“What I’ve told everybody — supports of mine, potential donors of mine, staff — is relax. You know, no one’s voting for another 12-and-a-half months. Everybody just calm down, you know?”

— Chris Christie (R), quoted by the AP, on being urged to make up his mind on a presidential campaign.

New York Times: “Amid the most aggressive, early and elbows-out jockeying for a presidential nomination in a generation, a contender known for his mercurial and impulsive style is delivering a surprising message to his top supporters and donors: Relax. There is no great rush to wade into the Republican primary, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey assures them. There’s enough money to go around, his advisers and allies explain.”

“The approach is intended to soothe anxious allies who are fretting over the sudden emergence of two potent rivals, Jeb Bush and Mitt Romney, and indications from donors that they are under pressure to pick a candidate now.”

Politico: “Many others on Wall Street are less optimistic. They may like and admire Christie, and might even support him in a scenario without Romney and Bush, but they now don’t see a path for the New Jersey governor.”

Gov. Chris Christie “is preparing to take his first concrete steps toward a presidential bid by setting up a leadership political action committee as early as this month that could help pay for travel and provide a fund-raising vehicle for would-be donors,” the New York Times reports.

“As Gov. Chris Christie delivered his State of the State address on Tuesday, it sounded less like the valedictory of a presidential hopeful on his way to bigger and better things than a defensive move by a politician anticipating the shots that could be leveled against him,” the New York Times reports.

“Speaking in the ornate Assembly chamber full of local and state dignitaries, Mr. Christie seemed largely to be addressing, or pre-empting, criticisms — from Democrats, but also from fellow Republicans in a field of White House aspirants that becomes more crowded by the week.”

A new Fairleigh Dickinson poll in New Jersey finds Gov. Chris Christie’s approval rating has slumped to a lackluster 39% with his disapproval rating at 47%.

The New York Observer has learned that Gov. Chris Christie “has landed a highly coveted name to be its finance chairman for a 2016 campaign that is quickly taking shape. As soon as the end of this week, Mr. Christie will announce that Dallas investor Ray Washburne will be its new finance chair, tasked with raising the $80-100 million it is expected to cost to win the GOP nomination.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), “under pressure to decide whether to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016, has a chance next week to reset his governorship after being stymied all year by national controversies and home-grown fiscal crises,” Reuters reports.

“On Tuesday, Christie will deliver his state of the state address, potentially the biggest speech he’ll make before announcing his presidential intentions, a decision that could come by the end of the month.”

 

New Jersey Gov. Christie (R) “has arranged a getting-to-know-you session with prominent Republicans in the early primary state of South Carolina next week — a sign that Christie is still serious about a presidential bid despite more aggressive moves by other potential GOP candidates so far this year,” CNN reports.

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have subpoenaed Gov. Chris Christie’s re-election campaign for “documents relating to government meetings that were allegedly canceled with Jersey City’s mayor after he declined to endorse the governor,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The subpoenas, sent by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, are another sign that the yearlong probe into former allies of Mr. Christie has broadened beyond matters directly related to the George Washington Bridge lane closures… Investigators were probing the office’s operations and how staffers separated official business from campaign work, according to a person familiar with the probe.”

Nate Silver: The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza has New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the second most likely Republican presidential nominee after Rand Paul. University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato lists Christie as one of the top four candidates, along with Paul, Jeb Bush and Scott Walker. And the betting market BetFair had Christie as the fourth most likely as of midmorning Tuesday.”

“These assessments seem much too bullish; Christie has three fundamental problems that are likely to prevent him from becoming the GOP’s candidate. It might be possible to overcome any one of these, but two is very difficult and three is almost impossible.”

Jeb Bush’s aggressive entrance in the GOP presidential race “has sped up the timing of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is preparing to make a public move toward running at the end of this month rather than waiting until February or March,” the Washington Post reports.

First Read: “Oh, and there’s one more consequence of Jeb’s early — and obvious — presidential maneuvers: You haven’t heard another peep about Mitt Romney. Indeed, the first real victim of the Jeb-in-waiting campaign has been Romney; no one is talking about him anymore. The folks who were most intrigued about a third Romney run where big donors; and those donors like Jeb… in some cases, like Jeb.. A LOT.”

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), “looking to build off his work as chairman of the Republican Governors Association last year, will attend a string of governors’ inaugurations this month — including in key early states like Iowa and South Carolina,” Politico reports.

“The trips are part of an effort by Christie to maintain relationships he developed last cycle, when he was at the helm of the GOP governors’ committee. But it also allows him to visit critical early states at a time when he’s seen as likely to announce a 2016 presidential campaign.”

Associated Press: “It’s after 9 p.m. on a Sunday night in late November and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is deep into a conference call talking about nuclear weapons and Iran. One voice is advocating a hard line, arguing against allowing Iran any capability to enrich uranium. Another summarizes the status of current negotiations and argues that forcing Iran to give up enrichment entirely isn’t realistic.”

“This is how Christie has spent many of his nights during a year in which he raised record-setting amounts of campaign cash for his fellow Republican governors and methodically tried to recover from a political scandal involving traffic jams near a New York City bridge. Late at night, away from the spotlight of the midterm elections and 2016 speculation, he’s been on the phone with some of the brightest foreign policy minds in the Republican Party, getting ready to run for president.”

Washington Post: “Since his first year in office, in 2010, Christie has engaged in at least 14 raised-voice confrontations with regular people, often at town halls. These moments, played and replayed on YouTube, have become a defining characteristic of the governor — as proof that he’s either a tough, no-nonsense leader or a swaggering bully.”

“Now, as Christie considers whether to run for president, he is increasingly facing questions about whether his hard-nosed act will play among voters who may not be quite so hard-nosed as those in New Jersey. Christie will also have to contend with those… who just want to goad him into a candidacy-killing moment.”