Christie networks in Iowa

DES MOINES – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took a page out of Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rodgers' playbook Friday in telling Iowa reporters to relax about his 2016 presidential aspirations, noting the state's first-in-the-nation precinct caucuses are more than a year away.

Christie fueled more presidential speculation by showing up to witness fellow Republican Terry Branstad take the oath of office for a record sixth time as Iowa's governor – a milestone that puts Branstad on the road to becoming the longest-serving governor in U.S. history by the middle of December.

'We're not voting in Iowa here for nearly another 13 months, so let's everybody take a deep breath, OK?” said Christie, who was peppered about questions regarding a possible 2016 presidential run.

'I don't know about you but I don't feel the need to rush something as serious as deciding whether you want to pursue the presidency of the United States and so I'm not going to rush, I'm going to do things the way I do them,” he said. 'That may work or may not work if I decide to run, but it will be done my way and that's the kind of campaign that I'll run here if I do come here to run for president.”

Beyond that, the New Jersey governor said he couldn't really say how often he would visit Iowa or what he thought about early signals from other Republicans like Jeb Bush or Mitt Romney or answer other hypotheticals, noting 'I haven't laid out a strategy for a campaign that I haven't decided that I want to undertake yet.”

That kind of talk left GOP veteran Joni Scotter of Marion unconvinced after she posed with him for a photo near the rostrum where moments before Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds were inaugurated as Iowa chief executive team for the next four years in a cavernous convention hall.

'I would say that he is going to run, yes,” said Scotter, and if he does 'he'll be a formidable candidate. The GOP political veteran from Marion called herself 'a Romney person” but confided that should the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 GOP presidential candidate decide not to run again that Christie would be her second choice.

'He is a really good man and I've watched him in action,” she said. 'He's got broad shoulders and he says things that everybody wishes they would say but they're not gonna. But he does.”

Christie spent time privately with Branstad, Reynolds and their families before Friday inauguration ceremonies and talked briefly afterwards, with Christie telling Branstad 'great speech” and Branstad praising the 'great job” Christie did in beating political expectations by growing the number of GOP governors by two in 2014.

'He's a dear friend,” Branstad said in an interview, but noted that he intended to remain neutral as host governor during the 2016 caucuses to welcome all candidates to Iowa and ensure a level playing field for all.

'Obviously, I like him. I like governors,” Branstad said. 'There are some other really great governors who are also thinking about it and former governors so I'm going to try to be a good host and encourage them all and encourage them to come often and spend a lot of time in Iowa.”

Christie, who has made numerous visits to Iowa for things like Branstad's education summit and repeated trips as Republican Governors Association leader to stump for Branstad's re-election in 2014, said the two governors have become good friends and he wanted to personally congratulate him on an unprecedented sixth term.

The New Jersey governor also said he planned to hold private meetings with Iowa Republicans before departing Friday afternoon, but would be back in Iowa next weekend to attend Iowa Congressman Steve King's Freedom Summit in Des Moines. He said being RGA head has helped him develop friendships and relationships while traveling the country talking with Americans and hearing their concerns.

'The message that I heard from Iowans was the same that I heard from a lot of other states in the country, first that they were pretty content with the leadership inside their own state and I think they showed that through the resounding victory Gov. Branstad had for re-election,” he said.

'But they're very concerned with what's happening in Washington and have a lot of anxiety about it. So we need to address that as leaders and as a country and I'm hopeful that the governors that we helped to elect this last year will help to address that anxiety state by state,” he added.

Christie's Iowa presence comes amid reports that Texas-based fundraiser Ray Washburne was stepping down as the Republican National Committee's top fundraiser in preparation to join Christie's prospective presidential campaign.