(CNN) - Republican Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey announced Tuesday he will not run for president in 2012.
The first-term governor said the pressure he received over the past few months caused him to consider throwing his hat in the ring - after repeatedly shooting down rumors - but that ultimately he is committed to his position in the Garden State.
Christie fielded recent calls to run for president and spent time discussing the possibility of a White House bid with his family, friends and operatives. Now, having decided against a bid, Christie said he does not "feel any sense of regret at all."
"I felt like it was my obligation as I said before given the seriousness and the amount of people who were coming to me and asking me to reconsider to reconsider and I did," Christie said. "In the end I came back to the same place I was in the whole year."
He pushed back against reports that his family was skeptical throughout the process, saying they supported him, whether he decided to run for president or not.
When asked about the rest of the GOP presidential field, Christie said his decision was not affected by the strength or weakness of the pool.
"None of them were a factor," he said before adding that he was not prepared to make an endorsement.
He also brushed aside suggestions, in his typically brash fashion that he would serve in the No. 2 spot on the Republican ticket.
“Listen, I don’t imagine I’m going to be asked. I don’t think I have the personality to be asked,” Christie said. “I mean, seriously, can you imagine? You know, the guy would probably want to get a food taster. I don’t know, seriously, I don’t see it.”
The newly minted vice chair of the Republican Governors Association said he is now focused on making sure President Barack Obama only serves one term as president.
"He's failed the American people because he's failed that absolute litmus test to be President of the United States and that's to know how to lead and how to decide," Christie said.
Christie light heartedly addressed the coverage of his weight that escalated in recent weeks, particularly among comedians. As long as the jokes are funny, he is OK with the coverage, he said.
"For me, their job is to be funny. And if one of the things they want to make fun of is my weight, it's fair game," Christie said. "I'm a public figure … All I care about is that they actually are funny so that I can at least laugh about it while they are mocking me."
From CNN Politics
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AlaskaPalin
Turn off the FoxNews, it is rotting your brain
Republicans are nothing more then a bunch of cowards more worried about their pocketbook, the reputation and their ego then they are about the former United States of American.
Let's face it, this fat boy couldn't "run" 20 steps without having to catch his breath, let alone "run" for President. He needs to go on the Subway diet like Jared for 4 years and then check back in to the political game, once he can see his own feet.
I must have been under a rock but what has Chris Christie done to make him the next messiah? Some of us knew that Perry was an arrogant idiot who loves cronyism. He 'balanced' TX budget with stimulus money but talks trash to Obama. Where is Sarah Pailin (another idiot)... we need someone who can wear the pants for the GOP
Finally a politician who has made the right decesion.
As a Democrat speaking, I would place Christie in the "Sane" category, along with Romney and Huntsman, and I would enjoy watching him drive the Tea Pottiers nuts, because he wouldn't, like most of the current GOP slate, kiss their worthless a**es, but I at least respect him for knowing when he's not ready, compared to people like Perry, Bachmann, and Santorum, who despite their lack of IQ power, have no idea of how much they don't know.
Great, now he can come out and join Occupy Wall Street.
Somewhere Ann Coulter is looking for a bridge to jump off. Who will the GOPTP fawn over next, Marco Rubio perhaps? Maybe the Alaskan Barbie will run. Either way Mitt continued to wait on the ring while the GOP looks for someone new to fall in love with. Christie is smart enough to know he will be in Rick Perry's place once the Tea Party get a closer look at him and quickly gets dis-enchanted. He runs. loses, tarnishes his brand in Jersey. become a one-term governor when Corey Booker whips him. No one will come knocking in 2016, it will be Governor who.
christie won't run....no kidding he refuses to run, he can barely walk let alone run LOL CUZ HES A LARD-LIP!! How would he choose which of his man boobs would be his vice president??? STUPID FAT AMERICAN SLOBS
This is getting ridiculous.
Who keeps saying he WILL run?
He's been saying NO since the very beginning.
Did he fly to the press conference in the state helicopter on the tax payer dime or is that just when he goes to his son's baseball games?
He won't run for President... but he'll now demonstrate how to eat forty cheeseburgers in five minutes... ready... set... go...
Christie's never run a day in his life...why start now?
Dear Sarah Palin,
Sit back, shut up, and take note of several of the things this republican said.I'm a democrat so if I'm impressed with him for saying he has a responsibility to his state and the promise he made to them, AND that he is a public figure so should be able to take criticism IN ADDITION to dishing it out, you should be too. That's how real leaders sound!
In related news, podiums across the nation breathed a great sigh of relief.
listen to him!
@Founders1791:
Do you just cut and paste your responses from USAToday to CNN? I recognised your blind allegience to Palin ( yet again), and the same tired rhetoric. Understand this: she does not care about you, me, or anyone else. She is a friend to no one who works, who owns a small business. She only cares about worshipping Mammon. She won't run, because she is off worshipping the Golden Calf. Find another object worthy of your statistical analysis.
Yaba Daba Doo! Fred Flintstone won't be running for President.
He can barely walk, You know he's not running
Too bad he's quitting. It would have been nice to have some more comic relief.
I guess it's to be expected, though. Now he can work on becoming as irrelevent as Sarah.
Translation: The economy sucks and will continue for some time. No one - especially no Republican - can do anything about it that will work. So I'll wait until the economy gets better, so I can take credit for that.
I don't think the GOP Field had enough room left for Christie...literally and figuratively.
I suspect the RNC will commission a Dr. Frankenstein type individual bring a cadaver to life and have it run for the nomination. The only stipulation being that the creature's skull remain empty so as to guarantee it wins the GOP debates, and thus, the nomination.
I'm very excited for Hillary to run against Christie in 2016. Yes it will take 8 years for the Dems to clean up the GOP 8 year hell hole mess they created. Don't under mind the voters in 2016, they're not stupid to vote GOP in 2016 PLEASE! A snake is a snake period (GOP) posionous or not! Run Hillary Run! Hillary Clinton 2016!
That's good news....he would have never survived the stress....he's grossly obese.
He need to go to the gym, loose a few pounds because if he runs now, he would be a shoe in for the show . . . ready? drum roll please, BIG FAT LOSER . . . LOL!