Governor Chris Christie and President Barack Obama both rebounded in New Jersey popularity since August, polls show
President Barack Obama along with Gov. Chris Christie as the President gets ready to depart from Newark Liberty Airport. Each politician saw his popularity TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie has become more popular with New Jersey voters after leading the state through Hurricane Irene and declining to run for president despite calls from powerful Republicans, according to a newly released Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
At the same time, President Obama’s popularity has rebounded somewhat in New Jersey and is about as popular as Christie.
Christie is viewed favorably by 49 percent of New Jersey voters while 39 percent disapprove. That’s up from 45 percent approve and 47 percent disapprove in August. When asked to grade Christie’s performance, 44 percent of voters gave him either an A or B, up from 38 percent in August. Twenty-eight percent gave him failing or near failing grades – down from 42 percent in August.
“Since our last poll, New Jersey has faced natural disasters and most observers say the governor handled them well,” said poll director David Redlawsk. “That and his decision not to run for president leave us unsurprised about the improvement in Christie’s favorability ratings. He is at the highest point since last December, but he still remains in the same relatively narrow range of support he has had since taking office.”
Two-thirds of voters are happy that Christie isn’t running for president.
As for President Obama, Fifty percent of voters have a favorable view of him, while 40 percent see him unfavorably – up from an even 44 percent split in August. Thirty-eight percent give him either an A or B, while 31 percent give him a D or F.
When asked if Obama deserved another term, 50 percent say he does and 42 percent say he does not – a significant turnaround from August, when more voters felt he should not be reelected than should.
“As the presidential race start to jell, President Obama may have benefited from Christie’s decision to stay out,” said Redlawsk, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. “Had the governor jumped in, New Jersey voters would have had a tougher decision: support the home state guy, or a Democratic president. What we’re seeing now is at least some movement back to New Jersey’s blue-state history. Even so, the election is far off and the Republican race is still not settled. Obama can take nothing for granted.”
New Jersey Republican voters are on the same page as Christie in who they would like to see get the Republican nomination for president. Christie endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney Tuesday. Twenty-four percent of GOP voters here would like to see Romney win the nomination. Herman Cain comes next at 10 percent.
Texas Gov. Rick Perrry, who in August was a close second to Perry among New Jersey voters, has fallen to a distant fourth place with 6 percent.
Rutgers Eagleton surveyed 821 registerd voters from October 6-9, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
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