LEBANON, New Hampshire (Reuters) ? Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney got a big boost on Tuesday with an endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a move that may create an aura of inevitability around his candidacy.
Christie, who announced last week that he would not seek the Republican presidential nomination for 2012, took less than a week to decide to join Romney's team.
"America cannot survive another four years of Barack Obama. And Mitt Romney is the guy we need and we need him now," Christie said at an appearance with Romney as Republican candidates gathered in New Hampshire for an evening debate.
Romney has a narrow lead in Republican opinion polls but has struggled to break free of Perry and businessman Herman Cain as he seeks to lay to rest the doubts of some conservatives who worry he may be too moderate.
"When he indicated a willingness to join my team I could not have been more pleased or more happy," Romney said of Christie.
The move by Christie, who is popular within the Republican Party, is a coup for Romney and could bolster his case that he is the most electable Republican to face Obama.
Romney had also received the endorsement of Tim Pawlenty when the former Minnesota governor withdrew from the race.
Answering questions from reporters, both Romney and Christie were sharply critical of rival Rick Perry over a Texas preacher's decision to inject Romney's Mormon religion into the campaign at a conservative conference last weekend.
Reverend Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, had introduced Perry, the Texas governor, at the conference by saying Romney's Mormon faith is a "cult."
Romney and Christie clearly tried to dump Jeffress into the Perry's lap.
"I think that any campaign that associates itself with that type of comment is beneath the office of president of the United States, in my view," said Christie.
"I just don't believe that that kind of divisiveness based upon religion has a place in this country," said Romney.
The Perry campaign shrugged off Christie's endorsement.
"Governor Perry has the utmost respect for Governor Christie and looks forward to his help unseating President Obama next year," said Perry spokesman Ray Sullivan.
A rising star in the Republican ranks, Christie, 49, had said repeatedly he would not run for president in 2012, but reconsidered based on a flood of entreaties from members of the Republican establishment and major donors.
Christie has a moderate record on social issues and a strong fiscal record as governor of New Jersey.
(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington and Ros Krasny in New Hampshire. Writing by Steve Holland, editing by Christopher Wilson)
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