Chris Christie is out. Now what?

What it means (and what it doesn't).

(Chris Christie)

Chris Christie dropped out of the Republican presidential race Wednesday night in New Hampshire, admitting “it’s clear to me tonight that there isn’t a path for me to win the nomination.” (Kudos to Mark Halperin for breaking the news.)

I would quibble with that analysis slightly — since there was NEVER a path for Christie to win the nomination. He was running to a) reclaim his good name after aligning for years with Donald Trump and b) get attention in hopes of a post-political windfall in either cable TV or the speaking circuit (or both!). Winning the nomination was never realistic.

That said, I would argue he accomplished both of his goals. While Christie will never be able to fully erase his decision to endorse Trump in 2016 — and stand by him, literally, throughout much of his presidency — the last thing most political people will remember about Christie is this campaign in which he warned, repeatedly, of the danger that Trump poses.

So, now what? Christie is out just days before Iowa — and, critically, two weeks before the New Hampshire primary.

Before I get into what I think Christie means to the race going forward, a few caveats:

1. Christie was a non entity — polling wise — in every state but New Hampshire.

2. In New Hampshire, Christie was polling in the low double digits — not exactly a massive amount of support.

3. He didn’t endorse any candidate left in the race. In fact, on a hot mic before the event, Christie said of Haley: “She’s going to get smoked. You and I know both know it...she’s not up to this.”

Ok, with that out of the way, a few thoughts on how Christie’s decision changes the race.