But the nature of the men's comments about the current candidates - deemed deeply flawed by some pundits and party faithful - indicated that both think they have something to teach Republican contenders.
"Look at the two of us. It is not our good looks that they're clamoring for," Christie said of the repeated requests to run. "They're not saying, 'There's a spot open on Mount Rushmore, and oh, man, these are the guys for it.' I think it's because of our ideas, because of what we have chosen to emphasize as governors."
Despite a flurry of reports this week that Christie could be, maybe, possibly, thinking about jumping in any day now, he made no such indication Thursday.
Daniels, who months ago made a speech to affirm that he wasn't running, spoke of his accomplishments in Indiana with a mellow Midwestern drawl. He said that a medical savings account he created for public workers saved money in several ways and that he shrank the public workforce to levels not seen since before 1976.
The former director of the federal Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush visited New Jersey during his East Coast tour for his new book, Keeping the Republic: Saving America by Trusting Americans.
"Government is a pretty klutzy mechanism, and you ought to be very modest and humble about thinking it can do anything well," Daniels said.
President Obama is in "really bad shape" for reelection, Daniels said. "I hope our nominee, and there's lots of time for this, will have a little more confidence in the American people."
Therefore, Christie said, it is his and Daniels' role to "prod" the Republican candidates to talk about important issues, such as reforming entitlement programs.
