The Other McCain

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Because RINOs Always Travel in Herds: Chris Christie Will Endorse Mitt Romney

Posted on | October 11, 2011 | 102 Comments

Remember when New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was supposed to be the feisty populist conservative alternative to Mitt Romney? So much for that ridiculous nonsense, eh?

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, just one week after definitively announcing he will not run for president in the 2012 race, plans to endorse Mitt Romney for the job Tuesday afternoon, Fox News has learned.
The event is set to take place in Hanover, N.H., the site of the Republican presidential debate being held Tuesday night. The endorsement will be made in advance of the debate.
Marking a fast turnaround for Romney, the endorsement comes one week to the day since Christie called a press conference in Trenton to end once and for all the speculation that he would make a late entrance into the race.

UPDATE: Bryan Preston at PJM:

So, is Christie pulling a Crist and making a major endorsement of a moderate candidate to help him fend off more conservative challengers? That’s what it looks like.

Three words, Bryan: Follow the money.

The GOP money people in New York — Georgette Mosbacher, et al. — were the ones urging Christie to run and, when he finally said “no” for the thousandth time, they all jumped on the Romney bandwagon. A big-money RINO-lanche for Romney is the only way to stop a certain surging candidate. IYKWIMAITYD.

UPDATE II: “Moderate GOP Governor’s Club,” Michelle Malkin says. Jon Huntsman was a member of that club. Ditto Mitch Daniels. Ditto Tim Pawlenty. The kind of GOP Establishment-approved folks that the big money boys find acceptable.

Now a Memeorandum thread.

UPDATE III: Thanks to commenter Joe for reminding me of this headline from last year:

N.J.’s Christie Backs Castle in Del. Senate Race

Yeah. That explains a lot, doesn’t it? Guess that means Herman Cain is this year’s Christine O’Donnell. Even if Cain gets the GOP nomination, the Establishment insiders would rather see Obama re-elected than to let an outsider win an election.

UPDATE IV: At a press conference in Hanover, N.H., just now, Romney called Christie “a real hero” and “my friend.” Christie said: “Mitt Romney’s the man we need to lead America and we need him now.”

First question at the press conference was about the Jeffress/Perry Mormons-are-a-cult issue. Christie referenced his own decision to appoint jihadi extremists to enforce sharia law a Muslim judge.

UPDATE V: David Freddoso’s headline at the Examiner:

Huge: Christie to endorse Romney

What’s with all the fat jokes, huh? Just because the hippo endorsed the RINO . . . See? Now you’ve got me started. But anyway, I was confused by this sentence in Freddose’s column:

Could the recent success of conservatives like Christie in the North, and the possible nomination of Romney, threaten the Republican Party’s reputation as a southern party?

Yeah. Unlike my fellow Atlanta native Herman Cain, whose nomination would only reinforce that whole “southern” thing, I suppose.

UPDATE VI: Duane Lester: “Christie continues to prove doubters right.”

The Lonely Conservative: “Herman Cain Says He’ll Go After Mitt Romney in GOP Debate.”

Linked by The Guy Who Named the Blogosphere — thanks!

UPDATE VII: Ed Morrissey:

The obvious conclusion is that Romney’s worried about an inability to move upward and the continued rise and fall of the Not-Romneys in the race. . . . By getting ahead of the news cycle with a big endorsement just before tonight’s debate, it could also relieve pressure on Romney to make news by attacking Herman Cain — or possibly hint that Romney wants a knockout punch badly enough to risk engaging the conservative base’s favorite of the moment.

So it appears that everybody’s expecting a Cain-vs.-Romney donnybrook tonight and Da Tech Guy, who is in New Hampshire for the debate, says, “in my opinion the story of the day is: ‘Can Herman Cain take a punch?’ ”


Category: Chris Christie, Election 2012, Mitt Romney

Comments

102 Responses to “Because RINOs Always Travel in Herds: Chris Christie Will Endorse Mitt Romney”

  1. Anonymous
    October 12th, 2011 @ 12:32 pm

    Yeah, because that third party thing worked so well for President Perot and President Nader!

  2. Pundette Likes Herman Cain | Herman Cain PAC
    October 12th, 2011 @ 5:32 pm

    […] power of the Ruling Class? And will they rally to Herman Cain’s banner? Let me remind you what I wrote yesterday when Chris Christie endorsed Mitt Romney: Thanks to commenter Joe for reminding me of this headline from last […]