The Hollywood site TMZ had a Chris Christie video on Saturday showing the New Jersey governor angrily dismissing a heckler he met after buying an ice cream.

Can you honestly imagine any other GOP VP candidate attracting the attention of ultra hip TMZ? Governor?

Romney needs him. A well-placed media friend tells me me that Mitt Romney on the cover of a national magazine dooms sales for that week. “They can fall as much as 20 percent “ she said.

It is not that people hate him or anything, it is just that boy scout, preppy Mormon stuff means it is all pretty boring.

Which is why he needs New Jersey governor Chris Christie on the ticket.

Sure Christie is a loudmouth, accused of being a boor even by his opponents but he is a riveting and interesting political figure.

Can you say that about anyone on Romney’s shortlist for VP right now? Rob Portman, vanilla Ohio senator, Tim Pawlenty -- Midwestern grayness personified  Kelly Ayotte (Who?), New Hamshire freshman senator, so nice she’s nauseating, Congressman Paul Ryan, with the cookie cutter GOP agenda?

Christie would roil the race, add some much needed opera to the Romney campaign and get his face in the headlines day after day.

Last week he told a reporter to shut up, he is famous for expletive deleting while telling people to get off a New Jersey beach when a hurricane threatened.

In other words, he’s fun, vigorous, worth watching.

All the things that make him a great media performer. He is ying to Romeny’s  yang which is why experts say Romney insiders don’t like him.

Sure he’s roly poly about 350 pounds big, fat and sometimes out of control.

But he is competent and he’s different and he energizes.

I’m amazed the Romney people dying for a dash of charisma do not see that.