Chris Christie is the only potential 2012 candidate who unites the establishment and the grassroots

Ryan Streeter

He’s repeatedly said he won’t run in 2012, claiming he’s not ready yet. It is hard to argue with his logic in the matter, as he has not even been in office for a year and a half as New Jersey’s governor and doesn’t yet have a clear track record of reform.

But that does not stop just about everyone from wanting Chris Christie to throw his hat into the ring for a White House bid in 2012.

Christie is the only name in the mix who garners significant percentages of support from both establishment insiders and grassroots voters.

In our poll of conservative insiders Christie comes out on top of the list, possessing the most attributes needed to win in 2012. He and Jeb Bush tied, with a majority of those we polled saying the two men each possessed six out of eight key attributes. Mitch Daniels was close behind with five.

In today’s first Daily Caller/ConservativeHome tracking poll, which asked grassroots conservatives across the country about 2012 potential candidates, Christie once again fared strongly. Respondents were asked to rank individuals in six areas, from their favorite candidate to the person they thought most likely to win to who they thought would best handle the economy.

Christie was the only individual to take more than 15% of the vote in four of the six areas (Romney was the only other potential candidate to garner more than 15% of the tally more than once, and even he only did so twice). Mitch Daniels, whose name recognition is still quite low among grassroots voters, received only small percentages. Romney, on the other hand, is known by the grassroots but performed poorly among establishment insiders.

Insiders and grassroots voters alike see Christie as electable. They both seem to view him as capable of reform and as good on policy, regardless of the fact that his track record in New Jersey is short enough to keep the jury at bay for awhile. With two former Senators in the top two positions in the White House, though, a governance track record matters less these days. And with a President who has received fire from even his allies lately for being too aloof on some of today’s biggest challenges, the nation would respond well to a direct, decisive leader.

Christie’s reasons for not running are sound and respectable. He should run anyway.