Our prayers might be answered: Christie to decide on 2012 bid.

[RI]

Even if he runs, as soon as he's outed as being by far the most liberal candidate, he'll fall apart faster than Perry did.

[RI]

Um, the following could easily paint him as an anathema to conservatives:

1. He supports banning assault weapons and is against concealed carry
2. He has stated that "being in this country without proper documentation is not a crime" and believes in a path to citizenship (*cough*amnesty*cough*)
3. He, like Huntsman, expilictly believes in antropogenic global warming
4. He supports civil unions
5. He supported the "ground zero mosque"
6. He has actively called out anyone who thinks Sharia Law is an issue in the US, along with the Tea Party in general
7. He declined to challenge health care reform in court
8. He is pro-choice for the first trimester
9. He actively supports "Obama's" Race to the Top (whether that is objectively liberal or not is irrelevant)
10. He has run ads tying him to Obama's message

A couple of these are more than enough to take Christie down by themselves, or at least any chance that he has of being an 'anti-Romney'.

Ok, by most liberal I mostly meant of the serious candidates. Obviously you could call the libertarians more liberal if you really want (if you take a simplistic view of the political spectrum like the media tends to do), and maybe Huntsman, but he's irrelevant until further notice.

[RI]

Which reminds me: Florida's going before Nevada.

Not anymore. The NVRP voted to move the caucuses to the week after New Hampshire yesterday.

[RI]

3. He, like Huntsman, expilictly believes in antropogenic global warming
4. He supports civil unions
5. He supported the "ground zero mosque"
6. He has actively called out anyone who thinks Sharia Law is an issue in the US, along with the Tea Party in general

Ah, so he should do well with the sane, mainstream conservative wing of the party that still dominates. Nice.

That's not the part of the party that is desperate for a candidate, though.

[RI]

3. He, like Huntsman, expilictly believes in antropogenic global warming
4. He supports civil unions
5. He supported the "ground zero mosque"
6. He has actively called out anyone who thinks Sharia Law is an issue in the US, along with the Tea Party in general

Ah, so he should do well with the sane, mainstream conservative wing of the party that still dominates. Nice.

That's not the part of the party that is desperate for a candidate, though.

Actually, it is. Mitt's support is about a half-inch deep, based around the principle of "well, if this is all we've got ...". Mainstream conservatives want a candidate to be excited by, and mainstream conservatives would be very excited by Christie -- especially in an election dominated by fiscal/budget issues. After all, Christie's appeal is 50% budgetary, 50% attitude.

Even if they want someone other than Mitt, the desire of the hard right for a uniting candidate > than the desire of the mainstream Republican party for a candidate. The mainstream would, and probably will, accept Romney as their standard barer.