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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's speech tonight at the Reagan Library will be closely scrutinized for any sign that the brash GOP icon has changed his mind, and will run for president.
All signs point to Christie reaffirming his earlier commitment to stay out of the race for the 2012 GOP nomination -- the governor's brother said Tuesday that he will not run -- but his declaration may well force some top-dollar Republican donors to finally move off the sidelines, and commit to a candidate currently in the race.
The New York Times profiled a series of deep-pocketed Republicans, who have helped fuel the "Draft Christie" movement, which has persisted for months despite the first-term governor's insistence that he's not seeking national office. Home Depot founder Kenneth Langone is widely identified as the impetus behind that movement, but he and a series of other Christie supporters might be forced to reconsider their options if the Garden State governor ultimately decides not to run.
"There are a lot of guys with a Romney bumper sticker on their desk, but are waiting to put it on their car," said one Republican tied into the party's fundraising circuit, who declined to speak on the record so as to not alienate donors.
Indeed, there's already a bit of overlap. One potential Christie backer named in the Times story, the investment guru Charles Schwab, sent Romney a $2,500 donation in late June. The other potential Christie backers named in the story have otherwise stayed out of the presidential race, though they have already been active in contributing to GOP House and Senate campaigns.
That leaves Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the two frontrunning candidates for the GOP nomination, battling for an edge in the contest for financial support. Both men are seeking not only an advantage in their campaign warchests, but also in support from high-profile donors, whose backing would signal that the smart money is leaning toward one campaign or another. Moreover, those top donors could also help "bundle" money for the primary campaigns, and help multiply the fundraising haul for Romney or Perry.
"There's no question, there's money on the sidelines right now, and I wouldn't say it's on the sidelines for any particular candidate," said another Republican consultant, who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about the race.
"I think it's only natural, because people like to be with a winner, and they're all waiting to see because, to be honest, nobody's knocked anybody's doors off," the consultant added. "The debates have raised some doubt about Perry, but it's not like anything's not recoverable. But if you're looking at Romney, you're asking, 'Why hasn't this guy locked it up yet?'"
Political observers will have a better sense of just how much money has come off the sidelines in the middle of the next month. Each presidential campaign is required to report their fundraising hauls and itemized contributions and expenditures to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) by Oct. 14. Those reports cover the campaigns' fundraising activities between the beginning of July and the end of this month. Those filings will also include new data about which mega-donors have contributed to candidates in the past three months.
Those reports themselves are a metric for the media and potential donors who are looking to gauge the strength of a given campaign. And Romney and Perry's totals could be tempered by donors who have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Those donors are generally seen as the same crowd that had pined throughout 2011 for new candidacies -- from, for instance, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Govs. Haley Barbour (R-MS) and Mitch Daniels (R-IN), or Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) -- that never came to fruition.
Perry's campaign has sought to keep expectations low, setting a $10 million bar for itself to clear in a shortened third quarter (since Perry didn't become a candidate until early August). Romney, meanwhile, is looking to eclipse a $18 million haul for the second quarter, a total that far surpassed any other candidate, but which didn't quite meet the high expectations that had been set for his long-planned campaign.
Christie's potential fundraising base lies primarily in the New York Metro area, which includes a number of financial services professionals. If Christie declines to run, and donors are forced to choose, those supporters may flock to Romney, who's mined his business background to build his campaign war chest. But Republicans also caution that Romney and Perry have streams of revenue available to them beyond heavyweight donors who have declined to back a candidate so far. Romney is independently wealthy and could self-finance (though he's said he isn't interested in doing that), and has access to a network of wealthy Mormon business owners. Perry, meanwhile, has a deep fundraising network cultivated during years of statewide races in Texas. Perry’s brief stint as Republican Governors Association chairman, from which he stepped down to run for president, also helped expose him to a national fundraising network.
Speculation is on the rise that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will jump into the 2012 race. NBC's Chuck Todd reports.
