New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may be all the media outlets can talk about, but he’s hardly what the public is thinking about. A new Pew Research poll shows that public opinion has remained largely unchanged after the governor’s staff allegedly shut down portions of the George Washington Bridge as retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee. (Mayor Mark Sokolich did not endorse Governor Christie in last November’s election.)
While journalists and political committees race to uncover the details, the American public has responded with a resounding, “meh.” The survey, conducted between January 9th and 12th, shows the percent of participants whose opinion has not changed of Governor Christie is over half.
Sixty percent of opinions have not been affected by the recent so-called “Bridge Gate.” Six percent actually find him more favorable, while 18% have yet to make up their minds. That leaves 16% who find the governor less favorable.
Another poll conducted by NBC News and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion revealed that not only is Governor Christie seen as a strong leader (49%), but he would win by 4 points (over Paul Ryan) if a Republican presidential primary were held today.
Similar to the Pew poll, 68% of registered voter respondents said that their opinion of the governor had not changed, while 5% like him more.
Among Republican’s, Christie is doing just fine. According to a recent Monmouth poll, the governor’s approval ratings have actually risen from 85% to 89% within his party. Approval ratings of registered voters in New Jersey are down from 65% to 58%. In comparison, President Obama’s approval ratings are at 41%.
This being said, Governor Christie has little to worry about when it comes to his (unofficially acknowledged) 2016 presidential campaign run. While he would most likely win his state in an election, it’s not New Jersey who decides presidents. The rest of the country will have to wait and see what happens next. With a Republican approval rating in the 80’s, and another 2 years and 9 months until presidential election day, Christie has more than enough time to make nice – or screw up – again.
Jordan Lints
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