Chris Christie picks up Iowa entrepreneur's endorsement
Chris Christie stands low in the Iowa polls - a RealClearPolitics average shows him at 1.3 percent, but his campaign got a boost on Tuesday when Bruce Rastetter, an Iowa entrepreneur who hosted the state's first agriculture summit earlier this year, announced his endorsement. Five other influential Iowan entrepreneurs and business owners also added their endorsements.
This is the same group that flew to New Jersey in 2011 to try and convince the New Jersey governor to enter the 2012 presidential race. Christie declined, but Rastetter said that the qualities that they saw in the him four years ago - bold leadership, principled leadership - are the same characteristics that stand out today.
"As we took our time and we looked at a broader field that's out there, and those that have the leadership and the conviction to be able to be president, it became very clear to us that that same reason that we flew to New Jersey in 2011 exists today in even a greater way," Rastetter said.
The governor has not been campaigning much in Iowa - he's spent only 17 days here - considerably less than other GOP candidates, and he has not yet opened a field office in Iowa. Still, he has close ties to Gov. Terry Branstad, whom he campaigned for in 2010.
Most of Christie's energy has gone to New Hampshire, where he's spent over twice as much time - 36 days. But Christie said he will "compete hard" in Iowa and do very well in the state. At a town hall Monday Christie promised he'd be back often.