Charlie Cook: Christie Was a Long Shot for 2016 Before Bridgegate
Charlie Cook is one of the most hard-nosed — and accurate — political prognosticators around. When my take on political events agrees with his, it’s reassuring. When it doesn’t, it is alarming or worse, depending on the issue at hand. In the case of Chris Christie’s chances of becoming president in 2016, even prior to the Bridgegate scandal, it is reassuring to learn Charlie Cook’s take was similar to mine:
Think for a moment who makes up the Republican Party, and most specifically the part of the GOP base that dominates the presidential nomination process. Think about the people they seriously considered for their party’s presidential nomination last time around. Think Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Newt Gingrich. Now, quickly, think Christie. Now think Sesame Street: “One of these things is not like the others; one of these things just doesn’t belong.” […]
