Along the Jersey Turnpike
The conventional political wisdom is that Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is going nowhere fast. That he can't win the White House in 2016, let alone the Republican nomination for President.
But with that very public political assessment hanging over him for months, Christie has kept plugging away in speech after speech, stop after stop, making the case that he's best positioned to lead Republicans back to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
"This country needs to lead the world again," Christie likes to say, accusing the Obama Administration of an absentee foreign policy that has increased the dangers faced by the United States.
"This is not about politics; this is about life and death for our country," Christie told an audience in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.
Christie on Tuesday will go back to his youth, appearing at Livingston High School in Livingston, New Jersey, where he will officially throw his hat into the Republican ring.
Here was a video put out by the Christie campaign for the run up to that announcement.
In most national polls of the GOP race, Christie trails far behind, after being up at the top for a chunk of 2014 - but the George Washington Bridge scandal and other items took the air out of his balloon, leaving him a long shot in the GOP race.
The Schedule Tells a Story
Long time listeners know I love to examine a candidate's schedule, because it tells a lot about what the campaign - and the candidate - believe they can achieve.
Earlier this month, Jeb Bush announced his campaign in Miami, and went off on a three day tour of New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, three early voting states.
Other candidates have made the same pilgrimage, making sure they visit those three states and Nevada, the fourth state set to vote in February of 2016.
But Chris Christie's schedule is not like the rest of the candidates.
It only has New Hampshire.
Tuesday evening in New Hampshire.
Wednesday in New Hampshire.
Thursday in New Hampshire.
Friday in New Hampshire.
And two morning events on Saturday in New Hampshire.
If Gov. Christie is going to stay in this race, he will need to do well early - and New Hampshire would seem to be his best bet - maybe his only bet.
The voters there like a straight talking candidate who goes toe to toe with voters in open town hall meetings.
That's Christie.
Can it work? We've got six months to find out, and judging from his schedule, Christie is going to spend a lot of time in the Granite State.
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