Christie in 2016! Scandal-hit NJ Governor wins standing ovation with tub-thumping speech at conservative conference

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MailOnline took an informal poll of 20 random CPAC attendees who heard Christie speak: All 20 said he's running for president
'Our ideas are better than theirs,' Christie said of liberal Democrats
He praised the Republican governors of 2016 swing states and attacked President Obama for creating 'opportunity inequality' in America
Christie never mentioned Hillary Clinton by name but defended the billionaire Koch brothers against attacks from Sen. Harry Reid
He made one glaring error, incorrectly claiming Democrats are 'the party of intolerance' because pro-life speakers have never addressed their quadrennial national convention

By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor

PUBLISHED: 13:39 EST, 6 March 2014 | UPDATED: 15:44 EST, 6 March 2014

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie treated a standing-room crowd to a stinging indictment of the Democratic Party and its biggest names on Thursday. And spectators at the Conservative Political Action Conference who saw him speak say the speech marked the beginning of a presidential campaign.

'Our ideas are better than their ideas,' Christie said of political progressives in a speech that hit all the top-tier political hot buttons including abortion, organized labor, government entitlements adn the Obama administration's economic policies.

And he made a point of praising Scott Walker, Rick Scott and Rick Snyder, the Republican governors of Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan – all likely 2016 swing states where the eventual GOP nominee will spend considerable time.

'For sure, he's running,' CPAC attendee Justin Borreggine, a New Jerseyan, told MailOnline. 'At this point, is there any doubt?'

'It's really going to happen,' said Ron Ozarowski, attending the event in his home state of Maryland. He put the odds of a Christie candidacy at 'about 80 per cent.'

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New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie took shots at Democrats and sounded like a presidential contender at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, D.C.

CPAC is an annual event that brings thousands of right-wing activists to the nation's capital to hear politicians and conservative thought leaders

Outside the ballroom at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center near Washington, D.C., MailOnline polled 20 self-professed conservatives who heard Christie speak.

All 20 said they expected him to get into the 2016 race for the White House. Only three said they wished he wouldn't.

It's a stunning turnaround for a blue-state governor who was banned from last year's CPAC event because of his hearty embrace of President Barack Obama, who worked to provide New Jersey with much-needed disaster aid after Superstorm Sandy.

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On Thursday, thousands of the nation's most driven right-wingers gave him near-unanimous standing ovations both before and after his remarks.

But Christie, bruised by a scandal involving allegedly intentional traffic jams targeting a mayor who opposed him, gave his adversaries more ammunition to use against him.

Without naming them directly, he gave an unmistakable defense of David and Charles Koch, the liberal-incensing billionaire industrialists known for supporting conservative and libertarian causes.

Christie delivers tub-thumping speech to CPAC

Oops: The no-politicking rule is being loosely enforced at CPAC this year

Possible contenders: Christie (C) bumped into Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (L) in the VIP area at CPAC on Thursday; both could be GOP primary contenders two years from now

A slimmer-than-before Christie appealed to anti-Democrat sentiments, saying 'Our ideas are better than theirs'

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid lashed out at the Koch brothers this week on the Senate floor.

'The oil baron Koch brothers are very good at protecting and growing their prodigious future and fortune,' he said. 'There’s nothing un-American about that. But what is un-American is when shadowy billionaires pour unlimited money into our democracy to rig the system to benefit themselves and the wealthiest one percent.'

Christie took Reid head-on and cast him as a cynical opponent of job-creators.

'What they're for in Washington D.C.,' he said, is – the leader of the Senate Democrats stands up and rails against two American entrepreneurs.'

'Harry Reid should get back to work,' Christie jabbed, 'and stop railing against great Americans who are creating jobs.'

'The fact is,' he added in a call to arms, 'that we have to take these guys on directly.'

Christie committed one unforced error that may come back to haunt him: a claim that the Democratic National Convention has never hosted a speaker who opposed abortion rights.

