Palin, Christie both negative on 2012 run

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin ended months of speculation today releasing a letter to her supporters stating she would definitively not run for the Presidency in 2012.

Report from Fox News:

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced Wednesday that she won’t enter the 2012 presidential race, making it all but certain that the final slate of GOP candidates has been set.

In a letter to her supporters, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and Fox News contributor said her decision was based on a “review of what common sense conservatives and independents have accomplished, especially over the last year.”

“I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office — from the nation’s governors to congressional seats and the presidency,” she said.

Along the same line, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated this week that he also will not seek the presidency in 2012. Of course, Christie has been saying this for months but apparently reconsidered in recent weeks only to still decide against a run. Since Christie’s decision, many of his potential donors have switched to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney giving him a boost.

Report from the Wall Street Journal:

A day after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said he wouldn’t run for president, several top Republican fund-raisers came off the sidelines and pledged their support for Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor.

Among Mr. Romney’s new backers are former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson, a Republican lobbyist who raised $1 million for former President George W. Bush, and two top fund-raisers for the now-defunct presidential campaign of Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor.

The news for Mr. Romney damped somewhat an announcement that one of his chief rivals, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, had raised $17 million for his campaign since becoming a candidate in mid-August.

This will clear some of the air, and maybe some of the polls, in the Republican primary race. Many polls have included both Palin and/or Christie as potential candidates which I felt skewed the results since they had not announced their intention to run.