The media hype bubble of Chris Christie's non-candidacy has expanded and burst so many times that we are getting whiplash. And now we're headed into another period of "he's running" speculation because of a New York Post story reporting "he's seriously considering." But there's a new twist! Really. See, the Post says Christie was dead-set against running up until that awesome night when he had a good time bashing Obama in a speech. (The speech, you will recall, that everyone interpreted as a deliberate signal of his intentions to run.) So, according to this new version of what Christie is thinking, he really wasn't planning to run when he delivered the speech but at some point during the speech Christie changed his mind and he's now considering a candidacy. Following along? Let the Post catch you up: 

Yet when the governor first arrived at the Reagan library, he was still telling his inner circle he was a definite 'no' for a presidential run -- and planned to make that clear in his appearance. Something changed that night, sources said.

What an excellent way to keep the story alive--saying that the New Jersey governor had something of a "mind-blowing" revelation (according to an unnamed pal) that night in Reagan-ville is the perfect way to sweep aside a limitless number of emphatic "no's" that he keeps uttering. And saying that former First Lady Nancy Reagan and George W. Bush, among others, were "prodding" him into it was a nice touch.

But, as Capital New York's Tom McGeveran sensibly reminds us, there's "not a single on-the-record source" in the entire entertainingly spun piece. And, it's worth reiterating, the Post didn't exactly say that he was going to run. (Although if he does, their anonymous sources say an announcement "may come as soon as Monday.") The paper said he's "giving serious thought to jumping into the ring." What changed?

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Erik Hayden