I feel sorry for this woman because she will, inevitably, be disappointed - even if Christie runs, even if Christie wins. This is because it is not Christie that she and so many other Republicans want, but what Christie represents: a political superman who can, in a single bound, transform the whole mess our political system has become.
We've seen this movie before, with a Democrat playing the lead role. Nearly three and a half years ago, I raised doubts about Barack Obama's overconfident promise to transform politics, the nation, and the world. Obama's wide-eyed followers, who had assigned the candidate magical powers, set themselves up for the relative letdown his presidency has become.
Obvious appeal
Now we have another political newcomer with a promise to rise above conventional politics. Christie is to Mitt Romney as Obama was to Hillary Clinton.
The appeal of the tough-talking guy from Jersey is obvious. To sunbathers tarrying while a hurricane approached the Shore, he said, "Get the hell off the beach." He dismissed the complaints of teachers' unions as "crap." To a reporter who questioned his "confrontational tone," he suggested, "You should really see me when I'm pissed."
It's tempting to think Christie could cut through the Washington paralysis with his tough talk ("It's put-up-or-shut-up time"), his common sense ("people who use New Jersey Transit have to pay for New Jersey Transit"), and his Sopranos mystique ("I have an Irish father and I had ... a Sicilian mother. Now, for those of you who have been exposed to the combination of Irish and Sicilian, it has made me not unfamiliar with conflict").
Christie, like Obama, is a man of prodigious talent. Selfishly, I hope he abandons his reluctance and enters the race. If nothing else, he will entertain us on the campaign trail.
