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In the latest in his round of interviews, former Gov. Chris Christie declared that all that stands between him and a presidential candidacy is a plausible belief that he can win.
An “I’m in it to win it” attitude would seem self-evident for anyone seeking elective office, but for Christie it was a clear-eyed assessment of the political landscape and the odds of his becoming competitive, if not dominant, in it.
He is not interested in tilting at windmills or taking on a campaign to merely make a statement about one issue or public policy.
He’s made it clear — often brutally clear — that his path to a victory runs through former president Donald Trump and it is willfully blind to reality to believe otherwise.
While his current polling numbers range from zero to two percent while Trump consistently hits the mid to upper forties, Christie believes that the former president has not been seriously challenged by other potential candidates who appear fearful of offending him and alienating his base of support in the party.
The current field — former vice president Mike Pence, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina — is, by all measures a weak one. Trump’s closest competitor, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, has shown signs of vulnerability under the intense glare of national scrutiny and has come across as petty and small-minded in his pointless and embarrassing public feud with the Disney Corp.
Their campaigns have failed to generate enthusiasm. All are treading water when it is necessary to make waves — an activity in which Christie excels.
He believes that confronting Trump, refusing to wilt or back down under the former president’s barrage of insults and derision, is crucial to denying him the nomination.
Christie’s own presidential campaign in 2016 failed to lift off the launching pad and ended after successive dismal showings in the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. He was the first of the candidate field to endorse Trump.
Now, seven years later, Christie’s apparent epiphany has convinced him that Republicans will suffer a crushing defeat with Trump leading the ticket in 2024, losing the White House and control of Congress.
He has shrewdly used his seat on the ABC network Sunday morning talk show to belabor Trump, following up with national media outlet interviews to drive the message that the Republican Party must abandon the cult of Trump, cut ties with him, shed his influence and reject his policies if it hopes to survive as a viable political force.
With no reluctance to take his fight to the doorstep of Mar-A-Lago, Christie has set himself apart from the others — a strategy with a certain amount of risk but one which Christie is gambling will appeal to those in the party who have had their fill of Trump’s chaos, irrational ranting, wild accusations, lack of discipline and self-absorption.
Simply standing by while Trump unleashes his trademark vitriol on his competition is the equivalent of white flag waving, an acknowledgement that an individual under criminal indictment and the subject of three investigations into potential criminal behavior not only controls the party but would be a viable presidential candidate.
The Republican Party, Christie believes, has the presidency within its grasp, that President Biden is seriously vulnerable on the issues that matter most but who would win re-election if the choice voters face is another four years of his Administration or another Trump White House.
The country may be dissatisfied with Biden, but it despises Trump. Choosing between two flawed candidates will result in victory by the one least disliked; in this case, Biden.
As a presidential candidate, Christie would be a formidable force for Biden to confront. He’s a quick study, understands the tidal wave of political and media cross currents and is capable of delivering insightful and credible messages.
Biden, with his history of rhetorical blunders, fanciful and often bizarre responses, would be destroyed by Christie in a head to head debate setting. The president’s mental nimbleness has shown signs of compromise and any faltering on his part would be magnified as evidence of cognitive decline.
Christie does not fit the definition of a “new face”; an overused and vague characterization by those unhappy with the current crop of contenders but with no genuine alternatives.
Christie was elected governor 14 years ago and has been out of public office for nearly five years. He left office with a dismal public approval standing, largely due to the Bridgegate scandal and discontent with his pursing the presidential nomination while ignoring state issues and concerns. Both issues have since lost significant impact.
He’s indicated his timeline for reaching a decision is a matter of a few weeks and it is unlikely a great deal will have changed by then. (Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the only potential candidate to have left the field thus far.)
Removing the last obstacle to a candidacy — identifying a path to victory — will preoccupy Christie in the coming weeks even as he continues his public appearances and media interviews.
Christie has established a reputation as blunt, brash and pugnacious and a match for Trump. A confrontation between the two will draw a massive media and public audience. The prospect of blood on the carpet always does.
Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University.
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