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Article IndexBY TOM HESTER SR.
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Gov. Chris Christie Tuesday afternoon endorsed Mitt Romney for president, declaring the former Massachusetts governor is the Republican candidate who can best challenge and defeat President Obama in the 2012 election.
“There is no question in my mind that Mitt Romney gives the (Republican) party the best opportunity to defeat President Obama in 2012 and guide the country,” Christie said in Lebanon, N.H. “We have seen what is is like electing a legislator with no executive experience to the White House. Governor Romney has both. I am thrilled to be with him, to work hard together and he’ll be president in January 2013."
Christie said he will encourage Republican fundraisers, other GOP governors, and rank-and-file party supporters to support Romney. Christie also said he will campaign for Romney whenever the candidate requests it as long as it does not interfere with his role as governor.
Romney introduced Christie as "a real hero in Republican circles.""It’s been really in the end an easy decision for me," Christie said of his decision to endorse Romney. "I know America needs a new course and I want it to be with the person I believe would be the best person to lead the country on that course."
Christie and his wife Mary Pat flew to New Hampshire late Tuesday morning after he completed a public appearance in Ewing. He took part in a late afternoon so-called town hall meeting with Romney that was televised to Republicans in 20 states. The Christies plan to be in the audience at Dartmouth College in Hanover Tuesday night to watch a Republican presidential debate before returning to New Jersey late in the evening.
Christie said he and his wife met with the Romneys at their home in Mendham on Saturday to settle the decision to endorse the former governor. “I had the opportunity this past Saturday to host Governor Romney and his wife, Ann, at our home,” he said. “It was an opportunity to renew the conversations we’ve been having with each other over the last two years and discuss how great it would be for us to work together.”
Christie said in addition to meeting with Romney, he held dinners at Drumthwacket with two other governors who considered running: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota. He also met with Giuliani.
Christie also said he spoke recently with candidates Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
“A lot of good folks in this race reached out to seek my advise and support,” Christie said. “In the end, Governor Romney was the one I had the most conversations with in the past year.”
Romney endorsed Christie when he ran for governor in 2009. In January, Romney became the first Republican presidential hopeful to visit Christie at Drumthwacket. the governor's mansion in Princeton.
In March, Romney donated $25,000 to the New Jersey Republican Party. And Christie's close friend, Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth), ran Romney's New Jersey campaign in his unsuccessful bid for the presidential nomination in 2008.
Christie is a popular figure among Republicans heavyweights nationally and gaining his endorsement is seen as a big win for Romney whose campaign has been struggling to catch the eye of major donors and conservative voters.
But several important donors who wanted Christie to seek the presidency, did switch to Romney after the governor announced last week that he wasn't running. These donors include Ken Langone, the co-founder of Home Depot, and Paul Singer, a hedge fund manager. Two New Jersey Republican donors, Jets owner Woody Johnson and Lewis Eisenberg, former chairman of the Port Authority, have also hosted fundraisers for Romney.
New Hampshire will hold the country’s first presidential primary early next year and winning the election is considered a major step toward gaining a party’s presidential nomination
Christie could provide savvy political advisers to the Romney campaign, including Mike DuHaime, who was chief strategist during Christie's gubernatorial campaign and remains a close confidant. He was Rudolph Giuliani's presidential campaign manager in 2008. Bill Stepien, who currently works in Christie’s administration and was on the governor’s campaign staff in 2009, was the national field director and regional campaign manager for Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. Maria Comella, Christie’s communications director, also worked on the Giuliani and McCain campaigns.
Christie said he would not have a title in the Romney campaign. “I don’t need a title,” he said. “I‘m here to help. All Governor Romney has to do is pick up the phone and ask. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my role as governor, I’m here to help.”
Christie said that he has no expectation that Romney, if he gains the Republican nomination, will ask him to be his vice presidential candidate. “I’m up here to help Governor Romney as much as I can,” Christie said. “I have a job to do in New Jersey that I am committed to doing.”
Questioned about the comment by Perry’s pastor, Baptist minister Robert Jeffress, that Romney’s faith, Mormonism is a cult, Christie said he believe Romney’s religion should not be an issue in the campaign. “There is no place in our politics for that,” the governor said. “It‘s destructive to be judging people for president of the U.S. on their religion,“ Christie said. “It is much more important to examine their character. When Governor Perry has chance to think about this, he’ll understand this kind of stuff has no business in selecting the president of the United States.“.
