Chris Christie Will Not Run for President, and He was Never Going to

"That heartfelt message you gave me is also not a reason for me to do it," he told a woman who had begged him to run. "That reason has to reside inside me. That's what I've said all along. I know without ever having met President Reagan that he must've felt deeply in his heart that he was called to that moment to lead our country. And so my answer to you is just this: I thank you for what you're saying."

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It was half denial, half not, carefully calibrated to keep his supporters hoping while not actually answering anything -- and his supporters gobbled it up.

But while Christie may have reconsidered to some extent and contemplated whether he'd have a better opening in 2012 or 2016, the decision was always clear. He gave the idea of entering the race its due diligence and rejected it, as his supporters should have known he would. Last-minute "reconsideration" wasn't going to overturn more than a year of vehement denials.

It was a publicity stunt, pure and simple. The reconsideration was cursory. The real point was to keep the spotlight on Christie to set the stage for a possible 2016 run, and to draw national attention to his record in New Jersey, boosting his chances when he's up for re-election as governor in 2013.

There's nothing especially wrong with that. Re-election is always the ultimate goal, and leading people on is part of the game. The fools are the people who believed him.