A Walk in the Arboretum

As Peggy Noonan pointed out in her November 19th Wall Street Journal column (http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html), families will be gathering for the Thanksgiving weekend and catching up, reminiscing and discussing all sorts of family issues, from the trivial and inconsequential to the monumental and life-changing. 

For some Republican families, however, that conversation may affect the future of our nation as well. The Pawlenty's, the Huckabee's, the Romney's, the Palin's and the Gingrich's will almost certainly be having "the conversation" that Noonan describes as "talking it through, sometimes for the first time and sometimes for the tenth."

"It," of course, is the decision on whether to seek the Republican nomination for President in 2012.

There is one other family, not mentioned by Noonan, that I truly hope begins to have that conversation soon: The Christie's.

Perhaps Chis and Mary Pat Christie can go for another historic "walk in the woods" that, from a historical perspective, may someday rival Chief US negotiator Paul Nitze's informal stroll with his Soviet counterpart that gave new life to stalled nuclear disarmament discussions in Geneva in 1982.

There are quite a few beautiful places in and around Mendham where Chris and Mary Pat can get away and walk. There is the Cold Hill Reserve, Buttermilk Falls, Tempe Wick Reserve, the Buck Hill Tract and the Mendham Golf Course. But perhaps the most appropriate place would be along "Patriots Path" at the Mendham Arboretum.

What they might say to one another will, of course, remain between the two of them. What they choose to share with their children is up to them. But it is the children that should be the focus.

As some of you know, I have been an advocate for a 2012 Chris Christie Presidential candidacy and have even created a website at which support can be registered: www.draftchristie2012.com.

Many have said to me: "You know that Chris does not want to run for President, don't you?"

My response is always the same: "I know. That is why I am doing this. If he was volunteering, we would not have to draft him, now would we?"

But more importantly, I have become convinced that Chris Christie is the right person at the right time historically. I am not convinced that any of the aforementioned Republican candidates can beat the incumbent or do the job that is necessary.

We need a President who can say "No" even when it is the unpopular thing to say. America is broke. We are not "bankrupt" because we can certainly "service any claim" made against us. But for how long? On the current path, I am certain that the unthinkable could very well happen: America will be unable to write the check to fulfill its obligations. We are on the wrong trajectory.

Chris Christie in 10 short months has proven two things to me. He understands that simply bending the cost curve a little will get our state to fiscal solvency; and, even slight changes to that curve are painful and come with their own political consequences. But that has not slowed New Jersey's "man in a hurry" even a little.

Here is the bottom line: America needs Chris Christie's impatience. We needed it yesterday, but we will take it tomorrow. The day after tomorrow may be too late.

So Governor, talk about the kids while walking along Patriots Path. And ask what kind of nation we are leaving them. And ask "Can I make a difference?" If the answer is "yes," please volunteer so I can close the books on my draft.