Christie has some good points, but he reminds me a lot of the personality of Newt Gingrich--the smartest man in the room, and by God he's gonna let you know it. Not gonna play well with a lot of folks.
On the one hand you have the "establishment" candidates who the national is going to push; the milquetoasts, the RINO's, the "mushy middle" candidate the GOP thinks we need to win over independents. How soon they forget Reagan.
On the other hand, a lot of the Tea Party types simply don't have the national exposure or, in the case of folks like O'Donnell or Angle, just put their foot in their mouths too often to be considered a serious candidate.
So what's left? Someone who can be backed by the national, yet still appeal to the conservative base while at the same time not drive the mushy middle running for the hills? Who does that give us?
Here's a couple of ideas, in no particular order:
Senator Jim DeMint
Governor Mitch Daniels
Governor Bobby Jindal
Senator Marco Rubio
Senator John Thune
Now for the Democrats.
Hillary, despite her insistence she'll never run for public office again, MIGHT do so in 2016, but the age factor (she'll be 69 then) will torpedo her career.
Andrew Cuomo--depends on how many people he drives out of NY state with his tax policies. A more moderate Dem could make that an issue, particularly if deficits and spending at the federal level continue at present rates.
Tim Kaine--A dark horse, but his tenure at the DNC will forever be marked by the results of the 2010 midterms, although he can't really be held responsible for that.
Mark Warner--Still not sure why he didn't run in 2008, but could actually be a serious contender if he decides to put together a run.