Cordes: Christie Hopes Strong Showing in NH ‘Will Propel Him Back into the Big Leagues’

O’DONNELL: “New Jersey Governor Chris Christie starts his firstifull day as a presidential candidate with an event in Portland, Maine. He formally entered the race on Tuesday, in his hometown saying America needs a president who will ‘tell it like it is’. Nancy Cordes was there for Christie’s announcement. Nancy, good morning.”

CORDES: “Good morning. And if New Jersey needs to find Christie, they will know where to look. He will spend the next four days in New Hampshire. In fact he will spend a lot of his campaign there hoping that a strong showing in that early state will help propel him back into the big leagues.”

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CHRISTIE: “I want to tell everyone in New Hampshire I want to be the next president of the United States and I intend to win this election.”

CORDES (voice-over): “Christie was in his element at the town hall meeting in Sandown, New Hampshire.”

CHRISTIE: “The only way I want to be president is if I get to be me and you get to be you.”

CORDES (voice-over): “Here’s why he is betting it all on the granite state. In 2012, nearly half of GOP primary voters there described themselves as independents. Christie thinks his message talk tough but compromise when necessary will play well with them.”

CHRISTIE: “Both parties have failed our country. Both parties have stood in the corner and held their breath and waited to get their own way.”

CORDES (voice-over): “At his announcement speech in Livingston, New Jersey, Christie said working with the other side was the only option in a blue state like his.”

CHRISTIE: “When I became governor six years ago, we had a state that was in economic calamity… And so we rolled up our sleeves and we went to work, and we balanced six budgets in a row.”

CORDES (voice-over): “Christie’s critics on the right will argue he is not conservative enough on issues like e like immigration an gun rights. But as one in a field of 14 candidates, he doesn't have as to win over all primary voters. Just a slice of electorate, who see things his way.

CORDES (on screen): “What do you offer that the 13 others don't?”

CHRISTIE: “Listen, I think we all have to be ourselves, right? And what I offer is an opportunity in a state like this where the state is incredibly divided politically, we’ve been to be able to bring people together and be able get a lot of things accomplished.”

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CORDES: “The challenge for him is that they’re going to be at least two, maybe three other governors in this race who are going to make a similar case that they’ve proven, that they can win in a blue state or a purple state and that they can work with the other side.”

O’DONNELL: “And he's in the top ten in terms of the polls?”

CORDES: “He’s right on the bubble right now.”

O’DONNELL: “Right on the bubble. All right.”

ROSE: “To get you in the debate.”

O’DONNELL: “To get you in the debate. Nancy, thank you so much.”