“I’m not stupid. I see the opportunity. I see it. That’s not the reason to run,” Christie said, adding that a candidate must truly believe that he’s ready to be president, and “I don’t believe that about myself right now.”

We all look at how he handles himself in New Jersey and think he’s ready for anything. However, click through here and watch the embedded video. It’s a moving town hall where Christie helps a woman whose son is dyslexic. His breadth of knowledge about the minutiae of his state is astonishing. I would argue that his knowledge is what gives him the confidence to be bold. No one is going to catch this guy flat-footed. We’ve seen it in marvelous video after video.

If his knowledge is the secret to his power, then I understand when he says he’s not ready to be president. Imagine if he knew the U.S. government to the extent he knows his state. Whoa. And, I believe, if he did run for president in 2012 and we elected him (which we probably would), and then he showed an ineptitude, we would never forgive him.

We need a great candidate in 2012. I think Christie could eat Obama for breakfast on the stump. But we also need a great president in 2012. When Christie says he is not (yet) that man, I trust his judgment.

Now don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t vote for the loon while my bum pointed down but at least he’s interesting. cheap prescription drugs without prescription Half Jesuit, half crazed Millwall supporter, with a religious philosophy of “share in the love of Jesus or I’ll smash your f***en face in”. He’s the hoot we had to have.

And there you have one viewpoint from Down Under about Tony Abbott, new leader of the Liberal Party in Australia.  Labour, which is left-wing, holds power.  Liberal, meaning right-wing, is in opposition and the election of Abbott is causing a ruckus.

Here’s a test:  Would you vote for this man?

“Tony Abbott, a hard-line rightwinger, a social conservative who campaigns against abortion and who is adamant there’s no such thing as climate change, has won the leadership of the Opposition Liberal Party over moderate Malcolm Turnbull.”

Heck, yes!

As you can imagine, half of Australia is horrified to have such a paleo in a position of power.  He was in seminary!  (They call him the Mad Monk because of that.)  He’s friends with Cardinal Pell and is a faithful Catholic!  He called global warming “crap”!  He’s in a lifesaving swim club and had his picture taken while wearing Speedos!  (Only they call a Speedo the inscrutable term of “budgie-smuggler,” which does indeed offend me.  I’ll spare you the photo.)  Due to Abbott’s election, the death of the Liberal Party is widely anticipated.  With no notion whatsoever of Australian politics I predict Abbott will be Prime Minister within three years!

Both sides of the aisle agree that Australian politics just got very interesting.