In an era when people say they are tired of slick politicians who repeat a focus-group-tested message, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is anything but.
With Hurricane Irene bearing down on his state's coastline, he bellowed, "Get the hell off the beach!" His gubernatorial vocabulary regularly includes the words "stupid," "crap" and "insane."
He is the anti-Mitt Romney. And with Mr. Romney the one to beat in the Republican primary, there may be no better time for an alternative like Mr. Christie, who is said to be mulling the GOP nomination for presidency in 2012.
"Polls show people are really frustrated with Washington right now," said Scott Reed, who managed Bob Dole's presidential campaign in 1996. "A little straight talk will go a long way."
Mr. Christie and President Barack Obama are in a virtual dead heat in a hypothetical 2012 White House race, according to a new poll. The Rasmussen Report shows that 44 per cent of likely voters back Mr. Obama, while Mr. Christie attracted 43 per cent.
Mr. Christie can brag about a record of accomplishment in New Jersey that is squarely in the area most Americans say they care about: spending cuts, taxes, debt, regulations and jobs. But there are also big challenges for Mr. Christie.
Too liberal?
He is on record acknowledging the "undeniable" science behind the idea that climate change is caused by human behaviour, saying global warming is "real and it is impacting our state."
When Jon S. Corzine, the former Democratic governor of New Jersey, accused him in 2009 of standing with the National Rifle Association, Mr. Christie's campaign called that a "lie" and touted his support of the federal assault weapons ban. "Hardly the NRA position," his literature said.
And when Tea Party conservatives were up in arms about an Islamic centre and mosque near ground zero, he accused them of overreacting.
Raising money
The excitement among some very wealthy donors suggests that might not be too difficult. But running for president requires a large fundraising organization and Mr. Christie would start millions of dollars behind his rivals.
Right away, Mr. Christie and his campaign advisers would also face the challenge of his schedule. Every day that he spends on the phone with donors is a day he's not spending in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina – places that his potential rivals have been visiting regularly for weeks.
Too combative?
Many people around the country (more than 1 million, according to YouTube), have seen an image of a combative and feisty Mr. Christie at a town hall meeting, speaking bluntly to a teacher who stood up to accuse him of lambasting the profession.
"If what you want to do is put on a show and giggle every time I talk, well then I have no interest in answering your question," Mr. Christie said.
In another exchange, a woman asked why Mr. Christie sends his children to private, not public, schools.
"Hey Gail, you know what? First off, it's none of your business," a clearly ticked-off governor answered. "I don't ask you where you send your kids to school. Don't bother me about where I send mine."
The question is whether those kinds of confrontational moments still seem like a breath of fresh air if they happen repeatedly on the campaign trail.
"Is unvarnished what people really want?" asked a senior Republican strategist.
New York Times news service