Don’t Count Christie Out

Steve Kornacki says that, despite his snub by CPAC, Chris Christie still should be considered a very viable candidate for the 2016 presidential nomination.

“He hasn’t passed the ideological point of no return on any litmus test issues, is much more conservative than the ‘moderate’ label that’s frequently attached to him suggests, and will be free after this November to recalibrate himself for the national GOP stage. There’s also the matter of his personality. Political science tells us that this doesn’t matter in campaigns, but I don’t quite agree. His charisma isn’t the only reason Christie rocketed to national political fame over the past few years, but it’s certainly a big part of the equation. I may be a little biased on this, since I began watching Christie up-close a decade ago, but I’ve long believed there’s is something about his style that makes people – especially Republicans – want to like him and support him.”

Matt Lewis: Christie is the new Jon Huntsman.