Governor Christie Works On Keynote Speech [AUDIO]

Governor Christie continues to prepare the keynote speech he'll deliver at the Republican National Convention in Florida next week, but he's not saying anything specific about the address.

During a visit to Asbury Park, Christie said "I want everybody to actually tune in next Tuesday night- be surprised, be happy- watch New Jersey on national television!...I think it's about the record we've established here, and I think Governor Romney is an admirer of that record and I think that's why he asked me."

He said he thinks he was picked to give the keynote speech because of the job he's doing in Jersey.

"If you're not doing a good job," said Christie, "I don't think they want to put you in front of a national TV audience as the person who's going to lay out the vision for the Republican Party over the next 4 years…I hope it's for the things I've done here - and what that can mean for the rest of the country."

When he was asked if the Romney campaign told him to tone down the "Jersey attitude" during the speech?

Christie said, "Seriously, do you think they think they'd have any luck with that? Governor Romney and I are friends - we've known each other for years. I don't think he picked me hoping I was going to show up and be somebody else…I don't think they have any expectation, nor have they requested that I have a personality-ectimy - between now and next Tuesday - they know what they're buying."

As far as the speech itself, Christie said he writes very few speeches.

"My process is I keep a very, very small group of people - and by that I mean literally 4 other people that have seen any draft of the speech outside of Mary Pat and the kids…I write it myself and I circulate to those people and then they give me feedback, and they may write whole new sections, and that's kind of my process…I'm on my 7th draft, so we're grinding through it, we're getting there."

The Governor says he doesn't show the speech to a lot of people.

"You get too many voices in your head and then it becomes like applesauce in there - you can't think. So I've got a small group of people that I trust, who I think know my voice - and are able to say, yeah that sounds like you or no it doesn't, and that's what I care more than anything else, to tell you the truth…I'm not looking to them for specific suggestions on - say this or say that- a particular fact or argument…I'm more looking to them as people who have been associated with me for a long period of time- to say - does this sound like me?

Christie adds he's not nervous about having such a prominent role at the convention.

"No, I'm excited - it's a great opportunity for me personally, it's a great opportunity for our state and I'm proud to have the opportunity to do it."