Christie Urges Florida Delegates to Back Romney Without Reservation

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during the Florida delegation breakfast Thursday at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor.

RICK RUNION | THE LEDGER

Published: Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 3:23 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 30, 2012 at 3:23 p.m.

PALM HARBOR | New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie urged the Florida delegation Thursday morning to follow his example in the presidential election's homestretch to sway voters: speak in an unapologetic and outspoken way about their party's ideas.

?American people don't want and can't tolerate plain vanilla leadership at this point,? he said.

The Republican governor also shared an anecdote about what led him to support Mitt Romney as early as October.

Before Romney stopped by his home for a meal, Christie told his children to make themselves scarce. Instead, his children vied for Romney's attention.

Patrick, his 12-year-old son, came within 2 feet of crashing into Romney on roller blades. A daughter somersaulted in his direction, announcing her love for gymnastics. Where some politicians would have been patronizing, Romney carried on with the children with genuine interest.

The display compelled Christie to offer his support for Romney that evening without hesitation.

?We've seen politicians who don't know how to interact with children,? he said. ?What I saw that day from Mitt Romney you can't fake. What it told me was something I didn't know until that day: this is a really involved father and a doting grandfather.?

Some delegates filed out of the Innisbrook ballroom in Palm Harbor after the half hour speech wishing Christie would have shared the humanizing account when he had the nation's attention in a keynote address at the convention earlier this week.

Linda Ivell, a Polk County delegate, seemed energized by Christie's story and a session by Newt Gingrich that argued the economic benefits of expanding oil and gas production on public land. Republicans need to improve how they market their ideas, she said.

?This isn't politics,? she said. ?This is really about answers. (Voters) want a path and they want knowledge.?

Holding forth at the convention this week, Christie said Democrats want to ?whistle a happy tune while driving us off a fiscal cliff.? He continued drawing distinctions between the parties Thursday morning, highlighting the work done by Republican governors across the country (but not mentioning Gov. Rick Scott, whose mother was seated in the audience).

?You may not think that you're ready to change horses but you are,? he said, as if speaking to undecided voters instead of a roomful of GOP delegates. ?The reason you are is because of the power of our ideas and the changes they are producing across the country.?

Christie said he has made statements in New Jersey that have made constituents shake their heads, but said an occasional gaff is better than making voters guess where you stand.

?Our problems are too big to be playing charades,? he said. ?Our problems are too big to send smoke signals.?

Source: http://www.theledger.com/article/20120830/politics/120839969

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