Chris Christie Speaks

The Chris Christie political machine has flown off the rails. By all accounts, Christie’s political future is in a ditch.

And yet, yesterday at the Economic Club of Chicago he showed us why Democrats consider him such a potentially formidable opponent.

Speaking to an audience beyond Chicago, Christie challenged the Republican Party:

I thought political parties were formed in order to win elections, not to be debating societies, not to be academic institutions to debate the great esoteric issues of the day. When you win, you get to govern. When you get to govern, you get to make change.

Well said, to the point, concise and high concept. The hallmarks of a master communicator.

And yet, where was Chris Christie during the 2012 presidential campaign? Doing everything in his power to elect… which candidate? Did he offer a fire-breathing attack on the president at the Republican Convention? Was Christie out campaigning for Mitt Romney and other Republicans or was he wrapped in an embrace with Barack Obama.

Christie has raised a lot of money for Republicans, but, bridge or no bridge, he will not be a viable candidate until he starts throwing his support toward his fellow Republicans… and helping them to win elections.