I have just one question for people calling for Chris Christie to jump into the 2012 race:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

WHY????????? :shrug:

He's two years into his first term as Governor of New Jersey where he is not exactly popular (to the extent that he ever was) and, despite his less attractive personal qualities (that seem to be a "turn on" for right-wing bullies), he is not a rabid right-wing ideologue (i.e. he thinks the whole "Sharia Law" thing spouted by the GOP base is a bunch of BS- and rightly so). Although the fact that he is a blustering bully towards unions, progressives, etc. would be likely to appeal to the GOP base (that's apparently crazy about this sort of behavior :eyes:), it would likely turn off many moderates and independents in a general election. Aside from these things, what exactly is so special about him that would make him the GOP's "savior" against President Obama? President Obama would likely run circles around him in a debate IMHO and his campaign probably wouldn't even get off the ground in the first place. What gives????? Why do some GOPers think he is "it"?

[tridim]

1. And where the hell is Bobby Jindal?

The GOP golden boy from two years ago.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. Yeah

He gave the Republican "response" to one of President Obama's speeches and I'm not sure if I've heard any more talk about him running for POTUS since then. :shrug: :rofl:

[monmouth]

7. I was just going to post that...LOL. That "response" doomed him...n/t

[Blue_Tires]

4. That was before the teabagger takeover was complete

and we all know how they feel about dark faces and 'exotic' names...

[Rambis]

3. They need somebody to make a big splash

no one really thinks any of the lunatics in the race now have a chance in hell:crazy:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Well he would make a pretty big "splash"!

;-)

[FSogol]

5. The GOP realizes that they are stuck with a bunch of turkeys. So, they are grasping at straws

trying to clutch any populist who has views close to enough to pass the crazy test.
The question should be: Who can they promote after Christie?

[Sinistrous]

9. Turkeys + Straw? Hey! Maybe they could use this as their campaign anthem!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnZxfkkoKQ&feature=related

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. So, why are we that worried about who they pick?

Granted the economy is still a problem and they are undoubtedly busy trying to rig the electoral process as hard as they can but, at the end of the day, I don't think that they'll find somebody who can actually beat President Obama on the issues (or merits). :shrug:

[FSogol]

11. Personally not worried at all. The media is hyping the race since their "horse race" meme last

election got them high ratings. They want to recreate the same Hilliary vs Obama conditions as last time using a fight between the GOP and Tea-nuts.

[Chipper Chat]

6. The mania over Christie should fade in about 7 days.

And just wait, the new GOPPER to receive smooching love & kissing overtures will be.....Paul Ryan. And he might accept! Goodbye Prick Perry and the Mitten.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. They've already attempted to recruit Ryan......and he declined

Maybe they will try again, who knows? :shrug: Some conservatives seem to have sort of a "mancrush" on him and his "serious" budget. :eyes: :puke:

[Chipper Chat]

14. If Ryan wont, how long until the bottom of the barrel reveals..........

................jeb

[stockholmer]

20. Unless Jeb dives in at the end, I see a Romney/Rubio ticket in 2012

Deep down, the establishment types of BOTH parties (and their banking overlords) are quite happy with the corporatist, war-mongering Obama agenda. Another wild card could be a massive false-flag terror attack, and David Petraeus trotted out as the military saviour (either as VP or Jeb as VP). Jeb Bush has real quandary, as he cannot run on the same ticket with Rubio (both are Floridians), he knows that the next 4 years are going to be devastating no matter who is in charge, yet a Rubio VP run (and loss) with Romney also sets up Rubio as the 2016 front-runner.

Several points:

1. This coming 4 years (January 2013 to January 2017) is going to be hellish, no matter who is the president. You will not recognize the global monetary system that will be in place by then from the one that is place now. The US economy will be in tatters on a multi-variate number of matrices. Inflation, followed by deflation will cause massive civil unrest.

2. Let's say Rick Perry or Sarah Palin is the nominee (both HIGHLY unlikely at this point). They will force Obama even further to the right, and really cement Obama into his role he is playing quite well now as a corporatist puppet. Perry is by far the most extreme of all the front-runners, so it is kind of like tossing down a huge bet early on in the game. If you win, you go for the kill right then, if not, he just bide your time, as you know more chips are on the way. If Romney is the nominee, perhaps Jeb could be talked in VP (he will never be a VP with Perry), but I am thinking that once again, the Republicans will go for a hard core right winger like Rubio, Pence, Portman, DeMint etc, to balance off Romney's perceived centrist tendencies.

3. The Republican elite (and the Democratic elite centrists) are quite happy with Obama's continuity of agenda so far. He has expanded the war machine, laid off any meaningful prosecution of the banks, turned over (via mandate) a huge chunk of the nation's GDP (health care) to the private, for-profit overlords, and continues to erode civil liberties.

4. The Republican power brokers know that by the 2016 election, after 8 years of Obama (if he is re-elected in 2012) either Rubio or Jeb and Bush Co can waltz in and deliver the coup d' grace to the nation with an iron glove. With Perry or Palin or Petraeus in 2012, then the iron glove comes sooner. Again, the Petraeus scenario is the truly scary one, as he cannot win the POTUS with bad bad things happening in 2012.

5. A Romney win will mean a flipped-image version of Obama's 4 years, with Romney playing the full corporatist stooge role, attacked by many in the TeaBaggery Nation. A Romney win is also the best shot for a Democratic win in 2016, as Romney will be a hated incumbent. I see the systemic controllers as more than happy to let Obama keep the role he's currently playing.

[ancianita]

12. The Elites Who Script Him Cast Him As ...

...the Republicans' Cheney to Romney's Bush. With the Teapublican machinery being so solid, they don't need anyone but two men who look 'good cop/bad cop' tough for corps-- I mean, the people. Image trumps message, to the ignorant.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. Romney isn't "Bushlike"

and Christie doesn't seem "Cheney-like". Romney doesn't seem "in touch" with really unemployed "middle class" Americans and Christie is just full of bile and bluster. Neither of them have any kind of blueprint to fix anything. :shrug:

[Pisces]

15. He has a strong demanding personality that screams "I'm the boss" people like that especially

Republicans. He doesn't apologize and people want someone to kick ass and take names. Even on this board I have seen many demand Obama get mad, fight, yell etc. Christie satisfies this id need
in our American narrative of what a leader sounds like. He, unfortunately doesn't look the part.

[golfguru]

17. Bingo! n/m

[totodeinhere]

18. Where do you get that "he is not exactly popular?"

Gov. Chris Christie's approval rating has increased dramatically since he signed the pension and health benefit overhaul for public workers and publicly led the state through Hurricane Irene.

A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released this morning shows 54 percent of New Jersey voters approve of Christie's performance, while 36 percent disapprove. That's up from a 44 percent even split in May.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/gov_chris_christies_approval_i.html

That's a pretty high approval rating. Yes, that's just one poll. But at the very least there might be a basis for questioning your statement that he is not exactly popular.

And as far as he's two years into his first term as Governor of New Jersey goes, at an equivalent point in the 2008 campaign Barack Obama was just two years into his first term as US Senator. But that didn't stop him from getting elected.

So I don't think much of your analysis. Sorry.

BTW, I'm afraid of a Christie candidacy. He might very well have the best shot at defeating President Obama. And that's why so many repukes are urging him to run.

- edited for typo

[Proud Liberal Dem]

19. Fair enough rebuttal

I guess we'll just have to see if he gets into the race and if he does, what kind of "splash" he makes. Maybe he will be wildly popular beyond the Republicans' wildest dreams! :shrug: