Chris Christie setting the stage for 2016?

TRENTON, N.J., Jan. 16 (UPI) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropped a big hint to Oprah Winfrey that he is eyeing the 2016 presidential race.

Christie, who had been encouraged by some Republican supporters to run this year, told Winfrey, "I will be much more ready four years from now."

"There's nothing more unattractive than getting there and feeling like you're not ready," he said in the interview aired Monday on Winfrey's OWN cable network.

The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger said Christie spent an hour with the talk-show queen reminiscing and opining about his personality, his battle with weight and the current crop of GOP hopefuls.

Christie said Mitt Romney was in his mind the most qualified candidate, but added "he doesn't really communicate it all that well."

He called President Obama "as good a politician as I have ever seen," but said he had flaws, in particular his failure to forge a better working relationship with House Speaker John Boehner.