Christie: Voters want consistent candidates

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) suggested to a group of top GOP donors this weekend at that Americans want candidates who are consistent on issues, according to Time magazine.

“We need to make sure that we make our party bigger and broader than it’s been before,” Christie said Saturday at a private retreat in Boca Raton, Fla. to about 250 people attending a reception at the retreat for Republican National Committee donors, Time reported

“And that’s not about pandering, it’s not about flip-flopping on issues,” Christie said, according to the magazine, adding, “People want folks who they believe in what they say and don’t change depending on what state they’re in.”

Christie’s remarks, reportedly made near a mingling Gov. Scott Walker, a likely 2016 GOP presidential rival, were viewed as a veiled shot at the Wisconsin governor. Walker has seen a surge in support recently while Christie’s popularity in polls has simultaneously fallen.

While Christie did not mention Walker by name, the comments apparently pointed to Walker recently coming under fire for reversing his views on immigration, saying on Fox News earlier this month he no longer supports “amnesty.”

That shift on immigration came ahead of Walker’s trips to the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire, during the latter of which Walker defended himself against claims of flip-flopping. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush acknowledged Walker’s shift, too, in the Granite State.

In Bush’s backyard of Florida, Christie touted his own efforts to reach minority voters in his home state of New Jersey, according to Time, and also called on leaders to show their softer sides.

“We should have some fun too,” he said.

Other potential 2016 GOP candidates at the reception with Christie included former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former New York Gov. George Pataki.