It was always a long shot proposition for New Jersey governor Chris Christie to enter the 2012 presidential sweepstakes. He has always been sincere in his belief that he has too much to do in New Jersey to spend any time thinking of higher office.

This statement in Politico is about as close as you can get to a General Sherman without actually using the words, "If nominated I will not run. If elected I will not serve.:"

New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie said he is growing frustrated by having to constantly deny that he is running for president.

"Short of suicide, I don't really know what I'd have to do to convince you people that I'm not running," Christie told reporters at a press conference Wednesday in Trenton.

[...]

Trying to finally put the issue to rest, Christie launched into an emphatic plea that reporters stop asking if he's running for president.

"I've said I don't want to. I'm not going to," he said. "There is zero chance I will."

"I don't feel like I'm ready to be president," Christie continued. "I don't want to run for president. I don't have the fire in the belly to run for president. But, yet, everyone seems to think that I've left the door open a little bit."

It won't stop speculation in the press but it will probably satisfy Republicans who might be thinking of trying to persuade the charismatic governor to run.

2016 will probably be a different story.