(Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Dave Weigel
has the perfect headline to sum up Chris Christie's answer on whether he's running in 2012:
Chris Christie on 2012: Something Something Ronald Reagan
As Weigel notes, Christie's long-winded answer boiled down to a diplomatic version of "nothing's changed yet, but thanks." Earlier in his speech, he'd said "no" in more pointed terms, but because he didn't specifically ask people to stop encouraging him, Christie guaranteed the chatter about a potential 2012 campaign will continue.
Christie also made sure to keep speculation alive by taking a shot at Rick Perry for being insufficiently hateful of brown people:
Christie made clear he did not support in-state tuition levels for immigrants who arrived in the country illegally, a position that Rick Perry defended during last week's debate and uttered the line that several Florida straw poll voters recoiled from - that his critics on the issue "don't have a heart."
Asked by a questioner at the Reagan Library, Christie took an unmistakable shot at Perry, saying, "From my perspective, that is not a heartless position. That is a common-sense position."
I've got no idea what Christie will do, but it tells you something about GOP politics that the way to attack Rick Perry is to slam him for allowing children of undocumented immigrants to get a college education.
Given the state of the economy, you'd think maybe Rick Perry would get some criticism for not having offered an economic plan, for doing nothing more than waging a Palin-style campaign of empty platitudes, but Republicans don't really seem to have a problem with that. But try to give a young adult access to a college education? Then you're the devil! And, to most Republicans, Chris Christie isn't a heartless bully for having pointed that out: he's a profile in courage.