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Dick Morris on Christie's '16 Chances: 'Zero, Zip, Zilch'
Wednesday, January 14, 2015 03:53 PM
By: Sean Piccoli
The 2016 Republican presidential nomination is a bridge too far for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who simply cannot win enough GOP primary votes to outlast the competition, political analyst Dick Morris told Newsmax TV on Wednesday.
Asked by “MidPoint” host Ed Berliner to rate Christie’s chances in the event that he runs, Morris said, “None, zero, zip, zilch,” citing the centrist governor’s mixed political history, brusque Jersey-guy personality, and lack of connection to voters beyond his home state.
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Morris called Christie “way too New Jersey,” “way too responsible for Obama's [re-]election” – a reference to his chumminess with President Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy – and, finally, just “way too Chris Christie.”
“He regards anything east of the Hudson River with suspicion and anything west of the Mississippi with derision,” said Morris, author of “Power Grab: Obama’s Dangerous Plan for a One-Party Nation.”
Morris discussed the potential 2016 field and suggested that among Republicans, it might be too early to count out a third try by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
“The Republican Party loves losers – it loves losers,” said Morris.
He pointed to Richard Nixon’s return to grace in 1968 after losing the election in 1960; Ronald Reagan’s success in 1980 after falling short in the 1976 primaries; Bob Dole’s two times on the GOP national ticket, in 1976 and 1996; and John McCain’s nomination in 2008 despite losing in the primaries in 2000.
“The Republican Party is basically a legitimist institution, much like the Tory Party in Britain, a monarchic institution,” said Morris. “They like dynasties. They like legitimacy. They like people who have been there before and have been tested.”
That history could help Romney even if he’s pitted against Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who also has GOP establishment lineage thanks to his family’s extensive White House history, said Morris.
If Bush is sufficiently damaged in the primaries by attacks on his support for immigration reform and Common Core educational standards, Romney could find space to position himself to Bush’s right as an acceptable conservative, said Morris.
Bush, he added, has another disadvantage in the event that he wins the nomination and squares off against the Democrats’ old campaign soldier: Hillary Clinton.
“He can't use against Hillary any of the best issues,” said Morris. “How's he going to accuse her of running on her family name? How's Bush going to accuse Hillary of being out of date – you know, with the Bush family [connection]? How's Bush going to hit Hillary over Wall Street ties?”
“Bush and Hillary are co-dependent, in that sense,” said Morris.
Morris said the smart play for whoever wins the GOP nomination is to pick a female running mate as a counter to Clinton. He suggested South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Morris also questioned Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin declaring that he will not run for president, arguing that all it would take for Romney’s 2012 running mate to return to the campaign trail is “somebody dangling the vice presidency in his face” again.
Somebody other than Romney, that is. “Because enough is enough,” said Morris.
Morris predicted that whoever the candidates are, immigration will be a major issue in 2016. He praised House Speaker John Boehner for calling Obama out on executive amnesty this week and vowing to block any effort to fund it.
“That's great, and it's about time,” said Morris.
Republicans have two developments to capitalize on in any fight over Obama’s plan to allow millions of illegal immigrants to obtain visas and work permits: white working class voters overwhelmingly dislike it; and the Latino community is more split over the issue than Democrats would have the country believe.
“The Democratic Party really is suicidal if they're going to make a stand over this amnesty order,” said Morris.
