Washington (CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declined an invitation to attend a major gathering of social conservatives this week in Washington, opting instead to make a high-profile appearance at a forum organized by former President Bill Clinton in Chicago. Christie's decision was hardly a bombshell: Up for re-election in November in a Democratic-leaning state, the governor can hardly afford to be seen courting Christian conservatives and sharing a stage with divisive figures like Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain. But his absence was a sore point for many conservative activists who traveled to the Faith and Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference to see a bumper crop of GOP stars, including would-be presidential candidates like Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
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New Jersey's Chris Christie's decision to choose Clinton over Faith and Freedom forum rankles conservatives
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Some still blame Christie's praise of Barack Obama in Sandy aftermath for Mitt Romney's loss
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Early Christie supporter says Christie is "showing his other side"
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NEW: New Jersey Republicans view Christie favorably in new survey
I'm not sure what he is right now, with the way he philanders with a variety of people, Democrats like @placeholder.