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Not surprising, actually, when you think of it, that the REPUBS wish to draft the "fat boy" as a possible Presidential candidate ... just another Republican kamakaze pilot as far as I'm concerned. The difference, however, is "fat boy" is keeping himself out of the very destructive Republican debates ... the less you know about a candidate, the better that candidate's chances of winning. Just like Perry and most all the other Repub candidates, I'm sure the "fat boy" has plenty of skeletons to hide in his closets ... and I'm betting this one has some pretty BIG closets, too. Just another Koch Bro politician ... Norquist disciple, except they keep this one out of harms way until AFTER the Repub debates ... and hope the economy makes NO recoveries of any kind.
Possibly the Democrats could secretly promise CC a lifetime supply of twinkies, or even ownership in a Krispy Creme some place ... just to keep the "fat boy" from running! Oh, go ahead and run, Christie ... you fit the Repub qualifications ... less than 2 years as governor ... yeah, run, baby, run.
The way you beat these REPUBS is to put the press on them EARLY ... make them publicly announce and commit to their political platform ... as soon as "cut revenues & cut entitlements" leave their mouth ... BAM ... down they go. No more entitlement programs for the rich ... no more welfare for the corporations!
Rich Perry ... just another sacrificial lamb on the alter of the Republican Obstructionist Party ... that's all! His dirty laundry has been seen by all ... lets see how long it takes the "Texas Toast" Texan to realize his Presidential asperations are kaput! Back to Texas you go ... Perry. The public has a "fat boy" to roast now!
I suspect Rick Perry has a lot more dirty laundry yet to air. Christie has possibilities based on his no nonsense style of communicating up to now. But last night he started to sound a little coy and hedging his political bets. He may just be more of the same, but with a nasty mouth when you annoy him. Will wait to see what happens.
It must be embarrassing to be a moderately conservative republican. Not only do you have to live with bunk mates who put vows ahead of country and can't govern unless it's 100% their way, but now you have to watch as they actually do a job search for a presidential candidate. There are 8 hopefuls in the field and still no viable choice? It is pitiful to watch a republican party with ZERO credibility. Lincoln and Reagan must be turning over in their graves.
kkkarls' new plan?
The "deep pocketed" elitist puke "deciders" (bush senior & Co.), have already decided porky christie, is their man == hey babe "oink, oink".
Now, if porky is nominated, jeb bush will run for VP... if porky were to "win" (the GOP successfuly steals another election ala 2000), porky soon afterwards has a high cholesterol-induced heart attack, and voila -- the bush-crook family remains in power to continue the world-wide screw-job the bush-GOP-neocons all started -- ala "New World Order".
No one will need to "steal" this election from Obama. He is a failure and only those still drinking his kool-aid don't know this. At this point in time, any one that gives money to his re-election could do better to donate that money to the poor that Obama has created in the last 2.9 years to help them make it until Jan 2013.
What better person to represent conservative reduction of government fat than a 450lb teatard?
CC the Jess Willard of the GOP.
If the fatcats were putting their money into a viable candidate why are they waiting???
Seems to me they are putting their money in a good investment, something not so government by the people, for the people about that.
It is absolutely amazing that Newsvine allows the mindless, very inappropriate comments in these comments to even be posted to the site. Maybe it is time to restrict any access to the previous posters who offer no content and only inappropriate references to fat people, body parts, etc etc. Your posts and access should be permanently removed from this blog!!!!!
As for the major culprit FIESTY, I had used the Newsvine to ignore your posts, but I guess that only worked for a couple of weeks. I open Newsvine this morning, and up pops your normal inflammatory comments that are not cute at all. You have crossed the line of cvil discourse again....Time to make her access denial permanent Newsvine!!
So, I see that the liberals on here are following in the foot steps of the great devider himself (Obama) and can only talk about someone's weight or looks rather then what they can/can't or will bring to the political process.
Obama's re-election mantra: We must devide this country by class and race in order for me to get a second term because every one knows I have been an utter failure so far. I must tell Americans that those that are living the American dream are the enemy and must be attacked and demonized. We can not allow the Americans to understand that they too can live the American dream by hard work and an education. We must show them that the government will take from those that have worked hard to get the American dream so I can give it to those that do not want to work.
