Sabato: Christie Could Win It All In 2012

Can Christie be the go to candidate in a field that no one candidate has been able to separate himself from.

Excerpt: Several leading Republican donors and fundraisers have been urging the popular governor to reconsider his decision not to run and to enter the GOP primary, Newsmax reported.

These Christie supporters note that significant GOP support has remained on the sidelines of the primary fight. Many leading fundraisers have yet to commit to any current primary contender, including front-runners Rick Perry and Mitt Romney.

Newsmax also learned that the effort to draft Christie culminated in a hush-hush powwow held in the past week with Christie and several notable Republican billionaires.

A source familiar with the meeting suggested that Christie seemed inclined to enter the race but said he needed more time.

Christie’s dramatic about-face from strict denials of any intent to throw his hat in the presidential ring should come as welcome news to many rank-and-file Republicans, he says. Indeed, Sabato believes that Republicans are not universally pleased with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney as a whole "and are disappointed with how Texas Gov. Rick Perry has performed in the debates."

For his part, Perry has been taken to task over healthcare and immigration issues and is viewed by political insiders as having been consistently on the defensive during the debates.

Just weeks ago, Sabato opined there was no chance that Christie would run — because he had not formed an exploratory committee. Sabato now says, "Christie would have a lot of questions to answer if he joins the race — because he has been heard and seen on tape saying he would not run. Christie would have to explain what has changed his mind."

"He has been clear that for him it is family first," Sabato says. "He has shown no prior interest, but what makes him an "attractive candidate" is that "he is a Republican governor in a predominantly Democratic state."

Sabato points out that, given New Jersey's Democratic Party dominance, "Christie knows he faces an uphill battle when he goes for reelection in 2013."

"Christie may be feeling that this may be his best chance to run for president," Sabato says.

Best chance or not, Newsmax asks the pivotal question: If Christie runs, can he win the GOP nod?

“There's no question that Christie could potentially win the nomination,” Sabato says.

Read full Newsmax.com article here.