Chris Christie Campaigns For Mitt Romney In Telephone Town Hall Ahead Of 2012 Michigan Primary

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie defended Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in a telephone town hall with Michigan supporters on Thursday.

The 30-minute call gave voters a chance to air their grievances about Romney, who many Michigan Republicans are skeptical about despite the fact that Romney hails from their state.

"I'm a little louder and a litter brasher than he is, and maybe that's because I'm from Jersey and he's not,” Christie said, according to Mlive.com. "He's more reserved than me, but he's every bit of strong. I think he will take the strong stances that are necessary to win the election in November and when he gets to the White House, he’ll change our country."

Despite Romney's difficulty gaining momentum in Michigan, Christie said the GOP hopeful wouldn't be in trouble if he lost his home state's primary.

"It was clear he was the best of the group and the only one of the group I thought gave us a good chance of being the president," Christie said in an interview with MSNBC after the last Republican debate. "And so nothing that happened last night, or if he were to lose Michigan, would change my evaluation of that."

Others have remained optimistic about Romney's chances in the Wolverine State, including Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. No matter the outcome, Romney is prepared to carry on with his presidential bid.

The AP reports:

Losing the Michigan primary would strip the last of the varnish off the image of Mitt Romney as the inevitable GOP presidential nominee and commit him to the long march he says he's in shape for.

A victory Tuesday by rival Rick Santorum on Tuesday would be a public-relations nightmare for Romney, who was born and raised in Michigan. But Romney's campaign still would carry on with more money than any candidate and remain better organized to compete to the end.

Comments

[Scott Moser]

10:51 PM on 02/26/2012

Why does everyone in GOP land think Christie could be their savior? Every interview I have seen lately has him avoiding question and he is often belligerent. If someone asks Christie a hard question like "Did Obama do the right thing in bailing out GM and Chrysler?", Christie claims not to have studied the issue. If he is pressed for an answer, he tell the interviewer that he is a former prosecutor and that he "will not be cross examined!"

[Aurical]

11:15 PM on 02/26/2012

He was just next in line in the "anyone but Mitt" vote. Pawlenty, Trump, Cain, Bachman, Perry, Newt, Paul, Santorum. All lead at some point and the more people heard from them and not the pundits talking ABOUT them, the worse they liked them.

[PepCap]

07:49 PM on 02/26/2012

He should of endorsed Newt and have a chilly dog eating contest! Would have raised tons on money with that!!

[l78lancer]

06:12 PM on 02/26/2012

Yes, Christie, you are loud and irritating. The voters of Michigan are not impressed.

[l78lancer]

06:08 PM on 02/26/2012

If Romney needs Christie to get the message about about his strength, he's already finished.

Besides, Christie is just trying to get face time because if he happens to get nominated in a brokered convention he want's people to know who he is.

Hey Mitt - none of this is about you!

[Jinni]

04:33 PM on 02/26/2012

If Christi were to race a toddler who would you put your money on?.....

[Aurical]

11:15 PM on 02/26/2012

How far?

[CoronaDischarge]

08:51 AM on 02/26/2012

It's never a good idea for Romney to share the stage with anyone, because it only gives the "anyone but Romney" people a new hope to fixate on. 

For instance Christie. What's the point of even having Romney on the stage? If people are only reacting to Christie, and bored to tears with Mitt, why remind them of what a dullard Mitt is by putting a shiny penny alongside?  (OK, so maybe Christie is a whole roll of them, but don't let that detract.)

[l78lancer]

06:14 PM on 02/26/2012

"It's never a good idea for Romney to share the stage with anyone, because it only gives the "anyone but Romney" people a new hope to fixate on."
------------------------

Precisely.

F/F.

[saulthesavior]

08:32 AM on 02/26/2012

Chisty is the classic republican. He gets popular, then got pulled aside and the heirarchy was explained to him. He drops out of running for prez, endorses the republican establishment choice, and he becomes the candidate in waiting for 2016 or 2020

[Ferris J Anderson]

02:29 AM on 02/26/2012

Is Mitt Romney now Chris Christie's boitch? Sure seems like it.

[beerbagger]

01:54 AM on 02/26/2012

Laurel & Hardy...?

[Ferris J Anderson]

02:28 AM on 02/26/2012

awesome analysis. Faved

[Almondo]

09:33 AM on 02/26/2012

Flour & water.

[kevingiampa]

01:48 AM on 02/26/2012

gov. christie's obnoxious, paper tiger routine is wearing thin.

unlike his suit.

[l78lancer]

06:15 PM on 02/26/2012

Yep.

[wonderfullone]

01:19 AM on 02/26/2012

The Huff Po photo of Willard and Christie looks like the Laurel and Hardy comedy team.------------Just saying.

[FL TallMan]

01:11 AM on 02/26/2012

Romney, the candidate born with a silver spoon, was born and raised in Michigan because that is where daddy lived and worked, not because he loved the tree height and wonderful streets . . . and cars. Recognizing that daddy's name would open lots of doors for him, Romney was admitted to the finest colleges, and even landed his first - and only - real job thanks to daddy.

And he thinks that makes him qualified to be president of the United States.

Notice that he does not campaign as a former governor, but as a businessman, albeit one responsible for pillaging companies and becoming very wealthy by closing plants and laying off workers. Romney has had one - and only one - real job in his 60+ years. His latest venture is being run as a business plan, not as professional political campaign, and it shows.

Romney may be the best of the sorry lot of republicans running for the GOP nomination, but he clearly is not prepared to assume the office of president except in another venture capital firm.

[CoronaDischarge]

08:38 AM on 02/26/2012

He ducked Vietnam because of who his daddy was. Had hard duty living in France "saving souls" for the LDS. But he was all gung-ho for the war.

[hotbarb2614]

12:54 AM on 02/26/2012

Yup I thought so Mitt was holding a whole ham and Christi came to his defense

[thomasdep]

12:24 AM on 02/26/2012

How is that for a DUMB LOOKIN FACE huh?? And I havent seen a waistline that rotund since the Jerry Springer show took that 700 pound man out of his house with a crane...oh wait they took the house out around him right?

[Fan Tastic]

12:21 AM on 02/26/2012

great picture of rawmoney and teletubbie

[hotbarb2614]

12:52 AM on 02/26/2012

LMAO F&F

[Ferris J Anderson]

02:31 AM on 02/26/2012

I like that. faved