probably played a factor since he was going to have to explain why he stayed in and took what could end up being, you know, essentially a margin of victory. but the question i think also becomes where do those voters actually go. do they even actually stay within the republican cohort given the fact that he built his entire campaign off of criticizing the former president. howard: you know, the media con consensus is -- [inaudible] in new hampshire, but let's see what the weather is. [laughter] kevin, obviously, christie not endorsing, he called his rivals cowards, not directly criticizing donald trump, but at the same time there's some media chatter that the hot mic section of nikki haley wasn't accidental. >> you know, i don't think it was accidental at all. [laughter] i've been around the block a bi- howard: and so has christie. >> i think that was intentional, and i think he's laying the groundwork to say she will not be the one to do this, we all know this, and eventually he believes, i think, that the gop