Ten out of ten GOP billionaires agree: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie should run for president. But with just weeks to go before the filing deadlines, and so many "no" answers to mitigate, the governor who is already in the pocket of Big Helicopter has mobilized a group of trusted advisers who are "getting their arms around what's going to be required," a source who obviously hasn't read any of the recent coverage about Christie's weight tells the Times.
A "close confidant of Mr. Christie," William Patalucci, said, "This is a very smart guy who can figure this out for himself and I think that's all that needs to be said." Patalucci said his own plans this weekend did not include any campaign research on Christie's behalf, but that he was "going to pick up my daughter from her sleepover." He then presumably said, "And then I'm going to read her a bedtime story about available commercial real estate in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina."
Spearheading Christie's "due diligence" committee is Michael DuHaime, who before running the governor's successful campaign against Jon Corzine in 2009 after managing Rudy Giuliani's ugly 2008 presidential run. Other advisors are also former Giuliani staffers, and they tell the Times that they could set up a campaign in "24 hours if needed." Christie has to hope that instant campaign would include winning a primary in a state other than Florida.
There's a decent chance that the GOP establishment will get what they want: but they'll have to remind the Republican base why their candidate who supports medical marijuana, the "Ground Zero mosque," and meddling with their Happy Meals.
