In a strange rewriting of history, Governor Christie, who is an excellent governor for New Jersey, thinks the lesson of recent history is that if you nominate an extremist or “purist” for president you will lose, and he indicated to the New York Times that he and Jeb Bush are prime examples of impure winners.

Mitt Romney, ideological extremist? Really?

I don’t think that’s why we lost in 2012, and, more important, I’m not sure what Governor Christie’s claim to be the electable candidate rests on. I don’t think he will play at all well in the Midwest for example, and moms in the middle are likely to be turned off by his New Jersey brusque.

(I also mention to the New York Times that Christie’s appointment of some really bad judges is going to make it hard for him among social-conservative voters, and possibly libertarian constitutionalists too.)