[Op-Ed] Chris Christie Preparing For 2016 Run?

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may either be one of the world’s stupidest politicians or one of the smartest. He is one of Mitt Romney’s top cheerleaders; he is a darling of the nationwide Republican Party. Even New Jersey seems to like him. Now it is starting to look like Christie has made some calculations of his own that may just win him the White House in 2016.

Let’s look at the chain of events that I am predicting could lead Christie to be leader of the free world.

Early 2012: The main candidates for the Republican nomination to take on President Obama include Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Herman Cain. The one trait that all of these people have in common is that no one likes any of them all that much. None of them has the ability to unite the Republican Party, let alone the nation. Republicans throughout the country are asking who can we run to take on an increasingly unpopular President Obama? This is where Christie’s name started coming up. On paper he seemed perfect. Governor of a Blue state, pretty popular, socially centrist, extremely fiscally conservative, and an ex-prosecutor. What’s not to like? Forget the fact that he is one bacon cheeseburger away from a pine box; he can go on a diet. Yet Christie seemed to have no interest in running. He repeatedly told the media he wouldn’t run; he told everyone who would listen that he wouldn’t run. The Republican base pressured him, but no was all they got. Buy why?

June 2012: Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican Nominee. It doesn’t matter that he has the personality of gym socks, that his millions of dollars were made by being a parasite on the private sector, that Obamacare is basically his idea, and that he hasn’t done anything politically but spend 8 full years running to be President. The Republicans picked him because he had money and political support and because anyone who thought that Santorum, Gingrich, or Cain could defeat Obama was more likely to be found at a mental institution than joining us in the real world. This is when Christie became Mitt Romney’s biggest cheerleader. He joined him at fundraisers, he praised him in the press, and anyone who asked Christie knew that Mitt was his man. Then the Republican National Convention rolled around. Christie was the keynote speaker tasked with selling Mitt Romney to the whole country. Yet he didn’t.

Christie took the podium and talked about what it meant to be a Republican. He listed off his accomplishments from New Jersey over and over again. He still told the convention to elect Romney, but what else could he say? Christie was still hedging his bets.

September 2012: Christie is running around the country stumping for Senate candidates; Christie is the quintessential Republican. But something strange was a foot. Yeah, Mitt Romney was free to visit New Jersey all he wanted. Christie has his door always open. But why would he want to? Romney cannot win New Jersey unless he unzipped his Herman Munster costume and out popped Bill Clinton to announce that he was really just messing with everyone.

Then strange things started happening in New Jersey. Christie was not on the front pages anymore. The first Medical Marijuana dispensary was opening in Montclair, New Jersey and Christie was not around so much.

October 2012: Hurricane Sandy is approaching New Jersey, with 90 mile per hour winds. Christie is on the first plane back to New Jersey. It is going to be bad; we just don’t know how bad. Politically this is not going to be good for Romney because, unless Obama has a complete meltdown in Katrina-sized fashion, he is going to come off as caring, strong, and, well, Presidential. Who cares about the debates or the tax plans or anything else. Obama has his opportunity to seal the deal.

Now he has a new best friend. Christie is praising him in the streets, in press conference, and in interviews. The President is welcome to join Christie on a tour of the devastation. Obama obliged. Republicans are furious; the internet gearing up for a lynching. How can Christie betray Mitt Romney like this? Don’t they realize this could hand the Presidency to Obama?

Come on people, Romney may be oblivious and so may a lot of other people. But me, you, and Chris Christie ain’t no fools.

Chris Christie knows that the best chance he has of winning the White House is going to be in 2016. Obama may have just spent every dollar America has and then some. The only real Democratic challengers will be Joe Biden (sorry need to stop laughing for a moment) and Hillary Clinton (who, if she is to be believed, will not be Secretary of State in a second Obama term). The only real Republican challengers he will face as of now are Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (who no one knows), Jeb Bush (read my lips, no more Bush), Mitt Romney (who )will probably run again in the next 3 or 4 elections), and maybe Marco Rubio.

Christie, especially if he slims down and can look more Presidential, is a force to be reckoned with amongst this crowd for no better reason than he can most likely deliver New Jersey and maybe New York and Pennsylvania. He will have a record of bipartisanship and action. He will have lead New Jersey through a storm (literally). And most importantly, he appeals to all independents because being one of the biggest bullies in the country let’s the extreme sides of the parties know not to mess with him.

Let me make something clear. I abhor Chris Christie. He is a bully, he is arrogant, and he got into office by trashing teachers, the only resource we have to help our children to succeed. I don’t like his tactics, and I don’t like his attitude.

Yet he just be what the country needs. The country needs someone who stands up for himself and holds to his beliefs regardless of the pressure. The two current candidates are the best argument in the world for that. Both pander only to the extreme elements in their parties to the detriment of everyone else. Neither will get anything done for us, regardless of the BS they like to say to the cameras.

I may not like Christie, but at least I will know where I stand.