WASHINGTON -- With Mitt Romney lagging in swing-state polls, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) tried to give the Republican presidential ticket a boost on Sunday, predicting in an interview that Romney would turn the race “upside down” with his debate performance on Wednesday night.
Candidates’ surrogates usually try to tamp down expectations ahead of a debate, but the tough-talking Christie told CBS "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer that Romney would do “extraordinarily well.” He also acknowledged that the past few weeks on the campaign trail haven’t been kind to the former Massachusetts governor.
“Listen, he’s had a tough couple of weeks, let’s be honest,” Christie said. “I mean, I’m not going to sit here and come on this morning and sugarcoat the last couple weeks. They’ve been tough. But here’s the great news for Republicans: We have a candidate who is going to do extraordinarily well on Wednesday night, the first time he has the opportunity to stand on the same stage as the President of the United States.”
Recent polls have shown Romney trailing President Barack Obama in crucial states like Ohio and Florida. The campaign has struggled to get back on track after the release of the damaging '47 percent' video, in which Romney said nearly half of all Americans will vote for Obama because they’re dependent on the federal government.
Christie, who was trotted out on three shows on Sunday to stump for the GOP ticket, argued that voters won’t be affected by the video, saying Romney merely “misspoke” and said something “inelegantly.”
“I don’t think the majority of American people are focusing on that,” Christie said. “And here’s what I think -- the American people, and the voters, are much smarter than we give them credit for. They know that political candidates at times, when they’re being taped every minute of the day are going to say things inartfully.”
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