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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > People and Politics > Why Mitt Romney needs to pick Chris Christie as running mate - GOP campaign needs the excitement and media pizazz of Christie

People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Why Mitt Romney needs to pick Chris Christie as running mate - GOP campaign needs the excitement and media pizazz of Christie

Posted on Sunday, July 08, 2012 at 09:08 AM

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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.

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seanomelb | Jul 08, 2012, 05:52 PM EDT

Christie would be the second best asset for the DEMS after Romney.Bring him on.

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susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 05:41 PM EDT

EphraimKibbey - Christie is not popular with the New Jersey voters. Over half of New Jersey-ites said they would not back Christie for a second term (Bloomberg Poll). Besides with his mental and physical instability, I guarantee you he will not run for a higher public office because he has a lot of skeletons in his closet(s).

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MegK311 | Jul 08, 2012, 04:11 PM EDT

JudiRon, I agree that Condoleezza Rice would be a wonderful VP, she is a very smart lady. However she has said many times that she does not want to run for elected office. We could hope that she would be part of the next administration.

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michaelidaho | Jul 08, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT

If you are not going to add geographical balance to the ticket, then you better have a solid, vice-presidential candidate. Christie does not fit the bill at all in this regard. Besides, he has already stated that he has no interest in being VP.

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BrianO | Jul 08, 2012, 02:44 PM EDT

Nice insults alisaan, closed minded interesting perspective, could you help me to understand the meaning of the separation of church and state, thank you.

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alisaann | Jul 08, 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

for starters: we don't need romney in the white house....and 2nd: we DON'T NEED 2 CLOSED-MINDED BIGOTS IN THE WHITE HOUSE....RELIGION HAS NO PLACE IN POLITICS...and that's how they would run the country....NO THANKS....these 2 don't understand the meaning of SEPARATION of CHURCH & STATE.....or EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERYONE. ALISA

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trconnors | Jul 08, 2012, 02:29 PM EDT

his place on the ticket would be great for libs. this wanna be tough cow and his physical appearance would assure of a 2nd term for obama

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EphraimKibbey | Jul 08, 2012, 02:22 PM EDT

Christie is another of the GOP politicians that seem interesting in first impressions but grow more and more weird as we learn more about them. If a VP can't even swing his/her own state then they are not likely to help Romney much nationally. A recent poll of Ohio voters showed that putting Portman (W's BUDGET guy) on the Romney ticket actually cost Romney a percentage point. He, like most 2010 republicans, ran promising jobs and haven't done much since but vote to re-re-reban already banned federal tax dollars from funding abortions. It does not sound like Christie is much liked in New Jersey but I have not seen a poll on how he would effect the presidential race in that state. This may be because he was so emphatic about NOT being ready for national office earlier in the race. I think it is always a good idea to accept a person's answer of NO and move on to better choices.

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BarbaraB | Jul 08, 2012, 01:58 PM EDT

Chris Christie is a boorish man with an inflated sense of his own importance. The Republicans are welcome to him.

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BrianO | Jul 08, 2012, 12:16 PM EDT

Eshetic, Repubulican I doubt it, at least not conservative to call Sarah Palin clueless. Demean, dismiss, insult, those are the methods of the left.

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markday | Jul 08, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

Oh sure, a man with the emotional intelligence of a 12-year-old, a heart beat away from becoming president. Go for it! It will probably cripple Romney's chances. And that's a good idea.

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Eschetic | Jul 08, 2012, 12:02 PM EDT

Oh Please! While those of us who have suffered through Chris Christie's "governorship" in New Jersey (even life long Republicans like me) will be delighted to get him out of his current office where he has been the most effective "ANTI-Education" politician in the state's history, the next election will do that well enough. The whole reason Romney is getting the nomination (after effectively selling his soul to the extremist Right Wing - who still don't believe how easily they bought him) is that he will hurt the UNDER-Ticket the least as he campaigns against the most effective Moderate President since Eisenhower. The LAST thing Romney needs is an out of control bloated political bully on the ticket with him, no matter how much fun the media would have with the resulting stories and embarrassments. Christie would make the clueless Sarah Palin, who removed any chances McCain had, look like a Rhodes Scholar by comparison.

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susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT

wjb1tex- yea, Christie might "overshadow" Romney!

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susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 11:32 AM EDT

judiron - Anyone who worked for "W" Bush cannot be smart - we all know that. Have you not noticed that no Republican want his endorsement? Nor do they want anyone who has been affiliated with his administration. Your opinion that "Condi" is smarter than Obama and Hillary lost total credibility when you couldn't even spell Condoleezza!

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rugbyplayer | Jul 08, 2012, 11:30 AM EDT

Christie is more pizza than pizazz.

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