COMMENTARY | New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has said he believes Mitt Romney might be able to convince him to take a spot on the Republican ticket, according to Fox News. Christie's latest run of statements about the vice presidency are making him a Republican liability. As a political consultant, I think it would behoove the governor to stop talking about the position. Gov. Christie recently said he is not interested in being the vice president and would rather keep his position in New Jersey. At the same time, he believes Romney would be able to convince him to take the position. This means he is leaving the door open for a position he does not want and does not believe is his current calling. These are not the qualities of a strong candidate for any position.
If the governor becomes Romney's running mate, it calls Christie's dedication to New Jersey and to himself into question. Since he has made statements about how he wants to continue to lead the state over anything else, it appears his obligations to New Jersey are secondary when compared to the fast-track to the White House. These thoughts could easily be transmuted into the idea of Christie being more interested in his own power than the needs of his constituents.
If Gov. Christie does not run with Romney, the statements about how convincing Romney is get called into question. Could it be Romney is not as convincing as Christie thought? Is Christie going back on his earlier statements about how he will do anything to help Romney win the presidency? Does the candidate have issues gaining the support he needs from the members of his own party or is Christie a flip-flopper?
Until Romney confirms his running mate, Gov. Christie should avoid making any statements about the position. Anything he says could hurt Romney's candidacy or Christie's political future. The Democrats are going to do everything they can to try to find a weak spot in the GOP, and Christie is setting himself up to be that spot.
