There’s more speculation about the timing of what may be the last word from NJ Gov. Chris Christie on whether he’s in or really, truly, honestly not interested in the 2012 presidential race.
Wednesday could be decision day, according to NBC’s Jamie Gangel. She reported Monday on “TODAY” that Christie and his team have asked several Republicans who were about to endorse other candidates to hold off until Wednesday.
Gangel and other news outlets have reported that Christie may be one step closer to getting into the race, and discussing that possibility with his family.
Another reported rumor had wealthy donors planning to travel to Trenton on Thursday for a Christie announcement. The political website PolitickerNJ.com reported sources that shot it down, but at the same time indicated the governor has veterans of the 2008 Rudy Giuliani campaign in his camp who’d be capable of firing up a campaign in a hurry, if needed.
A poll released on Friday showed Christie was about even with President Obama in a hypothetical 2012 presidential match up, among likely U.S. voters. The Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey gave Obama 44 percent to Christie’s 43 percent. The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted September 28-29, with margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
The Associated Press reported Christie has been dead silent in the states he would need to jump into immediately were he to spring into the 2012 GOP race for president. Christie has not been in touch with key Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the nominating sequence begins in December, according to AP sources.
But Christie enjoys goodwill in Iowa, especially from Gov. Terry Branstad and has the ear of key donors in the caucus state, some who have lobbied him hard to enter the race. Former New York Governor George Pataki would also support Christie.
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NBC10’s Hotline political analysts offered mixed opinions on a possible Christie presidential bid.
“The more he’s on TV and the less he says he runs the more popular he becomes,” said Republican analyst Jeff Jubelirer, President of Jubelirer Strategies. “He can’t lose by being out there right now. He looks good for 2016.”
“His best day is the day before he announces. It’s all downhill after that,” said public policy consultant and Democratic commentator, Donna Gentile O’Donnell, Ph.D.
Chris Christie was elected New Jersey’s 55th Governor in November 2009, the first Republican to win a statewide election in 12 years. He was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey from 2002 to 2008.
