Rove still sees Ryan, Christie as possible GOP '12 candidates

Republican strategist Karl Rove doubled down Tuesday on comments suggesting New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.) could enter the GOP presidential race.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Rove said that he had talked to supporters of the two high-profile Republicans who were convinced after meeting with them that they would reconsider jumping into the race.

Rove indicated some of the supporters had met with Christie and others with Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee. He said it was possible the supporters were engaging in “wishful thinking” and that they were only hearing what they wanted to hear. But the veteran Republican strategist also said there was so much chatter, it had to be given some credence.

“I'm getting the same sense from some of those people that maybe it’s wishful thinking on their part that they’re so enthusiastic about Paul Ryan or Chris Christie jumping into the race that what they're getting out of the conversation what they want to hear but there's enough of that chatter that I think we've got to give it some credence,” Rove said.

Rove’s comments came a day after an interview with Fox News's Sean Hannity in which he said he thought that Christie or Ryan would reconsider jumping into the race. 



“What I said last night is that we've got a really good field but obviously there are people out there talking to these people who are walking away saying ‘I think there's a chance Paul Ryan will run,’ ‘I think there's a chance Sarah Palin will run,’ ‘I think there's a chance Chris Christie will run,’” Rove said. 



Rove’s latest comments come the same day that The Weekly Standard reported that Ryan is “strongly considering” jumping into the race. 



Both Christie and Ryan have previously denied any interest in running for president in 2012. 



Palin, the former governor of Alaska, is also thought to be considering a presidential campaign, and Rove said there was evidence to think she is serious about a White House bid.

“And I also think looking at the schedule of Sarah Palin after Labor Day that she’s got a campaign style schedule post-Labor Day that’s either going to accentuate her celebrity hood or lay the predicate for running for president,” Rove said.

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