If there was any doubt that Chris Christie was still looking at a 2016 run, his recent comments to the Chamber of Commerce should put them to rest. His overall theme – which some are speculating could be a campaign slogan – was, “It’s time to start offending people.” Saying, “I don’t care if I’m loved. I want to be respected,” he jumped into a number of issues which are sure to draw headlines (which was no doubt the intent) but may not prove terribly viable in a national political run. One of those third rail comments was on the minimum wage.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) said Tuesday he’s tired of hearing Democrats call for a hike to the minimum wage.

“I’m tired of hearing about the minimum wage,” Christie said during a speech at the Chamber of Commerce. “I really am. I don’t think there’s a mother or a father sitting around the kitchen table tonight in America saying, ‘You know, honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage, my God, all of our dreams would be realized.’ ”

“Is that what parents aspire to for our children?” the possible 2016 presidential candidate asked. “They aspire to a greater, growing America, where their children have the ability to make much more money and have much great success than they have, and that’s not about a higher minimum wage.”

This is a great speech for the Chamber of Commerce, and it’s a wonderful theme for winning over the base and significant GOP donors. Unfortunately, it may turn out to be an albatross in the 2016 election. The minimum wage question – along with several others – is one where I’ve come to believe that conservatives have found themselves in the unfortunate situation of arriving at the debate with the better argument but losing anyway.

We’ve been having this discussion in every forum imaginable for some time now. You can point out how rapid increases in the minimum wage will result in employers cutting back on their workforce due to rising expenses. You can note how higher labor costs will make it more tempting – and profitable – to look at increased automation, which results in further cutbacks in jobs. You can explain until you are blue in the face how mandated higher wages will result in an automatic free market correction which drives up prices for everyone until the system stabilizes again. And you would be correct on all these points.

But to a significant majority of the low to middle income voters in your target audience – the ones who will elect the next president – it just doesn’t matter.

Whether it’s surveys conducted by the Washington Post, Pew, CNN Money or others, the results are the same. In fact, it’s not even close. This is one of those populist messages which the Democrats have latched on to like a terrier and shaken for all it’s worth. And it worked. The prospect of more money in the next paycheck, either for themselves or someone they know, will override any long game considerations for far too many voters and they will probably punish any Republicans who fight the idea when they go to the polls.

This is similar to the argument over taxes, where things are slightly better, but not much. The Democrats have rather cleverly adopted one argument of conservatives to use against them – that the debt is dangerously high. But the solution they propose is to pay it off by raising taxes… as long as it’s the right people being taxed. Too many voters will continue to adopt the Russell B. Long attitude of tax that fellow behind the tree, and listen to the siren song of Democrats who tell them that the regular guy or gal can continue to pay low (or no) taxes, but the nation’s problems will go away if we drain every last penny from job providers, “big oil” companies and other perceived deep pockets.

Once these midterms are over, the GOP needs to sit down and come to grips with these questions or risk letting their opponents burn up the track before we get into the starting blocks. Public education on these subjects which Christie is trying to address simply hasn’t sunk in, and the polls make that painfully obvious. We either need to figure out a new and better approach to get this message through, or soften the stance on some of these issues so other important battles can be won.