Christie: Palin needs 'unscripted moments' to prove she's serious

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) needs to have more "unscripted moments" if she hopes to become president one day, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Sunday.

Christie leveled some mild criticism at Palin, along with the field of other possible GOP presidential candidates, for too carefully managing their image and avoiding hard questions.  

"I think if she wants to prove she's ready for this, you've got to have some unscripted moments," Christie said of Palin on CBS.

Palin has made a point of carefully managing her image through opining almost solely through Facebook, Twitter, and appearances on friendly media outlets.

Christie, a politician who's ruled out running for president despite some Republican clamor, said that all the candidates needed to learn how to break out of that mold, though he acknowledged that he first directed such criticism at Palin.

"You cannot be blow-dried and poll tested," Christie said. "They want someone who's going to speak straight with them … they want unguarded moments."

The Garden State governor said he thought that Palin may well be up to the challenge, but that it's ultimately up to her to decide whether to go that route.

"She's got to make that judgment herself. And I'll make my vote in the voting booth privately, like every other American," he said.

As for Christie's endorsement, the governor said he's waiting for the field to actually form before making any judgment.