Although New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has made it quite clear on several occasions that he has absolutely no interest in the presidency, insiders are saying that he might be interested in something close – the VP nod.
Trenton, New Jersey sources have claimed that while he wouldn’t pursue the spot, if offered, he would gladly take up no. 2 responsibilities under Mitt Romney. “Christie is open to it, his family’s comfortable with it, and he’s been vetted before,” one top state lawmaker says. “He isn’t going to campaign for it, but it’s no secret that he would relish the opportunity to play at that level.”
But would Romney go in for that? “It’s like asking Joe DiMaggio if he wants to play alongside Mickey Mantle,” said one Jersey source, hinting at an interesting concern that Christie would steal all of Romney’s limelight. Reinforcing that sentiment is Republican consultant Ed Rollins, who said of Christie, “I think he would bring star quality to the ticket and he could help energize the base,” but his “big personality might overshadow Romney.”
Though Christie’s name on the ticket amounts to a Republican pipe-dream-come-true, it’s not the left who have the most to worry about with Christie as a VP – it’s Republicans. Christie has always been known as a bit of a political pit-bull, so keeping him “on message” is a huge concern on Romney’s side. “This is a man who runs things, be it as United States Attorney or as governor,” said one Christie supporter. “It’s fun to imagine him debating Vice President Biden, and then there’s the reality, if he’s picked, of going along with Boston’s plan — sticking to the script and playing a role.”
Nevertheless, the spot might be tempting enough to pull the governor out of Trenton. At a recent town hall, Christie reassured New Jersey citizens that he is committed to finishing what he started. Regardless, he added, “If Governor Romney called and asked me to sit down and talk to him about it, I’d listen, because I think you owe the nominee of your party that level of respect,” continuing, “He might be able to convince me; he’s a convincing guy.”
Would a Romney/Christie ticket change the course of the election?
