| Or, put another way: Prepare to get nailed and screwed.
Mike Allen's Playbook column at Politico is reporting that Gov. Christie is meeting, this afternoon, with a collection of big-money Republicans in Manhattan who will again try to romance him to run for president in 2012.
The GOP bigwigs - some will be there in person, some shopped in by phone - will be convened by one Ken Langone, billionaire co-founder of Home Depot.
Recently, Langone was pegged providing some of the cash behind an effort to get conservative activists up to speed and energized to support the Ryan Plan at congressional town halls, via a group called American Action Network, formed to develop and market 'conservative' ideas.
Last year, Langone wrote a guest op-ed for Wall Street Journal that claimed if he had to start Home Depot today, with current business climate, it's 'stone cold certainty' it couldn't be done. And that, he blames on Barack Obama - the post is titled Stop Bashing Business, Mr. President. Clearly, this is a guy who wants Obama gone. Clearly, another billionaire out to convince us his class is victimized.
Christie's made it easy to map out how he would run for president, if he runs for president in 2012. Witness: the big-money bundlers drooling at his feet
hedge-funders delighted he'll open up new markets to reap profits from schools
a budget loaded with goodies for Christie's wealthy base
consigning NJ's first-ever LG to do little more than cozy up to business, recast regulatory requirements as "red tape" without, apparently, keeping much track of what that might actually cost.
If Christie does run for president - now or in 2016 - all of this will make him immediately attractive to big donors who know that few GOP candidates will be inclined or able to carry them back into the White House with Christie's speed and determination.
And - as WSJ correctly points out - Christie's sagging at-home poll numbers may make re-election here difficult. Will that be a factor in Christie's decision? Personally, I doubt it. The governor strikes me as a guy so supremely self-confident that he would assume that won't be an obstacle for him, like it might be for lesser mortals. But there's a lot of wooing going on. And the promise of GOP big money and self-interested capacity to drive election might indeed appeal to that same outsized ego. All eyes on New Jersey. |
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