Chris Christie, America's governor, says he'll be ready next time

By Richard K. Barry

The "next time" to which Christie refers is 2016 for a potential run at the presidency. As he said in an interview in Newark on Tuesday night:

I wasn't ready to run for President this time. If it comes, I know that I will be more ready for it than I would have been this year.

He added:

We lost two national elections in a row. We're not connecting with Americans on the issues that matter most to them. We haven't had the best candidates. I believe that Mitt Romney is a good man. I was out supporting him before anyone else, but he simply didn't connect with Americans.

While it's true that Christie pissed off a lot of Republicans by cozying up to President Obama in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, that may be forgotten before he ramps up for a possible 2016 campaign. Maybe. And I don't doubt that Christie could connect with Americans more effectively than Romney. Not a high bar there. 

But the biggest impediment is surely, despite his new image as "America's Governor," that he is still fundamentally an asshole. A guy who has had a few good months, but still, when it comes right down to it, an asshole.