Neither Trump, Bush, Cruz, nor Kasich can finesse that weird mix of confrontation and compassion. And Rubio’s attempt to hit that sweet spot notably failed when he tried to convince conservatives that “nothing matters if we aren’t safe.” But Christie connects with a more adult kind of pathos. “When terror dogs us, happiness is not possible,” Christie told a party conference in Florida this month. He told the Republican Jewish Coalition we’re “in the midst of the next world war.” Nodding along, the New Hampshire Union-Leader endorsed Christie as the right candidate “for these dangerous times. He has prosecuted terrorists and dealt admirably with major disasters,” the paper cheered. And, crucially, he has done it all while comfortable in his own skin: “he tells it like it is and isn’t shy about it.”

That’s why the GOP’s reigning mainstreamers are cheering. In a nation hungry for “adult supervision,” George Will recently intoned, “sufficient days remain for Republicans to reshuffle the deck, to relegate Trump’s rampaging to the nation’s mental attic, and to recognize in Christie a serious political talent.” Now, Christie cuts a remarkably “moderate” figure in the lineup. A fusion candidate the likes of which many Republican tastemakers (and donors) still have been waiting for, he’s like a cross between a sane Trump, a high-energy Bush, an experienced Rubio, and a Kasich you’d allow in the man cave.

That’s a path to the nomination. Christie will beat Jeb and Kasich in the establishment primary, shaming them both in New Hampshire. And if Rubio continues to poll far enough below Cruz, Christie will become a magnet for all the wealthy and powerful people afraid they’d have to back Cruz to beat Trump.