If you didn't feel comfortable saying Chris Christie is running, you probably do now.
— Tim Carey (@CareyTim6) March 6, 2014

How about your traffic jams? RT @TheFix: "Our ideas are better than their ideas." -- Christie
— Jay Pinho (@jaypinho) March 6, 2014

Raise your hand if you thought Christie would get booed at CPAC. If you have your hand raised you are a moron.
— Get It Right (@DraftRyan2016) March 6, 2014

The CPAC crowd ranges in age from millennials to baby boomers, including some who yearn from the pre-Watergate 'Tricky Dick'

Abortion is on the back-burner at CPAC this year, failing to command a panel discussion or a keynote speech topic, but Christie brought it up in an attempt to paint Democrats as ideologically rigid

Forgiven? Christie was banned from last year's CPAC because he pumped up Obama's image in an election season following the flow of post-hurricane federal aid dollars

'At our national convention, we’ve had people like Tom Ridge and Colin Powell and Condi Rice speak at our national conventions. Even though I don’t agree with their position on abortion,' he said.

'Tell me, sir,' Christie continued, recounting a conversation with a liberal constituent, 'the last pro-life Democrat who was allowed to speak at a Democratic convention? By the way, don’t strain yourself, because there’s never been one. They’re the party of intolerance, not us.'

But Reid, the Senate majority leader from Nevada, is pro-life. So are former Louisiana Democratic Senator John Breaux and former House Democratic Whip David Bonior of Michigan.

All were frequent DNC speakers.

Christie never mentioned Hillary Clinton, one likely Democratic presidential nominee, but set aside a minute of his time at the podium to attack President Barack Obama's economic policies as 'the cold, hard hand of the government determining winners and losers.'

'We don't have an income inequality problem; we have an opportunity inequality problem,' Christie said.

He also lashed out at news outlets in a thinly veiled slap at the negative coverage his 'Bridgegate' scandal has brought.

'We have to stop letting the media define who we are and what we stand for,' he said to vigorous applause.

Both CNN and MSNBC cut away from the speech less than three minutes in.

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Chacha, Atlanta_USA, United States, 6 minutes ago

Who were those applauding him...?? I want to know...

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Willi, here and now, United States, 13 minutes ago

He proved himself petty and wreck less with the bridge scandal which he hasn't taken responsibility for. No way he'll keep so out if war and Americans want that so much.

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nfn, Earth Galaxy, 28 minutes ago

There is no one left in that party? Ain't that a shame!

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superfatback, Atlanta, United States, 1 hour ago

America deserves what it will get if the elect him into office. We already know he is a thug and lair. Stupid America couldn't vote an honest politicization into office if it killed them. And it will kill them.

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ActionBob, Swamp Hollow, United Kingdom, 1 hour ago

It must have been an ice cream tub.

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pdacosta, North Port, United States, 1 hour ago

What a crock of BS he will not win. To many people remember the love fest with Berry. And he is a progressive at heart.

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chicken_pie, Belfast, 1 hour ago

This guy is a lame joke!

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BG, Houston, United States, 1 hour ago

It's time for people to realize that the Republicants DO NOT WANT TO WIN a presidential election.

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ComteDeLaFere, Midwest, United States, 1 hour ago

"'Our ideas are better than theirs,' Christie said of liberal Democrats"........ Their ideas are so tired and banal that they are now the punch lines of jokes. Their main concepts, the often failing trickle down economics of slashing taxes on millionaires and removing all regulations in the financial industry, are the exact same ideas that are responsible for two out of every three dollars of our national debt and every recession we have had in the last 30 years. And they are also the exact same ideas that Romney made no attempt to deny he would enact as soon as he became president. Seven out of the last seven, 100%, of the last Republican presidents have promoted these policies and all sevene have started recessions. Only one out of the last 7 Democrats has started a recession. We aren't fooled any longer. One thing is absolutely, 100%, beyond a doubt certain. If we elect another Republican, we will get another recession, and I said the same thing before we elected George Bush.

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America_In_Decline, Ft. Worth, United States, 1 hour ago

Christie is DOA in my book. Christie gave cover to Obama during his election, standing at the beach with him...I can never forgive him for that. Christie is also for illegal alien amnesty and gun control like the Bush family. If John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, the GOP leaders, think we'll get used to another Democrat Light candidate, we'll stay home again...(I didn't, I voted for Romney). Sarah Palin speaks on Saturday and will blow the roof off the place.