“With the party’s frontrunner sagging, Chris Christie is reconsidering pleas from Republican elites and donors to run for president in 2012, two Republican sources told POLITICO.

“The New Jersey governor has indicated he is listening to big-money backers and Republican influence-makers, and will let them know in roughly a week whether he has moved off his threat-of-suicide vow to stay on the sidelines of a presidential race that remains amorphous heading into the fall, the two sources said…

“But after months of going out of his way to end the speculation, Christie started indicating he would at least think about getting in during the past week, the sources said, a period in which he held an event with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels — who has strongly indicated he’d like to see another entry to the field — and had a meeting with a group of major New York donors…

“Another source said Christie had been assured by the group that the money would be there if he were to run — not just in terms of what could be bundled in hard campaign committee dollars, but also in the form of a super PAC that could receive unlimited funds.”

“New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is considering a run for president, after getting lobbied hard from some of the GOP’s top leaders and money men, according to a well-placed Republican source in direct contact with Christie’s camp…

“‘I think what the country is thirsting for, more than anything else right now, is someone of stature and credibility to tell them that and say, ‘Here’s where I want us to go to deal with this crisis,” Christie said.

“‘The fact that nobody yet who’s running for president, in my view, has done that effectively is why you continue to hear people ask [Indiana Gov. Mitch] Daniels if he’ll reconsider and ask me if I’ll reconsider.’…

“Three people in direct contact with Christie issued concrete denials last night, saying he hasn’t changed his mind and is committed to staying out of the race — no matter how weak the field of candidates may be perceived to be.”

“Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s debate stumble provided an opening for Ken Langone, co-founder of The Home Depot, to renew his effort to use donor pressure to lure New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie into the GOP race. Langone has been making calls to potential donors and bundlers, urging them to hold back on jumping to Perry or Mitt Romney, arguing that Christie might run. Christie is still reluctant, although the donor persistence is something the party hasn’t seen in 30 years. A person familiar with Christie’s mind phoned Playbook after Maggie Haberman and others disclosed the new frenzy:

“‘There are three reasons [Christie probably won’t take the bait.] One is: He genuinely believes that he’s not prepared on an issue and substance basis to address all of the things you have to address as a candidate, and he’s leery of learning on the fly. Two, the performance of Perry shows the dangers of late entry: It’s right in front of him. And while others use that as a reason for him to GET in, for him, it’s the opposite – it’s the reason that validates his decision NOT to get in this late. And the third is that … you sit and look at the map … and the path for Chris Christie [to get more delegates than Romney] is difficult to chart … If he gets in, the first thing he has to do is beat Perry and establish himself as the REAL anti-Romney. And the path to doing that is difficult: Perry’s not going to just drop out.'”

“$ ppl are telling Christie he can’t win re-election in NJ so he needs 2 run 4 potus. It’s now or never, they’re telling him.”

Via Mediaite.

Click the image to listen.