Republicans Hunting for a Jersey Rock Star

So a group of Iowa Republican heavy hitters, poobahs, kingmakers, bundlers, pick your own label, are flying to New Jersey to powwow with a "rock star."

I know, Springsteen, right? No. Jon Bon Jovi? Nope. Aww, at least let it be Snooki.

No dice. They're meeting with Gov. Chris Christie, trying to convince him to run for the GOP presidential nomination. And it is not, they repeat, not because they are not completely enthralled with, say, Tim Pawlenty. You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're all right, we swear.

It's just that Christie has so much more of that victory-ness quality that's become so hot in the political circles. The Iowans simply want to be in its presence for a little while, after spending so much time with Rick Santorum. Maybe drop off a box of Iowa tenderloins. Take in Newark in the springtime.

It's in all the papers, thanks to AP's Tom Beaumont:

Some of Iowa's top Republican campaign contributors, unhappy with their choices in the developing presidential field, are venturing to New Jersey in hopes they can persuade first-term Gov. Chris Christie to run.The entreaty is the latest sign of dissatisfaction within the GOP over the crop of candidates competing for the chance to run against President Barack Obama in 2012.Bruce Rastetter, an Iowa energy company executive, and a half-dozen other prominent Iowa GOP donors sought the meeting with Christie, the governor's chief political adviser, Mike DuHaime, told the Associated Press. The get-together is set for the governor's mansion in Princeton, N.J., on May 31.The meeting speaks to what some Republicans nationally say is a lack of enthusiasm about the emerging roster of contenders. It's also unusual because candidates typically court Iowans, who get the first say in presidential nominating contests, and not the other way around.

The entreaty is the latest sign of dissatisfaction within the GOP over the crop of candidates competing for the chance to run against President Barack Obama in 2012.

Bruce Rastetter, an Iowa energy company executive, and a half-dozen other prominent Iowa GOP donors sought the meeting with Christie, the governor's chief political adviser, Mike DuHaime, told the Associated Press. The get-together is set for the governor's mansion in Princeton, N.J., on May 31.

The meeting speaks to what some Republicans nationally say is a lack of enthusiasm about the emerging roster of contenders. It's also unusual because candidates typically court Iowans, who get the first say in presidential nominating contests, and not the other way around.

Unhappy? Dissatisfaction? Lack of Enthusiasm? This surely had to be before Newt announced that he's getting in and lit this race on fire.

They tell the Register's Jennifer Jacobs that they are plenty sasified, but...

The key organizers behind the Iowa mission to recruit Republican Chris Christie to run for president said this morning their efforts aren'ta rejection of the existing field.“We just want him to know he's welcome in Iowa, but it's nothing against the rest,” said Gary Kirke, a casino owner and real estate developer from West Des Moines. “He's a get-in-your-face type of guy. Real leadership and no BS.”Bruce Rastetter, chief executive of the ethanol production company Hawkeye Renewables, said he hasn't expressed dissatisfaction with other GOP presidential hopefuls. He said: “Chris Christie would make a great candidate, in my view, but there are others that would be much better than Barack Obama.”

“We just want him to know he's welcome in Iowa, but it's nothing against the rest,” said Gary Kirke, a casino owner and real estate developer from West Des Moines. “He's a get-in-your-face type of guy. Real leadership and no BS.”

Bruce Rastetter, chief executive of the ethanol production company Hawkeye Renewables, said he hasn't expressed dissatisfaction with other GOP presidential hopefuls. He said: “Chris Christie would make a great candidate, in my view, but there are others that would be much better than Barack Obama.”

And Christie likes it, he really likes it...

"How self-important would one have to be to become tired and annoyed by having people ask you to run for president?" Christie said Monday morning during an interview on a Philadelphia radio station."I'm a kid from Jersey who has people asking him to run for president. I'm thrilled by it," he said. "I just don't want to do it."

"I'm a kid from Jersey who has people asking him to run for president. I'm thrilled by it," he said. "I just don't want to do it."

Could you at least try a tenderloin before making that your final answer?

This cross country courting by the quietly dissatisfied is really nothing new.

Back in February 1999, a group of Iowa Republicans flew to Texas hoping to persuade then Gov. George W. Bush to run for president and to make sure and stop on by the caucuses. The Iowa group included top state lawmakers, such as then-Senate Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, Senate President Mary Kramer and Steve Sukup, who ran for governor in 2002.

They insisted that it was nothing against Lamar Alexander or Gary Bauer or Orrin Hatch or Dan Quayle, etc. But, then as now, it was Bush's victory-ness.

And sure enough, in June 1999, Bush showed up in Amana to announce his candidacy. He won the caucuses and the presidency. He served happily ever after. And the comment line forms below.

What is sort of different is that Republicans who spent much of 2008 complainingabout how green and inexperienced and clueless Barack Obama was are now courting a guy who has been governor for a grand total of 16 months. He still has 15 months to go before he crosses the Sarah Palin threshold.

GOP'ers who warned Americans to not get all mesmerized by Obama'sfancy speakin' are now getting all mesmerized by Christie's "get-in-your-face" yellin.'

Democrats fell in love with fuzzy stuff about no red states or blue states, just the United States.

Republicans now long for less-fuzzy stuff like, "If you liberal morons don't do what I say, you're all going to be in a black and blue state!"  I guess if someone is going to scream "You lie!" during the State of the Union address, it might as well be the next president.

But Christie is too smart to run now. It's also possible that things he's had to do or say, and stands he's had to take, in order to govern and navigate in a state like New Jersey may cause disdainful murmurs at pancake breakfasts across Northwest Iowa. His abortion view has evolved from pro choice to pro life. He thinks civil unions are all right. He didn't embrace Wisconsin's approach to labor unions. Pretty sensitive "RINO" detectors around theses parts nowadays, even for rock stars.

So, Iowans get a nice trip to Jersey and Christie gets to feel good without having to run. Everyone is satisfied.

Well, except the dissatisfied. Well, hello, Gov. Daniels. Are you free Saturday night?