Christie: Iowa staff is “running me like I’m Terry Branstad”

JOHNSTON — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stressed safety, security and executive experience Friday in launching a four-day push to win over Iowa Republicans who will offer the first glimpse next week of which GOP candidates have a shot of being their party's 2016 presidential nominee.

Christie said he hoped Thursday's televised GOP debate brought out to Iowans that he I was the most tested person on the stage, the person who is most ready and prepared for the No. 1 job of a U.S. president 'which is protect the safety and security of the American people. If we don't do that, nothing else matters.'

The other thing he hoped the comparison of the GOP candidates standing side by side answering questions brought out was that 'you have some people who like to talk and you have some people who like to do, and you have some people who are trained to do nothing but talk and some people whose life experience has been accomplishment, getting things done, being held accountable for what you do.'

Making contrasts with the non-gubernatorial candidates in the GOP field, Christie said as governor in a blue-state like New Jersey, he has proven that he can work with the opposition party to accomplish his goals and that he knows how to handle crisis situations.

'When a crisis comes, I know how to make decisions, and make decisions that help to save lives and when you're president of the United States, that's the thing that you can't put on a resume. It's not in a how-to book. You've got to just be able to do it because you've done it, you've been through it,' he told a morning gathering of his supporters and Iowa campaign staff.

'So when I sit in the chair in the Oval Office for the first time in January of 2017, I won't spin around in the chair and say 'gee whiz, isn't it great I'm president?' That chair will feel familiar, it will feel like the one that I'm in right now, except just a little bigger and a little more important, but it's the same decision-making process, the New Jersey governor added.

During 2014 election cycle, Christie served as chairman of the Republican Governors Association — a group that aided Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad in winning his unprecedented and historic sixth term. Christie has incorporated some of Branstad's former staffers and dropped the Iowa governor's name a couple times in making his final sales pitch to woo Iowans' favor in Monday night's GOP caucuses.

'They've got a lot of work for me to do over the next four days. My Iowa staff is running me like I'm Terry Branstad, for God's sake, and so let's go out and get the job done everybody,' he said.

'Here is going to be the great thing about Monday night,' he added. 'People are not expecting much from us Monday night. They're all talking about Donald and Ted and a little bit about Marco and you know what, on Monday night you all are going to show, as am I, that real leadership matters, that strong leadership matters and that the people of Iowa know how to pick a strong leader. They've done it for six terms with my friend Terry Branstad and they're going to do it with me on Monday night with your help.'