In convention speech, a test for Chris Christie

Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (L) shakes hands with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie during a rally at Exeter High School on January 8, 2012 in Exeter, New Hampshire.

/ Justin Sullivan

(CBS News) As Republicans from across the country descend on Tampa for the party's official nominating convention, Chris Christie will be preparing for his big moment: The famously outspoken Republican governor of New Jersey, and a rising star of the GOP, will deliver the convention's keynote speech - a role that's known for catapulting politicians into the national spotlight as much as for pumping up the presumptive party's nominee.

Admired though he is for his rhetorical abilities, Christie faces a delicate balancing act in Tampa. In terms of style, he and presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney could hardly be more different: Where Christie is unusually loose-lipped and prone to searing criticism -- he's been known to mock everyone from journalists to fellow Republicans -- Romney is viewed as cautious and controlled.

"The keynote speech is always a mix of the personal attributes and qualities of the speaker," said one Democratic strategist who has worked with Democrats on convention speeches in the past. "In this case, it's a guy who's clearly got a big future ahead in the Republican Party. But his message is going to be carefully calibrated and controlled by the nominee. Governor Christie, in order to give a home-run speech, really has to make it his own."

On Tuesday, Christie will prove whether or not he can do both.

Making it Matter

Presidential nominating conventions are rife with political fanfare, but the keynote speaking role is one in which each party has the opportunity to showcase one of their most exciting up-and-comers.

Under less pressure than the nominee or the vice presidential candidate to give a policy-heavy address, the keynote speaker has an opportunity to generate enthusiasm among the base, according to David Demarest, a White House communications director during the George H. W. Bush administration now at Stanford University. "Look at what Ann Richards did," he said, referring to her now-famous "silver spoon" comment at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. "She just really lit that convention up."

Still, Christie is bound to face constraints in the tone, nature, and content of his remarks. In the age of the 24-hour news cycle, little in presidential politics is left to chance -- and convention keynote speeches have been tightly controlled for much of of modern history.

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[erin_yu]

Chris Christie will just typically blow a lot of hot air, without acknowledging that his policies have been a monumental failure in his home state of New Jersey.

[hankfromthebank]

Wow...Christie shows us that liberals are the real haters...no wonder they turn most of America off..

[RollotheNorman]

Hey if the banks fail again, stand by for some real hatred, like bankers being hung from the lamp polls.

[RushBabe1]

I love Chris Christy, maybe not quite as conservative as me, but I love his charisma. He is a GOP super star.

ROMNEY/RYAN... JOBS JOBS JOBS

[Burizone]

who the heck is he?

[Guvhog]

He's the Current Governor of New Jersey.

[tvwatcher5345]

unfortunately christie is an example to what is big problem in the US, by the size of him i wonder if he has another year left in him

[TimeIsNowfor99]

This Christie guy is nothing more than a loud mouth bully ignoramus. I am shocked that they let this fool speak. He sends the wrong image of conservatism every time he opens his mouth.

[88Ronin]

A Jersey thug, teamed with 2 cultists: not a good combination.

WHAT A MOB OF RADICALS!

REPUBLICANS ARE SO RADICAL, they want to elect two EXTREME cultists to the highest offices in the land.

Mormons declared war on The United States just after massacring 127 men women and children at Mountain Meadows, Utah. The Mormon cult has never rescinded that declaration.

The Catholic Cult is the largest pedophilia ring on the planet and corrupt to its core.

Here's another recent example of RADICAL REPUBLICANISM.
Do you think the judge, in the following, should be arrested for inciting the overthrow of our elected government?

Texas Judge Preparing For 'Civil War' If Obama Re-Elected
August 22, 2012 12:15 PM

LUBBOCK (CBSDFW.COM) - Reactions continue after a Texas leader issued a public warning for what he calls a 'civil war' and possible invasion of United Nations troops if President Barrack Obama is re-elected.

Excerpted from:
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/08/22/texas-judge-preparing-for-civil-war-if-obama-re-elected/

[RollotheNorman]

Hey 88Ronin, don't worry about that Lubbock fruitloop, we got a lot o' them nutcases, they're just hot air mainly. Why even out goofy Gov talked about seceding. A lot of folks in Texas believe the 1848 Treaty of Annexation allows Texas to leave the Union at will. It did allow Texas to split into 5 states, but since Texas seceded during the Civil War and had to reannexed by force of arms, my guess is the 1848 treaty became null and void in 1865. Still you have a lot of people believing Rick that Texas can just decide to leave the Union.

[RollotheNorman]

Sure to be a hum-dinger. Remember Pat Buchanan's in 92? Sarah Palin in '08? Yeah they sure picked the right guy to key-note: "If you don't agree with and vote for us RepubliCONs, we'll put a hit on ya America."

[Molly-Pchr]

So many of you are so immature. I had a friend who was overweight, and some dork called her FATSO. She said to him, "In six months I'll be thin and gorgeous, and you will still be ugly." Well, she is and he still is. Apparently you are all very angry and certainly no judges of character, lacking any yourselves.

[Molly-Pchr]

Oh, how wrong you are in your assumptions...just like so many others here. Only time I spent in the hospital was as a scrub nurse in the OR for five years. But whatever floats your boat.

[DavidInMaine]

I hope the stage is well reinforced.

[unclebernies]

The hippocrite will give a a divisive speech and the sheeple will cheer like a group of clapping seals. No suprises here.