Cavuto and Christie

Neil Cavuto on his December 10 show started his speculation concerning Governor Chris Christie’s potential to be the Republican nominee. Neil had interviewed Dick Cheney, who believed Christie’s hug of President Obama was excessive and a Republican businessman who saw Christie as exactly what Republicans need – someone who will shake up Washington, but pragmatic enough to still get things done.

On the show we considered some Christie facts:

• His November re-election was well-timed, with little competing political news to make him the early Republican frontrunner.
• A New Jersey win gives him creditability to help Republicans win suburban women and moderate independent voters. Christie did it by being himself. Mitt Romney’s win in Massachusetts always felt like he did it by being someone else – hence, his vulnerability to the charge of flip-flopping. 
• Christie is 8 points ahead of Hillary Clinton in Colorado, a presidential swing state, because of his November re-election surge and because Obama and the ACA is damaging Democrats across the board.
• The Republican Party is divided with the more conservative wing supporting Paul, Cruz, Rubio and Perry, and more moderate wing supporting Christie and Bush, with Ryan and Walker somewhere in the middle.
• Republicans have two years to sort it out before the Iowa Caucus in January 2016, but Christie must be conscious of the Giuliani effect. A highly popular, moderate Northeastern politician is polling frontrunner, but has little grass roots support. Misses early caucuses and primaries, waits for Florida, but race is over.

See Sabato’s Crystal Ball: Chris Christie’s midterm marker