Library of Congress.
THEN: Theodore Roosevelt barnstormed New Jersey in the spring of 1912 on his way to the Republican National Convention in Chicago. The campaign made stops in Freehold, Farmingdale, Asbury Park, Long Branch, Red Bank, Phillipsburg and Newton. Roosevelt, who had relinquished the presidency four years earlier, was attempting to make a comeback as the GOP standard-bearer. When the Republicans decided to stick with their incumbent, William Howard Taft, Roosevelt ran under the banner of his own Bull Moose Party. Taft and Roosevelt ended up splitting the Republican vote, opening the door to the White House for the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson. The New Jersey governor grabbed the presidency with just 43 percent of the popular vote.
Tim Farrell/Corbis.
NOW: Chris Christie did some barnstorming of his own during the 2012 presidential election, stumping in dozens of states for the GOP candidacy of Mitt Romney. Still, the New Jersey governor emerged from the campaign as a leading contender for the 2016 Republican nomination. His leadership following Hurricane Sandy and his embrace of President Obama during the storm crisis boosted his image as a capable, no-nonsense executive (although the bear hug repulsed some party leaders).