The Note: Chris Christie, Born to Run

New Jersey Gov seems primed for national run

ByABC News
December 13, 2012, 10:00 AM

— -- THE NOTEIf there's one takeaway from Barbara Walters' Chris Christie interview last night it was this: the man is setting up to run for president in 2016.

The buzziest example, of course, was his pushback against Walters' question as to whether he was "too heavy" to be president.

"That's ridiculous," said Christie. "I mean, that's ridiculous. I don't know what the basis for that is."

When Walters' asked about his statement last year that he wasn't "ready" to be president, Christie responded that he wasn't ready for the campaign--a very important distinction. Not being "ready" to be president suggests deficiency in experience--not ready to campaign is simply a recognition of the difficulties of setting up a presidential operation.

Read All of Today's 'Note' - ABC's Political Tipsheet

And, while many potential 2016ers are quick to dismiss talk of a presidential run, Christie does not bat it down. When asked how he'll feel about running in 2016, Christie simply responds: "I have no idea how I'll feel."

Not exactly a Shermanesque statement.

But perhaps the most telling example of Christie's desire for a 2016 run: he was visibly torn when asked by Walters' to choose between being able to be a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band or be POTUS.

"You could be a member of of the E Street Band or President of the United States, which would you choose?" posed Walters.

Christie laughed, paused and then said: "I think at the moment, at the moment, I'd want to be a member of E Street band. A few years from now, who knows."

Call us crazy, but we're not holding our breath that the governor is going to take up guitar lessons anytime soon.

More from the interview: http://abcn.ws/UV2Owg

NOTE IT!ABC'S RICK KLEIN: It's not just a matter of big business speaking. The question is whether it can actually say something meaningful in time to resolve the fiscal cliff standoff. Corporate America has gotten quite good at lecturing Washington about trying to do its job, and few institutions deserve such lectures more. But getting the parties--both parties--to move enough this late, off of long-sacred positions, will take more than platitudes about the need for compromise. We're starting to hear specificity about tax rates and breaks. But if the cliff is truly as terrifying to business as we're being told, the pressure has to build, and fast.