Exclusive: Christie was Mitt's first choice for VP

[kpete]

Source: Politico

One of the most tantalizing subplots of the 2012 campaign has been the curious and sometimes controversial performances of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Now, campaign insiders tell POLITICO that Christie was Mitt Romney’s first choice for the Republican ticket, lending an intriguing new context to the continuing drama around the Garden State governor.

The strong internal push for Christie, and Romney’s initial instinct to pick him as his running mate, reflects how conflicted the nominee remained about choosing a running mate until the very end of the process. At least on the surface, Christie and Paul Ryan are about as opposite as two Republicans could be: a brash outsider from the Northeast versus a bookish insider from the heartland.

And yet Romney switched from Christie to Ryan in a span of about two weeks, according to a detailed inside account provided to POLITICO.

Romney was so close to picking Christie that some top advisers at the campaign’s Boston headquarters believed the governor had been offered the job. The campaign made tentative plans to announce a pick in late July, just before Romney headed off on his overseas trip, starting with a stop at the London Olympics.


Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83254.html#ixzz2BA6kUXid

Read more: Link to source

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Hahahahaha x 1,000,000

Oh man, that is hilarious.

Christie is having the last laugh now.

Adios, Mitt - the big guy porked you good and proper.

[LynneSin]

2. I strongly, very highly DOUBT that Christie ever wanted the position

Christie isn't the type to play second fiddle to anyone ESPECIALLY someone way inferior as a candidate then he is.

I personally think this job is a smear tactic on Christie now that Christie is all buddy-buddy with Obama. Romney wants to make it sound like it was he (romney) that chose to not go with Christie and not Christie rejecting him.

[Chemisse]

5. Ahh. I bet you are right.

Instead I wonder if Christie said no to the VP slot.

The VP comes with a muzzle. Christie is the most off-the-cuff politician I have ever seen (more so even than Biden!), and would be pretty unhappy not to be able to speak his mind.

[Freddie]

9. I also heard that Christie turned him down

Smart move.

[Norbert]

12. So did I

[MadrasT]

10. Agree 100%.

I have been watching Christie for a long time. No way would he have wanted the VP slot. Not his style.

[LynneSin]

18. I'm almost positive Christie was at the top of Mitt's list

For Mitt he has reputation problem. He wasn't trusted by the Tea Party and his overall record was weak. Chris Christie as his VP would have been a sure win. Christie is popular in the Northeast, a loud-mouth bully that inspires the Tea Party masses and would have really solidify the win PLUS probably bring in a state that wouldn't have been in play with any other VP choice - New Jersey and possibly even Pennsylvania. Christie probably knew he was being used and honestly wasn't keen on having to wait to run for President since a Romney win means the GOP wouldn't have an open shot until 2020.

I'm sure Christie was nice about rejecting the offer and they parted as friends and still partners to help Romney win the ticket.

This was all fine and dandy until Hurricane Sandy. Right now Chris Christie (and to a lesser extent Bob McDowell of Virginia) are making Obama look really good. Both governors have praised Obama for the work the federal government has done in getting help to their states during the Superstorm especially in very hard hit New Jersey. And honestly, Christie's attitude towards Obama has nothing to do with the Election but the fact that so many people are without in his state because of this storm.

Team Romney has to nullify this and the only way to do it is to make Christie seem 'inferior' - like Romney thought about Christie as VP but he (Romney) was the one that decided Christie wasn't the right choice for him.

[LittleGirl]

11. +1 eom

[Sweet Freedom]

21. Agreed

but Christie strikes me as the type who will publicly call out Romney on this and set the record straight.

[LynneSin]

31. Christie right now doesn't give a rats ass about this election

His concern is getting New Jersey rebuilt.

[SaveAmerica]

3. Christie: "Glad I missed the Crazy Train"

[bluemarkers]

4. interesting way of framing

First one has to believe something that the Rs are saying

secondly, rmoney change his mind? no way!!

I guess Christie can't be seen as doing what is best for his state? Yeah, that would be bad. One does wonder why he was so effusive, but I feel it's because the republicans are so very partisan, he was afraid the President would play partisan politics in the recovery/relief efforts. He believed fox news.

[Chemisse]

6. Of course he could be so effusive because he wants Romney to lose.

Paving the way for a run for president in four years.

[bluemarkers]

15. there is that! :-)

The first time I pulled up the article it didn't load all the way.

now that I've read the whole thing!! omg

"ordinary white men" - really?

The whole r campaign was a total mess up from the beginning. If that gang gets in we are in soooo much trouble.

[calimary]

26. I think that's it, too. Deep down, chris christie is in business for himself.

You bet he's got his eye on bigger things. That's why he's always saying he's not ready for it (YET).

