Trump selection of Pence for Veep leaves Christie searching for another gig

AROUND THE BLOCK

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Trump names Mike Pence as running mate

Deeply disappointed, Chris Christie looks for other opportunities

In advance of the Republican National Convention, presumptive presidential nominee Donald J. Trump tweeted that Indiana governor Mike Pence would be his vice-presidential running mate. 

Pence, a former congressman and one-term governor was both humbled and relieved by the selection.

“I am humbled that a great man and national treasure like Donald Trump would select me to run with him,” Pence said in a statement, going on to say, “And relieved that I won’t have to run for re-election in Indiana where, based on my first term record, I would have had almost no chance of winning.”

While choosing Pence will likely go down well with the Republican conservative base, many of his views are at odds with Mr. Trump's positions.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Pence has endorsed free trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Asian trade deal that Mr. Trump has described as a “rape” of the American economy. He voted for the Iraq war, which Trump has condemned, and last winter he denounced Mr. Trump’s call to ban all Muslim immigration into the United States.

Despite this, Pence’s selection put to an end New Jersey governor Chris Christie's shameless crusade to be Trump’s running mate.

Since ending his own presidential campaign and becoming one of the first mainstream Republicans to endorse Trump, Christie has been an advisor and sycophant-in-chief to the Trump campaign.

In an interview with MSNBC just days before the Pence announcement, Christie indicated that while he has been advising Trump on many aspects of the campaign, he had recused himself from advising on the vice-presidential search because of a conflict of interest.

“How could I objectively advise Donald on who should be his vice-president when I want the job so badly myself,” Christie said.

It is believed that Christie is the only major politician in U.S. history ever to actually say that he wanted to be vice-president. 

(Dick Cheney, who headed up George W. Bush’s vice-presidential search and then picked himself, never actually said he wanted to be vice-president, he simply did it.)

But all may not be lost for Christie. Back in March, Around the Block reported that legendary Broadway casting director Mortie Teitelbaum had contacted Mr. Christie for the role of Sancho Panza, the consummate, overweight side-kick, in a Broadway revival of the musical, Man of La Mancha. (http://tedblocksblog.blogspot.com/2016/03/christie-support-of-trump-derided-but.html)

While that revival never got off the ground, it is reported that Mr. Teitelbaum has contacted Mr. Christie for a role in the soon to be revived A Chorus Line where Mr. Christie will lead the cast in the song “I Hope I Get It." 

According to Teitelbaum, "I cannot imagine anyone in the world who could sing these lyrics with more passion and genuineness than Chris Christie:"

I really need this job.

Please God, I need this job.

I've got to get this job.

Given that Christie appears to have put back a considerable amount of weight since his bariatric surgery, it is not clear if he has the stamina and agility to also dance to the opening lines of the song:

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Again!

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Again!

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Again!

Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch...Right!