New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s captured the imagination of conservatives enthralled by his fiscal maneuvers to cut spending, said on Wednesday that any talk of him seeking the Republican presidential nomination is premature because he’s “not ready.”
Appearing on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Christie was told by one of the hosts that “I have to believe you feel that if you ran for president, you could probably do some good.”
“I’m not ready,” Christie responded. “I’m not.”
Christie said there were two key criteria for any politician who wants to run for president, neither of which he meets.
“First, you have to have – in your heart – you gotta want it more than anything else,” Christie said. “I don't want it that badly.”
“Secondly, you gotta believe in your heart that you are ready to walk into the Oval Office and to lead the nation. And I don’t feel like I’m ready,” he continued. “So, it makes it very easy for me. I’m 0-2. So, you don’t do it.”
