Three years out, the whole scene is shaping up just as it did in 2000 (right down to the anointed moderate’s battle with the conservative wing, this time Mr. Christie jousting with Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul).

In the end, though, Mr. Christie is a formidable candidate (much more so than Mr. McCain) and certainly more likely to win nationwide than a hard-core conservative. But as writer Myra Adams points out, Democrats start each presidential election with 246 electoral votes virtually guaranteed.

“Let me repeat, if only for the shock value,” she writes, “246 votes out of 270 is 91 percent. That means the Democrat candidate needs to win only 24 more votes out of the remaining 292.”

Who’s going to end that advantage? Sarah Palin? Mr. Cruz? Mr. Paul? Possibly. But maybe someone like Mr. Christie, who really can draw Democrats, independents, Hispanics, blacks and young voters.

Still, the media love affair will end the second Mr. Christie wins the nomination. And you always have to wonder: If the media loves him so much, just what’s wrong with him?