The No-Run Candidate: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

The Takeaway

New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie’s mantra in every national interview is that he is not running for President in 2012.  But that hasn’t stopped Republicans from asking, or voters from noticing. In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, respondents ranked Christie number three, just below first lady Michelle Obama and former President Bill Clinton (and one step above President Barack Obama) when asked to rate how they feel about public leaders. Christie is, in a word, a “hot” political commodity. But polls also showed Christie has issues with name recognition: 55 percent of respondents said they didn’t know him well enough to make a decision. Bob Hennelly, political reporter from our flagship station WNYC, gives us the rundown of who Gov. Chris Christie is, where he stands, and why he has enough on his hands at the moment.

Will you support The World? 

The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?