Look at the statistics of where the money goes and you will see that we have been in a "Class warfare" since Reagan. Many of us workers work hard, have college educations but yet are denied a fair income with benefits like the very rich get on their jobs. Get the Facts not the Fox!!
The maybe you should look else where? I live in the midwest and I am making good money here with very good benefits, but I also work hard and I am good at what I do. I am also retired from the army since 92, went to school and I am now making 5 times more then when I was in the service.
sonmanvb, If you're making good money with good benefits, you must be either a government or union worker.
MoonRiver, that's a scary thought but very plausible.
If you look at all the candidates of the Republican/Tea Party, you will see a whole lot of what they all stand for with some modifications. The group as a whole represent the continued destruction of the Middle Class. The rich are making their money on the backs of the workers but yet claiming that American wages are too high and there fore ship the jobs overseas. As the overseas jobs start making more money we will soon see wage equality in one of two ways or both: 1. Overseas jobs start making as much as American jobs. 2. American jobs go down to minimum wages like overseas. 3. They eventually equal out in pay. But as in overseas companies, wealth is made at the top and their is a disproportionate amount going to the rich just as we are experiencing here in the USA.
I hope the rich and powerful realize all the problems of the French Revolution. You can only keep the people down for just so long before their house of cards collapses.
That is not why jobs are going overseas. They are moving overseas because of the governments regulatory enviornment. Open a business and find out. They freemarket should be setting the pay, not the government. American is now a "Regulation Nation"
The government has to set a "minimum wage" because of greedy corporations who wouldn't offer a decent living wage unless they're forced to do so, let alone offer any fringe benefits like health insurance.
And by the way, what this article is about is the fact that corporation are NOT giving to Republican Candidates, which means the super rich don't support the Republican Agenda either, no matter how much Republicans just keep on kissing their arses.
By the way, as a Jersey resident, Christie does not have a snow ball in hell trying to capture the Presidency let alone re-election in Jersey. Many were disillusioned with Corzine and just did not come out and vote. Christie got in but will not be able to stay in. The State workers, Educational workers and middle class workers will put him on the un-employment line the next election. He has shown his rich supporting colors with tax cuts for the wealthy, screw ups with Educational Grants and his own version of Play for Pay. But this is what the Republican/Tea Party stand for and will come out to support.
There is no "e" on Low.
Obama supporters:
Even if you don't want a republican in the white house, why on earth would you want Obama? He has proven that he has no ability to run our nation. We are in worse condition every day. You just want to blame Bush but if Obama was any kind of leader he would have shown some signs by now that he could lead us back into being a successful country. He isn't the one you thought he would be.
Linda, no means no.
To most of the American People, being Lied into War, and Republicans running the United States Economy into the ground isn't what a normal person would call being "successful" UNLESS Republicans are siding with the terrorists.
That isn't what I asked. I asked why you are satisfied with Obama's poor performance. Put Bush behind and deal with the present and the future.
This story is old and growing progressively more stale.
"No, no, no, no, no, no". Christie said it. He is NOT running.
However, there are a few candidates who ARE running. If you have already written that check to Christie, tear it up and start over.
Back a dominant candidate: that would be Perry or Romney
Back someone to "spice it up": that would be Paul, Cain, or Newt
Back someone for "entertainment value": Trump
Just this morning, for the umpteenth time, I heard CC say he was NOT running for President ... now I just wonder what part of his simple sentence "I'm NOT RUNNING for President" do the people asking him this same stupid question over and over and over and over and over and over NOT understand? For GODS SAKE ... CC knows what kind of commitment it would take to run & be President and he does NOT want to make that commitment. Why would REPUBS want a man representing them in office that was NOT fully committed to the job?
All you got to do, anyways, to see if he has a chance is to ask "would you make cuts to entitlements & give tax cuts to the rich & corporations?" and if his answer is YES ... then, BOOM ... you have another kamakazi REPUB. The babyboomers, poor, blacks, etc are NOT going to vote for anyone giving MORE TAX CUTS to the wealthy ... no more TRICKLE DOWN ... its always YELLOW when it trickles down.