Chris Christie hints he might support Mitch Daniels in 2012

As he continues to rule out his own White House bid, Chris Christie hinted this morning that he might support Mitch Daniels if he chooses to run for president.

Per Bloomberg's Terrence Dopp, the New Jersey governor told Philadelphia's WPHT radio that he wants the GOP's 2012 nominee to have gubernatorial experience and pointedly praised Daniels, who is currently governor of Indiana.

"He's certainly somebody who I have enormous respect for and would give real consideration to supporting," Christie declared.

It's the second time in recent months that Christie has gone out of his way to praise Daniels. In January, he called Daniels "one of the brightest governors in America."

His comments come as a group of GOP donors and activists from Iowa plan to meet with Christie in hopes of persuading him to run for president next year. In the radio interview, Christie again ruled out a 2012 run, though he admitted the effort was "enormously flattering."

While he may not be in the race, Christie has positioned himself as a potential kingmaker in the Republican primary. In recent months, several potential GOP hopefuls have met with the governor, including Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. Later this week, Christie is set to meet with Jon Huntsman, the former governor of Utah who recently resigned as President Obama's ambassador to China.

(Photo of Christie: Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Images)