Gov. Chris Christie tells Ohio crowd he will not run for president

'I just don't want that, that badly right now,' Christie says about occupying the Oval Office

Andrew Mills.The Star-LedgerNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, with Ohio gubernatorial candidate John Kasich as they sit at a lunch counter during a live webcast Q&A session at a campaign stop for Kasich just outside Cincinnati this morning.

HARRISON, Ohio — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie basked in his new-found national prominence today, as he campaigned for Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate John Kasich.

During a rally and live webcast in this Cincinnati suburb, Christie was greeted like a conquering hero by the crowd of 200 and spoke at length on topics that included New Jersey's budget deficit, Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi, and whether he would run for president.

As he has for weeks, the governor was asked again about his presidential aspirations. He repeated his mantra that he is neither ready for the job nor does he want it badly enough to do what it would take to run.

"I just don’t want that, that badly right now, I just don’t," Christie said. "I’m thrilled to be the governor of New Jersey."

Meanwhile, Kasich sang the praises of Christie.

"We have with us today Harry Truman – he happens to be a Republican this time," Kasich, a former congressman and Fox News commentator, said as he introduced the freshman Garden State governor. "He's not just a rising star. He’s risen. He’s traveling all over the country."

Kasich wondered aloud why Christie is so partial to Bruce Springsteen and not rocker Jon Bon Jovi.

"How come you never give a compliment to Bon Jovi? That’s what I want to know," Kasich asked Christie, who boasted he's attended 125 of The Boss's concerts. "I kind of like Bon Jovi."

Christie said it's not that he doesn't like Bon Jovi. But, the governor said, "He’s like Bruce' s little brother."

Kasich is embroiled in a tough-as-nails contest against Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland. A swing state that voted for President Obama in 2008, Ohio is viewed as the future of both political parties.The next governor is going to play a major role in the 2012 elections because a state's chief executive controls massive political and volunteer operations as well as other mechanisms inside the election process. Christie's visit today comes as Ohioans begin early voting for the Nov. 2 election and as the polls have started to narrow the lead Kasich has been holding over Strickland.

Christie spent less than 24 hours in Ohio . He attended a private high-end fundraiser Monday night before headlining the Kasich event in this working-class community about 25 minutes outside of Cincinnati. He immediately returned to the airport for a chartered flight back to New Jersey, where he is unveiling a series of education reforms this afternoon.

On his way to the microphone, Christie was greeted by a shout of "Give 'em hell, Chris!" from the audience.

Christie's Ohio visit was the second leg of a month-long national political tour that has already taken the governor to California and New Mexico. He is scheduled to return to the campaign trail next Monday for three days of stops that will take him to Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. During his trip next week, Christie is to headline rallies in Iowa, the state that hosts the first ballotting of the presidential-nominating season, making analysts believe he does harbor ambition to be either a presidential or vice presidential candidate.

Christie continued to trumpet the message that his straight-talking style and the "power" of his ideas have led to his success since taking office last January, despite a crushing budget crisis and a Legislature controlled by his political opponents.

"Don’t let the Democrats fool you into somehow saying we’re the party of 'no' and that’s bad," Christie said. "Yeah, we're the party of 'no.' No more higher taxes, no more huge debt that we’re going to put on the backs of our grandchildren...It’s a positive."

Christie and Kasich said they have a number of mutual friends, especially the late Bob Franks, who served with Kasich in Congress. But Christie and Kasich first met in person at Franks' funeral earlier this year. During that conversation, they said they made a connection, which led Kasich to invite Christie to help him out on the campaign trail.