Christie knew his 'limitations'

"A man's got to know his limitations."

The conclusion Tuesday to the Chris Christie presidential tempest may have boiled down to that famous line uttered by Clint Eastwood in the role of "Dirty Harry."

Christie became New Jersey governor only last year. He'd be taking a huge political risk to finesse his day job now and spend time connecting to residents of other states. He'd be doing so without clear assurance of winning the GOP nomination, let alone the election.

True, Christie's poll numbers in his home state spiked recently. A Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind poll showed 54 percent approved of the job he was doing.

But only four months ago, amid hard budget battles, an equal share -- 44 percent -- approved and disapproved of his performance.

And in June, he said: "I'm 100 percent certain I'm not going to run" for president.

What caused him to reconsider before returning to his initial decision, announced in Trenton? Christie said "serious people from across the spectrum" as well as "all kinds of regular folks" contacted him urging a White House bid. But, he added persuasively, "it never felt right" to leave his current role.

Time after time, presidential speculation and "draft" efforts cost their subjects nothing -- and bless them with an intangible "could-be-the-top-guy" celebrity -- regardless of actual chances.

But the moment a candidacy begins, so does the hard part. All critics, rivals and detractors begin to tell America at large the negative stories the locals have long since heard.

For President Barack Obama in 2008, there were the links to his controversial former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr. and one-time radical "Weatherman" Bill Ayers. For Christie, there would be new scrutiny of such 2009 campaign fodder about his lending a top aide $46,000, no-bid contracts from his office when he was U.S. attorney.

Christie's chances would have resided in a niche previously occupied by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. In a sense, Christie could be seen as the new Rudy -- a former prosecutor who unseated an incumbent Democrat to become a high-profile, tough-talking elected executive promising reform.

Beyond the parallels, there are human connections. Among those widely reported as encouraging Christie to run for president were Long Islander Kenneth Langone, the investor and philanthropist; former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and media baron Rupert Murdoch -- all Giuliani-friendly.

Where any of them might now turn their favor in the Republican primary remains to be seen.

The ex-mayor and current governor also have had operatives in common. One key strategist, Michael DuHaime, a New Jerseyan, managed Giuliani's 2008 failed presidential effort. Current Christie spokeswoman Maria Comella served in that role in the Giuliani campaign.

But it is hard to imagine Giuliani, in his second year in office in 1994, trying to bolt the city for a shot at Washington. For now, Christie -- who said he wouldn't be a vice president -- and Giuliani remain figures to be courted by their party's candidates.

In his news conference Tuesday, Christie responded expansively to a question or two about late-night comedians joking about his corpulence.

At one point he said: "You gotta know who you are in this life."

Knowing your limitations -- per "Dirty Harry" Callahan -- would be part of that.