Will slapped together a column this morning hyping a potential Christie run in 2016, writing that Christie “radiates serenity,” pairs “occasional pugnacity” with a “sedate, diplomatic manner,” and is a “zestful political combatant.” Perhaps most significantly, Will speculates that candidate Christie could make the quadrennial Republican pipe dream of winning Pennsylvania a reality, based solely on the fact that Christie advertised in the Philly media market during his runs for governor (Philadelphia is just across the Delaware River from Camden).
New Jersey is a weird place that basically doesn't have its own media market. It's got a big population, but it's New York in the north and Philly in the south. Given that cable increasingly allows for hyperlocal ad targeting, I don't know why political campaigns waste their money in this way (ok, I do, bigger fees for lazy media buyers), but I guarantee it wasn't some cunning plan to make Philly love him.
More generally...yes, a Republican can win Pennsylvania, but Pennsylvania will never be the crucial state that puts them over the line. If they win Pennsylvania they'll have won Florida and North Carolina and Virginia and Ohio and New Hampshire etc. In other words, PA will fall if a Republican wins big nationally, but it just isn't a prize to be pursued by itself. But every 4 years...