The Christie impact

There have been discussions the past few days that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie might be joining the Republican race for the White House.

While much of the debate has been around if he’ll run, that’s a question that can only be answered by Governor Christie himself. Instead, we can look at what it means if he does get in the race.

Christie has become a rising star in the conservative movement. Since taking office in 2010, he’s taken on teacher unions and has earned the support of conservative political commentator Ann Coulter.

Christie is also a proven force in the world of campaign fund raising. He’s currently scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Louisiana with Governor Bobby Jindal where tickets will go for $10,000 to $100,000. He’s also attended a $10,000-a-plate luncheon this week in his home state. That’s nothing to sneeze at. Regardless if he’s in or out of the race, Christie could be a huge force for the Republican Party just by helping raise funds as the GOP looks to take on Obama in 2012.

Yesterday during his radio show, Rush Limbaugh said that Mitt Romney would be hit the hardest if Christie got in the race. I’m not sure how much I agree with that one. Much of the Romney supporters I run into cite either name recognition or a belief that he has the best chance to knock off Obama. Christie doesn’t exactly scream national name recognition. While conservative news junkies are well aware of him, it’s hard to say he’s got the same national name recognition as Romney. While he’s a strong candidate, I’ve yet to see him be as smooth as Romney has been of recent. The only way Christie might pull support from Romney is in that they’re both from the same region geographically. The Northeast hasn’t exactly been a huge player in the primaries.

Rick Perry, who seems to be losing steam over the past few weeks (failing to win either the Florida straw poll or the Michigan straw poll) is the one who appears to be one who could lose a lot if Christie gets in. Much of the support for Perry has come from the fact that he presents himself as the most conservative candidate (outside Ron Paul who scares most Republicans with his foreign policy). Christie provides another strong conservative who might be able to present himself better in debates than Perry has lately. He doesn’t have any of the conservative hang ups that Perry does with his border security policy and the Gardasil debacle.

The ones who will be hit the hardest are those who are looking to get some traction in the race. Michelle Bachmann has been slipping all too quickly. Newt Gingrich has been great in the debates but hasn’t really gained a huge following. While Herman Cain has been gaining strength, that could take a bit of a hit if Christie gets in the race. For the rest of the group, they could have their campaigns come to an end if Christie becomes a factor.

It will be interesting to see how things play out if Christie gets in the race. I don’t feel like most conservatives have found a candidate they really like. Many are just settling for the best in their right now. That could change for a few with a Chris Christie run.