I can’t tell if the people freaking out about the Christie endorsement of Trump are being serious. Trump knew he had a bad night and he was afraid that his opponents had found several effective lines of attack, and now he is – as everyone is saying – trying to change the story. What is the recent history of insurgents getting saved by endorsements from well-known politicians? As far as I can tell, not good.
The whole message of the insurgent is that politicians are a bunch of dishonest incompetents, and the insurgent is different. Slobbering all over your politician endorsers muddles that message. Endorsements from Al Gore and Iowa Senator Tom Harkin didn’t save Howard Dean in the 2004 Iowa Caucuses. Sarah Palin’s endorsement didn’t turn things around for Trump in Iowa. Hiding in Chris Christie’s bosom is not a good look for Trump.
The key is for Cruz and Rubio to continue and sharpen their attacks on Trump. Either they have found the right arguments with which to attack Trump or they haven’t. Either they have the sand to continue the attack on Trump or they don’t. Either way, Trump won’t be saved by using Christie as a human shield.