I suspect he was thinking he'd want to get a little more state-based experience under his rawther large and lengthy belt, so he could then say "hey look at me, I didn't stay in Illinois for two weeks and then go for bigger (like that vain, cocky upstart from Illinois just did). Never mind my girth! I got heft! I got weight to throw around!"

Obnoxious lout. What we need is finesse rather than a smack across the teeth with a big fat club. That's what we need working overseas, that's what we need working with the needy. Maybe with republi-CONS we need the smack-'em-across-the-teeth strategy, but otherwise you need elegance and finesse. As we saw Obama display APLENTY with all the storm victims.

And I suspect that this was leaked by the wrongney campaign in revenge for christie's "treason" against him by hugging up to Obama. Make him look like the lesser man, like the reject. Humiliate him and embarrass him, by taking the wiry little weasel-punk from Wisconsin instead. Tarnish him as he tries to forge ahead on his own hopes for the White House. If he could knock christie to the ground and cut his hair in public, that'd be better, but the target's too big and cumbersome in this case.

Besides, christie sucks the oxygen out of any room he enters, with his loud, loutish, in-yer-face shtick, and wrongney doesn't want ANYBODY outshining him. Can't afford that, can we? Especially when the candidate himself is so wishy-washy. The press would all be going to chris christie for the straight dope and the good quotes instead of to windmill willard - who's anybody's baby.

They play dirty, these guys. NEVER forget that!

[DURHAM D]

7. Speaking of Ryan...

Where is he?

[Norbert]

14. He was i Weschester, Ohio last night.

at the Rmnoney love fest. No word on whether he stayed after Kid Rock performed.

[6000eliot]

8. Not to change the subject, but if the "books" you read are written by Ayn Rand,

then you shouldn't get to be called "bookish."

[MissMarple]

29. + Exactly my thought.

[Bradical79]

13. Not a fan of Christie

but it's pretty clear to a lot of people that Christie is still a much smarter politician than Romney or Ryan. With so many low info voters, and the Bush administration's economic disaster we've been digging ourselves out of for 4 years, it's a minor miracle that the Republicans weren't able to con their way into a decent lead. Christie is smart enough to know not to tie himself to that sinking ship. Even if Romney were to pull off a victory, it will probably be a pretty embarrassing administration ruining a lot of Republican careers. As much of a disaster as Bush was, Romney could very well be worse.

[Mass]

16. A subtle way to throw Christie under the bus after Wednesday

[msanthrope]

17. Reading "Atlas Shrugged" doesn't make you "bookish." nt

[diabeticman]

19. I figured He told Romney Skinny chance in H*LL

[RandySF]

20. Nice try, Politico.

The damage is done and saying that Chrisite was the first choice won't say him.

[trailmonkee]

22. omg,Rmoney is such a low life! has one of his people leak this so he can et some Christie/Obama mo

He is one sick mother fucker

[DonCoquixote]

23. Behold the power of Koch money

http://freedomluchador.com/koch-brothers-paid-to-get-paul-ryan-on-romney-ticket.html

The fact that Millionaire Mitt obeyed the edicts of Billionaire Koch is yet another reason of why he should not be allowed anywhere NEAR the White House. If Koch's wife can make a "Buisness" tycoon like Mitt kowtow, how low are the rest of us on the food chain?

You know Mitt wishes he had Chris, as an example of "bipartisan cooperation." Hell, he would probably buy a house in New Jersey just to claim he is a resident. He would photo op while Chris waddled along, trying to make sure the camera focused away from Obama.

Of course,let's not paint a halo around Chris either. He knows that if he dared do anything to hamper recovery, the good citizens of NJ would make sure he got bruied next to the Mafiosi in the Meadowlands. I am nut just talking about votes or unions, I mean the Original "super Pac" the Cosa Nostra, the ones that make the Sopranos look like a Pizza joint. You think they are not ready to move on some of that "construction" that will be done?

Of course, the Voters would be mad also. Let's also not forget the REAL MOBSTERS, aka the "I spend most of my life in Manhattan" Wall Street types that want their stuff rebuilt NOW!

[oberliner]

24. Exclusive: Christie is a Jackass

Do not forget what he has done and how he has governed in NJ.

[vlyons]

25. Romney has been wrong about everything!

even his VP pick was a flop.

[calimary]

28. More like a flip-flop. ANOTHER flip-flop. How many by now, mittski?

[berni_mccoy]

27. Christie wants to run for President.

[CaptJasHook]

30. Imagine the Ratings

of a Christie/Biden debate.

I would have paid cable rates for that one.