Busch: Three VP Candidates for Mitt Romney
By: CANDIDATE #3: CHRIS CHRISTIE
3. Chris Christie.
Gov. Christie (R-NJ) has been a fan favorite of the Republican base ever since taking over as governor from Dem. Jon Corzine by getting elected in a blue state that Obama won in 2008.
At one point, Christie debated joining the crowded Republican presidential race, but stayed out and gave Romney an early endorsement. Subsequently, he has been speaking strongly in favor of Romney.
Like Rubio and Ryan, Christie has strong roots in tackling the fiscal excesses present in government. Christie’s executive order designating a “state of fiscal emergency” helped him create the urgency and expediency in the NJ state legislature to move on reducing the state’s budget deficit.
He used a line item veto to wipe out half of the projected spending that created 50% of the deficit and endeared him to voters by not raising taxes to reduce the deficit. Moreover as a former US Attorney for New Jersey, Christie is a no-nonsense, straight shooter and his encounters with hecklers are legendary. He would be an attack-dog VP with the ability to tear down arguments against Romney proposals on spending and entitlements. Besides, the media would love to see a Christie-Biden VP debate!
For the markets, Christie would be a positive given the fiscal success he has had in NJ and his ability to communicate.
Given that Romney is about to embark on a swing state tour, the speculation is growing fierce over whom he will pick. These three represent the strongest candidates for addressing the fiscal and growth problems facing the United States. There are several other candidates being vetted, from Louisiana’s Gov. Bobby Jindal to Ohio’s Sen. Rob Portman to Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Pawlenty. All would be solid, but somewhat uninspiring picks for Romney and the markets. However, for the markets, Ryan, Rubio, and Christie are the top picks for generating excitement not only over a Romney presidency, but more importantly over correcting the fiscal and growth problems of the United States.
Andrew B. BuschDirector, Global Currency and Public Policy Strategist at BMO Capital Markets, a recognized expert on the world financial markets and how these markets are impacted by political events, and a frequent CNBC contributor. You can comment on his piece and reach him hereand you can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/abusch.
