Appeared in The New Republic on October 5, 2011

To the disappointment of Chris Christie-holdouts around the country, the New Jersey governor announced on Tuesday that, “now is not my time to run for president,” insisting that his duty is, first and foremost, to serve the Garden State. Christie was swept up in speculation amidst right-wing indecision over the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. But the pudgy politician’s presidential non-announcement was by no means the first time a pol let his party down gently. Here’s a list of other much-hyped refusals to run for president throughout history.