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.
37 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Maggie47 | Jul 14, 2012, 04:27 PM EDT
you forgot Marc Rubio and Condi Rice.
KathleenBerrio | Jul 14, 2012, 03:30 PM EDT
Patrick Roberts it is New HAMPSHIRE, not Hamshire. Your 'article' about Kerry Kennedy had misspellings too.
WoundedKnee | Jul 11, 2012, 12:56 PM EDT
Yes, Christie would add a lot of weight to the ticket.
conorsmom | Jul 10, 2012, 10:45 PM EDT
Ok, the only good thing about Christie becoming VP is that we would get him the hell out of Jersey. He is one of those people that everyone OUTSIDE of the state seems to think is so wonderful. He is an loudmouth and a bully, and loves to tell half truths... Perfect for the Republican party!
seanomelb | Jul 09, 2012, 07:44 PM EDT
Briano I have always had an interest in U.S. politics.My father was always stating what a great country it was,probably because he lived there during the depression also my Great grandfather and uncle fought for the union and to put a sad note my mother died in New York whilst on a visit and been Irish I had six aunts who lived and died in the U.S.A. and I suppose my hobby is reading history and world affairs and a news tragic.
Scrivner | Jul 09, 2012, 01:18 PM EDT
On the other hand, Obama won with a bumbling, blowhard for a runningmate. But that choice was to discourage certain types of assassins--a Biden presidency would have been even more frightening!
bob40wil | Jul 09, 2012, 11:16 AM EDT
Christie is an illtempered blowhard, I'm not partial to either candidate running for President but do lean towards Rommney, if he picks Christie I'm out.
hollabackgurl | Jul 09, 2012, 11:11 AM EDT
Christie should be the Romney running mate. Visually he's perfect: arrogant, contemptuous, bullying, morbidly obese, white, homophobic and hypocritical. It's as if they grew him in a lab.
Typhon451 | Jul 09, 2012, 10:59 AM EDT
Laughable article and author. But not close enough to appearing earnest. Christie's main water-carrying role was to challenge and expose the public teacher's union. Who prefered to sacrifice fellow teachers than to help make contributions to their own pensions.
BrianO | Jul 09, 2012, 08:40 AM EDT
Seano, on an aside, why does American politics interest you so much? Australian politics and Irish politics I understand the connection, but why American?
seanomelb | Jul 09, 2012, 12:19 AM EDT
Jam it Dodo
jamthecat | Jul 08, 2012, 10:26 PM EDT
A bully and sociopath -- just what this country needs to lead it. Yeah. Sure. Patrick Roberts has finally lost what little mind he had.
stonethrower | Jul 08, 2012, 10:04 PM EDT
Sure,a man who tells the people of his own state to tighten their belts as his continually expands his,pun intended,blames the middle class blue collar union workers for the shortfall of N J's budget,because of their "over inflated wages",despite the numerous corruption scandals that have exposed true misuse of funds,while introducing tax breaks that only benefit the top 1%,on top of his thuggish,obtuse,obnoxious demeanor.Well then ,Yea he sure is qualified to run on a GOP ticket.
susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 08:43 PM EDT
Briano- Sarah who??
lokionline | Jul 08, 2012, 08:11 PM EDT
Christie acts, thinks and looks like a New Jersey thug.
He appears to have been the inspiration for the demeanor we have come to associate with the Jersey Shore and the eponymous show.
Is that an appropriate image for the VP of the USA?
seanomelb | Jul 08, 2012, 05:52 PM EDT
Christie would be the second best asset for the DEMS after Romney.Bring him on.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 12:01 PM EDT
wjb1tex- yea, Christie might "overshadow" Romney!
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!
rugbyplayer | Jul 08, 2012, 11:30 AM EDT
Christie is more pizza than pizazz.
Stiofain | Jul 08, 2012, 11:22 AM EDT
Chris Christie,Sarah Palin, Michelle Bachmann are the two-headed sheep of our political circus.
judiron | Jul 08, 2012, 11:12 AM EDT
How about Condolesa our past secretary of state. She is smarter than Hilary and Obama put together. She's be a great VP
susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT
"Sometimes out of control?" You have got to be kidding! To maintain that 350 pounds of lard, you are always out of control - it's called food addiction. Can you even imagine the whacked out food he is constantly consuming to maintain his obesity? He's an addict, plain and simple and food is his drug - his fix. He's not a mentally stable man and we have all seen his "acting out" on the news- not very pretty! -
bunkerisland | Jul 08, 2012, 10:39 AM EDT
"He is competent."? On what basis did you determine that? We have had enough arrogance and hostility. And having him second in command would be dangerous.
susan724 | Jul 08, 2012, 10:36 AM EDT
Chris Krispy Kreme, the Tony Soprano wanna be? You have got to be kidding! America will never vote for a fat man - (even though 66% of U.S. adults are obese). But a fat man who is mean? Uh, I don't think so. Over half of New Jersey-ites said they would not back Christie for a second term (Bloomberg Poll). Christie gives new meaning to the phrase "elephant in the room" LOL!
wjb1tex | Jul 08, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT
While I like Christie I think he would take too much attention and actually hurt Romney's chances.
hermitTalker | Jul 08, 2012, 09:45 AM EDT
So we are to accept that the wrapping of the message is more important than the content? No wonder the public is so badly served and treated as advertisers treat us. Cute Bunny, buy batteries; loud governor, put him a heartbeat away from the presidency. There are other VP hopefuls out there so do not sell the process short, please. Looking under the hood helps, kicking the tyres is not helpful, they are alll shiny for the sell.