- Joined
- Aug 11, 2011
- Messages
- 72,223
- Reaction score
- 43,999
- Gender
- Female
- Political Leaning
- Conservative
CPAC is a private entity. It can invite or refrain from inviting whomever it chooses.
Having said that, CPAC is not the Republican Party. CPAC has a voice, but Governor Christie is free to build a coalition that he believes would secure him the nomination if he chooses to run for President.
My guess is that CPAC's lack of invitation and Cardenas's subsequent explanation gives Governor Christie another fresh opportunity to build upon his emerging message of a stark contrast between doers (like him) who achieve results in governance/can appeal to a broad slice of the electorate and ideologues/purists who offer doctrinaire messages but show few results and possess only narrow political appeal. He will then translate that contrast into public policy outcomes. He will point to his fiscal results in NJ and then the lack of credible fiscal consolidation program in Washington. Of course, there is some risk in such a strategy, too, as following the nominating process, he would need to gain a decent share of support from those who backed alternative candidates. However, if he can build a strong case that he would represent the kind of problem-solver Washington has lacked in recent years, he could have a potent message.
Exogenous factors will also be important in determining the outcome. His rival will be a key factor. The state of the economy and the nation's fiscal situation will be important. International developments could also have an impact. For now, it remains to be seen whether he will, in fact, seek the Presidency. His near-term focus will be on the NJ race and an effort to win by a large landslide.
And Christie still has plenty of time to work toward those measurable goals.