New Jersey Governor Chris Christie disappointed those seeking a shake-up of the Republican field on Tuesday, saying once and for all that he would not run for the White House in 2012.
Christie's announcement came despite a poll suggesting he would have been neck-and-neck with front-runner Mitt Romney for the Republican nomination and ahead of President Barack Obama in a general election match-up.
"Over the last few weeks I've thought long and hard about this decision," the 49-year-old rising star of the Republican Party told reporters at State House in Trenton, New Jersey.
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"When you have serious people from across the spectrum, not to mention from all across the country passionately calling on you to do something as consequential as running for president of the United States, I felt an obligation to earnestly consider their advice," he said.
"I've explored the options and listened to so many people and considered whether this was something that I needed to take on. But in the end, what I've always felt was the right decision remains the right decision today. Now is not my time."
With Obama vulnerable due to the faltering economy and stubbornly high unemployment, Republicans are desperate to find a candidate who can rally the conservative base but who also doesn't turn off independents.
Christie's decision will disappoint those with lingering doubts about Romney. Many Christians view his Mormon faith as a cult or even a heresy and others see the former Massachusetts governor as an inauthentic conservative.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, hailed by the right as the savior of the race when he jumped in on August 13, is falling fast in the polls after failing to sparkle in early debates despite his strong conservative credentials.
Media speculation will continue to swirl over Tea Party darling Sarah Palin, the losing vice presidential candidate in 2008, but barring any last-minute surprises the field now seems set for the Republican primaries.
Perry's popularity has plummeted following some weak debate showings and former pizza company executive Herman Cain has gained ground, new polls show.
One poll by Quinnipiac University showed that if Christie had run he would be tying Romney for the lead in the Republican primary battle with 17 percent. Cain trailed on 12 percent and then Perry with 10 percent.
In a general election face-off, Christie was credited with 45 percent to Obama's 42 percent.
"This survey shows Governor Christie is walking away from the possibility -- at least today -- to be elected president of the United States," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"Whether he would have won the GOP (Republican) nomination or the election will never be known, but the data indicate he had a serious chance to win it all."
Christie had already repeatedly scoffed at the idea of entering the 2012 race, but calls for him to reconsider grew in recent days as Perry's campaign faltered.
Growing numbers of Republicans had identified Christie, a political newcomer who won plaudits for tough leadership in deficit-ridden New Jersey, as an exciting alternative.
Former Utah governor and ambassador to Beijing Jon Huntsman, another Republican candidate who like Romney is a Mormon, was quick to praise Christie after his announcement.
"Governor Christie is a tremendous public servant who will be a force in Republican politics for years to come," Huntsman said. "Though he will not be entering the presidential race, his message of reforming government and restoring American exceptionalism will not be lost."
Had he jumped in, Christie's late entry would have left him with an uphill battle to make a mark in early-voting primary states where other candidates have already been courting voters at length.
That task was made harder still on Monday when South Carolina Republicans announced they would hold their first-in-the-south presidential primary on January 21 in a bid to outdo a similar move by Florida.
Florida decided last month to move up the vital battleground's presidential primary date to January 31, sowing chaos in the political calendar.
An early primary or caucus gives a state more influence in shaping the eventual party nominee.
