New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) admitted he "wasn't ready" to run for president in 2012, but he thinks 2016 could be a different story.
"I wasn't ready to run for President this time," Christie said in an interview with Steve Adubato for the show "Conversations at NJPAC." "If [a 2016 presidential run] comes, I know that I will be more ready for it than I would have been this year."
A Fairleigh Dickinson University PublicMind poll released Tuesday showed Christie is the most favored among likely Republican candidates for the 2016 presidential nomination. The governor's approval rating soared after his handling of the damages from Hurricane Sandy.
While reflecting on the last two elections, Christie cited concerns about the Republican party.
"We're not connecting with Americans on the issues that matter most to them. We haven't had the best candidates," Christie said. "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."
Christie took heat for embracing President Barack Obama while dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in the days leading up to the 2012 election. Despite reports that Christie's praises for Obama frustrated the Romney campaign, the New Jersey governor denied that Romney was ignorant to Christie's intentions.
"Mitt Romney knew that I was doing what had to be done. Then the media and political operatives got involved and it turned into a story," Christie said. "It's just stupid for anyone to be upset with my reaction, even if it was a week before the election."
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