Christie: “Now Is Not My Time”
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday announced he would not run for president, refusing to bow to pressure from GOP donors, fans and luminaries clamoring for another option in the search for a strong Republican to challenge President Barack Obama next fall.
"Now is not my time," Christie told reporters at the New Jersey Statehouse.
His decision means that three months before voting is set to begin, the Republican race remains focused on two men -- former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.
The famously blunt, budget-cutting governor in office not even two years had spent the past few days reconsidering his long-time refusals to run for the GOP presidential nomination in light of encouragement from GOP leaders.
"I felt the obligation to earnestly consider their advice," Christie said. "Over the last few weeks, I've thought long and hard about this decision."
Ultimately, he decided against it.
"I believe in my heart this is where I belong," Christie said.
Close advisers to Christie told friends that they ultimately
didn't think a run made sense in part because it would likely have
been too late to set up the needed infrastructure in Iowa,
according to a person who spoke directly to those advisers.
The governor's advisers said Christie was seriously looking at a
run in 2016 and he refused to rule out the prospect of a future
run. But as Obama's approval rating has fallen and Republicans have
become increasingly convinced he is vulnerable in 2012, Christie
became worried he would regret staying out if another Republican
won the nomination and ultimately the presidency.
"This is an example of someone who has failed the leadership
test," Christie said of Obama. "You can't be taught how to lead
and make decisions."
Christie's announcement comes as a new national poll shows
Perry's support dropping after weeks of defending his Texas record
and businessman Herman Cain rising following a much-praised debate
performance. The Washington Post-ABC survey shows former
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney regaining the lead, though his
support remains in the same place it's been for months -- the
mid-20s.
The push for new candidates like Christie and the quick rise and
fall of others -- like Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and real
estate mogul Donald Trump, who also flirted with a presidential bid
-- reflect continued discomfort in the GOP with Romney. He has been
steadily campaigning since he lost in the 2008 primary but hasn't
been able to sway skeptical conservatives who make up the party
base.
Christie stoked the speculation with a high-profile speech last
week at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley,
Calif., where he reiterated that he wasn't running for president,
and a tour to help raising money for Republicans in Missouri,
California and Louisiana.
Encouragement from Henry Kissinger, Nancy Reagan and Barbara
Bush led him to reconsider a bid, and he spent the weekend thinking
over his options.
But after months of waiting, Christie was far behind his rivals
in fundraising and particularly in organizing on the ground in key
early states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Florida's decision to
move its primary to the end of January cut another month off of the
time he would have to catch up. And Perry's experience offered a
cautionary tale. He announced in August and immediately shot to the
top of the polls, but has seen his support fade after a few shaky
debate performances and repeated attacks from Romney's campaign.
But while Tuesday's announcement ended the will-he-or-won't-he
drama for now, his endorsement this year will still hold sway; he
declined to back any of the declared candidates on Tuesday.
If Obama wins re-election, he'll likely be at the top of the
list of presidential hopefuls in 2016. And Christie's timing has
been right in the past.
In 2005, many Republicans were begging him to run for governor.
He didn't.
But in 2009, he was seen as probably the only Republican in the
state capable of unseating Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine. He ran
and won. He's since become a hero to fiscally conservative and tea
party Republicans because of the policies he's fought for as
governor.
He has imposed a 2 percent cap on annual growth of New Jersey's
highest-in-the-nation property taxes and refused to give into
Democrats' calls to restore a lapsed income tax surcharge on
high-income residents. He's clashed with public workers' unions as
he has reined in their pension and health insurance benefits and
taken away collective bargaining rights on some issues. He also
overhauled pensions and benefits for state workers -- and convinced
Democrats to go along with him.
He has also fought publicly with Washington: He canceled a plan
to build a new rail tunnel to New York City and fought federal
efforts to seek reimbursement for the work that was done. In
September, he struck a deal for the state to pay state to pay $95
million of the $271 million the federal government said it was
owed.
Still, he deviates from conservative orthodoxy.
He opposes abortion rights, but didn't always. He is against gay
marriage and has said he would support an amendment to the state
constitution to ban it, but favors civil unions. He says he
supports medical marijuana for patients who need it, but he's
delayed implementation of a New Jersey medical marijuana law.