New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he’s not really interested in playing “second fiddle” as Mitt Romney’s vice-presidential running mate, but his schedule seems to be saying something different.
According to
the Newark Star-Ledger, Christie is beginning to talk more — and travel more — like someone who wants to keep his name at the top of Romney’s short list of Republican VP candidates.
The newspaper reported Monday that Christie has traveled just in the last several weeks between appearances all over California, to Israel, Jordan, and back to the United States for a brief stop at home in New Jersey and in New York. Today, he moves on to Indiana and Ohio, where he plans to campaign for Republican candidates.
Next month, he’ll headline the Republicans’ Lincoln Day fundraising dinner in Kentucky.
“Whether he’s hinting that he would like to join Romney on the ticket or not, Christie is choosing his words carefully enough to keep his name near the top of pundits’ short lists,” the newspaper said. “So is his break-neck schedule.”
But long-time Republican political strategist Ed Rollins told the paper, “The critical question is whether he would be comfortable being No. 2 to anybody.”
Presidential scholar Julian Zelizer of Princeton University said Romney would have to keep that in mind as he makes his decision, given the fact that Christie is known for his volatility and has yet to be tested on the national stage.
“Will he crash and burn? He is politically attractive, but could also be devastating to a presidential ticket,” Zelizer told the Star-Ledger. “He makes one misstatement and he could take down Romney.”
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