newjerseynewsroom.com

But governor's job approval rating slips

Gov. Chris Christie maintains he is not ready to go to Washington but 55 percent of New Jersey voters, including 60 percent of Republicans, say it is “very likely” or “somewhat likely” that he will be selected by the Republican presidential nominee to be his running mate, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

But 68 percent of voters agree with Christie that he does not have the “right kind of personality to be vice president.”

Christie gets a 53 to 39 percent job approval rating, down from 56 to 38 percent in November. And as he begins the last two years of his term, voters give him a “B” or “C” mid-term grades. The governor got a 58 to 38 percent job approval rating in October, right after he said New Jersey voters were “stuck” with him because he wasn’t running for president.

In the latest survey, approval is 87 to 9 percent among Republicans and 54 to 37 percent among independent voters while Democrats disapprove 64 to 25 percent. Men approve 60 to 34 percent while women approve 47 to 43 percent.

Grading Christie at the half-way point in his first term, voters say: A – 20 percent, B – 31 percent, C – 23 percent, D – 14 percent, and F – 12 percent.

“Gov. Christopher Christie for VP? A majority think he might get it, but a much larger number agree with the gov when he says he’s not right for the job,” Maurice Carroll, the poll’s director, said. “Gov. Christopher Christie gave himself a mid-term ‘B-plus.’ But New Jersey voters are evenly split as about half give him an ‘A’ or ‘B,’ while half give him a ‘C’ or worse. His overall job approval holds just above 50 percent and 55 percent of New Jerseyans like him personally.”

Christie’s out-of-state campaigning for Republican front-runner Mitt Romney makes no difference to the way 65 percent of voters think of their governor, while 7 percent think more favorably of him because of this campaigning and 27 percent, including 37 percent of Democrats, think less favorably.

Romney leads the Republican presidential primary pack with 41 percent, followed by 15 percent for former Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, 14 percent for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, 12 percent for Texas U.S. Rep. Ron Paul and 2 percent for Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

President Barack Obama tops Romney 48 to 38 percent, including 42 to 36 percent among independent voters. Voters give Obama a split 49 to 48 percent job approval rating and say 49 to 46 percent he deserves to be reelected.

“President Barack Obama’s job approval in blue New Jersey is anemic, to say the least, but he’s doing better than the other guys, and that’s what counts,” Carroll said. “Let’s see what shapes up once the Republicans rally around one candidate.”

New Jersey voters say 45 to 38 percent that U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) deserves reelection and give him a 42 to 39 percent job approval rating. Menendez beats an unnamed Republican challenger 46 to 35 percent. These numbers are largely unchanged for months.

Voters give U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) a split 42 to 43 percent job approval rating.

“Sen. Robert Menendez’s numbers are tepid, but voters prefer him to a generic Republican,” Carroll said.

From Jan. 10 through Monday, Quinnipiac surveyed 1,460 registered New Jersey voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points.

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM