up by the second tier of candidates, Bill Kristol very quickly swapped out his "Paul Ryan 2012" button for one that read "Chris Christie 2012" and put all of his angst into a piece in the Weekly Standard titled "Yikes."

"Watching this week as Mitch Daniels intelligently promoted his book and Paul Ryan cogently explained why crony capitalism is inconsistent with the rule of law, we of course lamented that neither of them had stepped up to the challenge. Jeb Bush apparently isn’t getting in. That would seem to leave Chris Christie.

He is, in every sense, a big man for a big job."

Kristol anchored the Christie-booster chatter at a particularly ripe moment, as the New Jersey Governor is scheduled to give some sort of major speech at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, Calif., today. Steve Kornacki made the requisite comparisons to Mario Cuomo's historic teases over at Capitol New York, former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean insisted that Christie was having deep thoughts about jumping in, and corporate donors were lining up behind a possible bid.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/chris-christie-presidenti_n_983358.html

Well, anytime Bill Kristol is pushing something, we know that either it's just not gonna happen, as in his recent lusting for a Paul Ryan candidacy, or it will end in disaster. (Just ask John McCain.)

But if Christie had decided to run, he'd have immediately gotten into trouble with the Republican base over his views on immigration, ala Rick Perry. The Governor has also endorsed New Jersey's gun laws, which include (gasp!) an assault weapons ban, and---perhaps most heretical of all---he refused to join the GOP's clusterfuck condemnation of the misnomered "Ground Zero" mosque. Christie also appointed Sohail Mohammed, a Muslim, to a judgeship, and vigorously defended him against the Islamophobes. Speaking of which, he is on record characterizing the wingnuts' hysterical fearmongering about Sharia Law taking over the country as "crap."

Bottom line: Had Gov. Christie entered the presidential race of the Tea-soaked 2012 Republican Party, he would have quickly found himself in the same position as Perry, albeit minus the sputtering.

[notadmblnd]

1. Who is Bill Kristol that he get to choose the candidates?

He did the same with Palin. One would think that the repukes would realize he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the Alaskan tundra and that people should stop listening to him.

[David Sky]

3. NO! Bill is the REAL male ( he has a penis) version of

Ann Coulter..............

Both are:

People who make money writing stuff for very stupid people with an extra $30 a year to spend to read their (Santorum) shit!

[jtrockville]

2. Has Kristol ever been right about anything?

[yellowcanine]

4. Answer is in the article....

Well, anytime Bill Kristol is pushing something, we know that either it's just not gonna happen, as in his recent lusting for a Paul Ryan candidacy, or it will end in disaster. (Just ask John McCain.)

Billy Boy Kristol takes wishful thinking punditry to a new level.

[Hoosier Daddy]

6. Thank you, yc!

What you quoted actually wasn't in the article, it was in my commentary afterward. Hey, it's great to be mistaken for a pro!

:yourock:

[FrenchieCat]

5. All I know about Bill Kristol is that he has been wrong many times

about just about everything. In fact, that's his reputation.
Don't know why anyone even mentions that creep anymore; and he is creepy.....

[Marnie]

7. Once the Republicas have blinded us with a blizzard

of half baked goods,they will magically turn up with Jeb Bush,and everybody will swoon into his arms.

And frankly I don't think Obama could beat Jeb, especially since he is so experienced at cheating elections.