Mitt Romney pushed back Sunday against talk of any ill will between himself and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, lauding Mr. Christie’s record as a Republican in a blue state and saying, “They don’t come better than Chris Christie.”
Asked Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about a recent book that delves into the 2012 Romney campaign’s decision not to pick Mr. Christie as a running mate, Mr. Romney said he felt Rep. Paul Ryan was a better fit because of his ties to Washington and budget expertise. He went on to say that Mr. Christie could be a good GOP presidential candidate in 2016.
“And Chris, by the way — Chris could easily become our nominee and save our party and help get this nation on the right track again. They don’t come better than Chris Christie,” he said.
Mr. Romney went on to name a few others who he thought could be effective leaders of the Republican Party: Mr. Ryan, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. When asked about Sen. Ted Cruz’s future in the party, he was not as eager to single out the Texas Republican as the way forward for the GOP.
“Look, I’m not going to disqualify anybody, but I think I’ve indicated some of the names I think are most effective in becoming elected, and we’ll see where it goes,” he said.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.