Ending With A Whimper

Pundits overwhelmingly predicted that Chris Christie would not run for President, and they were right; the New Jersey governor said so on Tuesday.  Christie cited his responsibilities as governor as a reason not to run, but many commentators noted the lack of a campaign apparatus on the ground and the lack of time available in getting one up and running.  My mother, not a professional pundit, probably had the best analysis: "He's too lazy to run!"

Christie also expressed his commitment to serving a full term as governor of New Jersey and focusing on the state's issues. Many saw this comment as a dig at Texas governor Rick Perry for not even paying attention to his most meager responsibilities of his office (and the Texas governorship's most important duties are meager from the start)  and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin for not even finishing her term and resigning to make a lot of money as a professional celebrity, as if to keep himself in possible contention for 2016 by burnishing his governing credentials.

Oh yeah, Palin (speak of the devil - some would say I'm being literal) finally announced that she would not run for President, and no one noticed.  Not because Christie got all the attention, because people finally got sick and tired of Palin's teases on her decision.  I've said that Palin is to politics what Madonna and Lady Gaga are to popular music.  By that, I mean that Palin isn't gifted or talented in her field - in fact, what she produces in her profession is pretty awful - and such a person normally doesn't last.  But Palin, like the two pop singers I just mentioned, has lasted because she's able to get people to keep paying attention to her.  But she forgot to keep doing the one thing that allowed Madge and Gaga to turn gimmicky novelty acts into careers.  Palin forgot to keep leaving people wanting more.

Christie's absence theoretically helps President Obama by denying the Republicans a candidate that can pick up some reliably Democratic states, while helping Mitt Romney having more of the dwindling Republican center in the primaries.  Palin's absence helps Perry shore up his Tea Party credentials.  But just because the GOP's biggest bully and its biggest dunce aren't running doesn't mean Americans have dodged a bullet; Obama hasn't won re-election yet, and Romney and Perry have enough fatal flaws of their own as would-be Presidents.