If not Christie who becomes the "Establishment Candidate" for the GOP?

[Mister Mets]

One reason the establishment likes Christie is that his political talents have been established for some time. Wealthy donors wouldn't want to back someone who looks good on paper, but then turns out to not be ready for prime-time.

They'll probably keep a close eye on the contenders from Wisconsin and Florida (Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio). Ryan's been a national figure for a while, and did well enough as a candidate for national office, so he's the safest bet, although it's not clear he's going to run. Jeb Bush is going to have a lot of rich Republicans who have known him for decades, and can vouch for him. But it's also not certain he's not going to run.

If Scott Walker and Marco Rubio are the only two from this group to run for the nomination, I could see donors waiting until it's clear that one has a better shot at the nomination than the other.