Media Decrees: Christie Campaign On the Ropes

If Chris Christie is indeed running in 2016, today's political headlines won't make for pleasant reading. It seems unanimous: Camp Christie has been caught flat-footed by the Jeb Bush machine. Some examples:

• Washington Post: Headline, "Chris Christie losing home-state donors as Jeb Bush makes inroads." In particular, it points out that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a one-time Christie backer with deep pockets, seems to have shifted allegiances to Bush. Key point: "Bush’s aggressive moves to lock up the Republican Party’s premier fundraisers threaten to undercut the Garden State governor before his expected campaign can get off the ground..."

• New York Times: Headline, "Critics in GOP Say Chris Christie Is in a 'Bubble.'" The emphasis here isn't so much on fundraising as on Christie's what-me-worry attitude and lack of deference to donors. Key point: "The complaints have piled up for weeks, dismaying many longtime supporters ... and sending others into the arms of his rivals for the presidential nomination, according to interviews with more than two dozen Republican donors and strategists."
• Politico: Headline, "The POLITICO Caucus: Christie slips from first tier." On top of the donor problems, New Jersey's credit downgrades and headlines about luxury spending haven't helped. Key point: A bipartisan survey of political insiders "reveals a pervasive feeling that Christie has slipped out of the top tier of candidates. Just two of 81 respondents believe that the governor will win their state’s Republican caucus or primary next year."
• New York: Headline, "Did Chris Christie Miss His Chance to Be President?" See all of the above.

(More Chris Christie stories.)