Chris Christie Jumps In

Sunday night, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie released a teaser video as a preview to his upcoming presidential announcement. From Marco to Jeb to Jindal, it seems as though every governor and senator on the right are making a run for the White House.

Governor Chris Christie is slated to announce on Tuesday in the gymnasium of his old high school in Livingston, New Jersey, where he served in student government and played for the celebrated baseball team. As the field of Republican presidential contenders continues to grow, many question Christie’s ability to be a viable candidate.

After winning a second term as New Jersey’s Governor in a landslide re-election, Christie’s favorability slumped on the national stage as well as at home after the politically motivated lane closures by former aides on the George Washington Bridge. Couple this with an ongoing fiscal crisis in the Garden State; some would argue Christie’s presidential hopes were already dashed.

I beg to differ. In 2013, many voters wrote off Rubio as a viable presidential candidate after taking a hardline stance on immigration. However, here we sit in 2015 and Rubio’s chances are better than ever. Taking a page out of Rubio’s playbook, Governor Christie’s team has worked diligently to re-establish him as credible candidate chock-full of policy prescriptions. Embracing Christie’s bold persona, his aides have used it to their advantage by leveraging Christie’s charismatic charm and turning it into his campaign slogan, “Tell It Like It Is.” There is no doubt Christie’s slogan fits him as a Governor and a candidate, I would even argue it is what makes him popular with Americans and the press. Christie is the one elected official who is not afraid to tell people to “sit down and shut up.” However, in a race this crowded, Christie will have to rely more on his policy answers and family stories than his dogmatic approach when it comes to wooing voters and leading in the polls.

While it’s clear to many, Christie has an uphill battle in the coming months, and running for president, especially in a field this crowded it is a marathon, not a sprint. Candidates who hold sizable leads this far out are forced to maintain the momentum, which is a difficult task even for the most well-known candidates. I’m looking at you, Jeb, Rubio, and Hillary.

At this point in the race, there is no clear front runner and polls change as quickly as the mind of a 14 year old girl. With the clock ticking and Obama’s days numbered at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, voters are not lacking options when it comes to choosing the next President.