Heartfelt Plea To Christie: 'Don't Inhale, Gov!'

Ya just gotta believe Chris Christie is enjoying this.
He's enjoying the traveling, the attention, the spotlight wherever he goes and all the people literally begging him to run for president.
He remains quick on the uptake, funny, spirited and nonetheless pugnacious.
This is a man who doesn't shy away from the national stage. Indeed, he embraces it.
I watched the way he departed from his prepared speech at various points last night at the Reagan Library (clever asides, anecdotes, personal references, etc.) and I could tell that he feels comfortable in this setting. He regales in it.
And it's also clear that Christie does not seem to want the presidential speculation (and the pleadings) to die down. He says "no" but his travels and his actions and his speeches all say "yes" -- or at least "Hmmm . . . that's nice. I'm flattered. Beg me a little more."
OK, so maybe Christie is doing this to raise New Jersey's profile and raise money for the upcoming New Jersey legislative races. That's all good. He should take advantage of the situation to help hits party and his state. He should advance the cause. After all, he does have a great story to tell and goodness knows, New Jersey could use some positive PR.
And yes, maybe Christie's doing this to raise his own profile a bit, too. That's fine as well.
But this is very heady stuff. And Christie's been in office less than two years.
What I'm saying is that (no matter what he decides to do in the end) I don't want him to inhale all of this too deeply. As a seasoned PR pro I know how dangerous it can get to be when leaders start to believe their own news releases. It's sorta like actors and actresses believing their own rave reviews.
When you've won a big victory or starred in a big movie or headlined in the biggest show on Broadway and you're doing and saying all the right things The Whole World Is At Your Feet.
Yeah -- ya see? That's how divas are born.
But Chris Christie wouldn't look good as a diva. He ain't cut out for that role.
So I hope -- and trust -- he'll stay real: Genuine, self-effacing, down-to-earth.
That's New Jersey. That's Chris Christie.