He's out of the running for 2012, but his blustery style could come in handy for the GOP even so

Chris Christie is too major a political figure to fade away after the end of his flirtation with 2012. But how can the Republican star keep shining as the attention moves to the rest of the field, the eventual GOP nominee and the coming battle with Barack Obama? Here are five roles Christie can play that would keep -- and even expand -- his influence.

1. Endorser. The fastest way to make his influence felt would be to support a presidential candidate tomorrow. After all, the governor is probably one of the hottest interviews out there today (people are listening), and his potential supporters need someone else to vote for. An endorsement could be potent: Only a few percentage points separate the leading candidates in some surveys, so no advantage would be too small for any one of them.

However, Christie is unlikely to support someone now, as he said during his press conference Tuesday. Doing so would eliminate the suspense that could keep him in the press from now until 2012 as speculation mounts about who he'll back. Moreover, if Christie makes an early pick of a candidate who goes on to lose, he'll lose a valuable connection to the possible future president of the United States. There will come a time when his endorsement could have an even more powerful effect on the race, and that will be the right time to give it.