I swear I could save myself a lot of time by writing a single Mad Libs-style post about this topic, then just fill in the blanks as necessary. Today [Journalist/Pundit/Activist X] suggested that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is still considering a 2012 presidential run because Christie recently met with [Party operatives/bigwigs/donors/anyone from Iowa]. Today's blanks-filler is the Wall Street Journal's Paul Gigot:
Ok, I'll concede the point that a whole lot of Republican voters aren't totally sold on the current field, or even on their preferred candidate du jour. Rick Perry has been the leader of the pack since he got in, but his head-to-heads with Obama have slackened off since his rocky debate forays. So maybe there's still an opening for someone to swoop in and charm the electorate. But it's getting mighty late. And Chris Christie has emphatically said "no" to this question so many times, it would take hours to go back and document each case. I'll take a journalistic short cut and provide his most memorable denial:
What do I have to do short of suicide to convince people I'm not running?
Am I wrong, or is there simply zero wiggle room there? And no, that's not a sophomoric swipe at Christie's weight. I'll leave that rubbish to vindictive Democrats. Christie's whole brand is that of a fearless truth-teller. He's promised the people of New Jersey that he's not going to jump ship during his first term to pursue higher office. Call me crazy, but I still believe the guy.
