Former Governor Chris Christie is in the news for saying he wouldn’t rule out a run for president in 2024. New Jersey’s bloggers have been making their opinions known. I can already hear our readers screaming and yelling about it and I haven’t even clicked “post” yet!

Think about this, when I told Bob I was considering writing about this he asked, “How many people wish he was governor now?”

Great question! I’m sure there are many in this state who would much prefer Christie to Governor Phil Murphy.

The bigger question is this: Is a Christie 2024 campaign really a far-fetched idea?

Maybe not!

Since The Hill’s Steve Clemons interview of Christie I’ve received texts and phone calls from Republican friends and operatives in NM, TX, SC and OH.

More than one of these operatives asked if I still have contacts within the Christie organization.

Perhaps they forgot that I’ve been very critical of the former Governor in the past. I protested him in Camden and I had harsh words for Christie after the historic legislative losses of 2015. So, I’m fairly certain most still connected to the former Governor have nothing nice to say about me me.

But I’ve also defended the former Governor on the radio show more than once. I’ve reminded people that they loved Christie for six of his eight years as Governor giving him a .750 batting average, and that’s a Hall of Fame number for baseball players.

Love him or hate him now, deep down inside Republicans know they loved the guy longer than they hated him. No doubt the man was popular, Christie cruised to re-election winning 19 counties, losing only Hudson and Essex. That says something!

I remember during the 2016 primary election debates telling friends back in New Mexico (and Bob) that, “Donald Trump was out-Christieing Chris Christie.”

There was only room for one plain-spoken candidate and Trump filled that role before Christie announced. Christie was definitely out-Christied.

One could argue that Christie’s presidential aspirations went down the tubes with Bridgegate. I don’t think that’s the case. Outside of New Jersey/NYC nobody really cared.

And, consider this. Christie’s approvals in New Jersey didn’t really nosedive until 2015. Sure, he took a beating during Bridgegate, but the real damage came after. A January 2015 Fairleigh Dickinson Public Mind Poll statement was clear:

“This is the first time Governor Christie faces a public with numbers like these in regard to his leadership,” said Krista Jenkins, professor of political science and director of PublicMind.

None of this is to suggest I’m in support of a Christie for President 2024 movement. I’m simply saying, “Never say never.”

There are still folks all over the country who like Christie. Look at ABC News. It doesn’t matter if you like their news or reporting. The folks at ABC are in the business of selling ads – they wouldn’t be putting Christie on TV if he wasn’t good for selling ads – and advertisers wouldn’t be buying time if Christie wasn’t still popular enough that people are watching him on TV.

Christie 2024? I’ve been hospitalized with a heart attack and six months after that back to the hospital with a blood pressure that should have caused a stroke, so 2024 is way too far in the future for me to be looking.

But I will say this, I liked having Governor Christie much more than I like having Governor Murphy.