Posted on 02/11/2014 6:36:10 PM PST by SoConPubbie
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) saw his deficit in a 2016 presidential matchup against Hillary Clinton balloon to 21 points, according to a new national poll.
A Marist-McClatchy poll released Tuesday found 58 percent of people would support Hillary Clinton in a general election race, while 37 percent would support Christie.
Christies poll numbers have been struggling since revelations that a staffer in his administration had a hand in the closure of lanes on the George Washington Bridge last year. The state legislature and the U.S. attorney in New Jersey are looking into the closures.
The new poll shows his ratings have sunk even lower after subsequent allegations from a port authority official that Christie knew about the closures while they were ongoing, contrary to previous statements.
Christie has denied any involvement in the closures.
Shortly after the initial scandal broke, a similar McClatchy poll found him trailing Clinton by 13 points. That number has increased to 21 points four weeks later.
The number of people who believe Christie is telling the truth about having no involvement in the scandal is about the same as last month, at 47 percent. But the number of people who believe he is lying has shot up 15 percent, meaning some who were undecided have now come out against him.
He fares worse against Clinton in a general-election race than every other potential candidate polled, except former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) trails Clinton in a hypothetical matchup by 8 points 44 percent to 52 percent.
Other potential rivals including GOP Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rand Paul (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Texas), former Gov. Arkansas Mike Huckabee and Palin trail by double-digit margins. Palin trails Clinton by 27 points.
Christie continues to top the field of Republicans in a potential 2016 GOP primary with 13 percent, with Huckabee matching that number.
The poll surveyed 1,197 people last week and holds a 2.8-percent margin of error.
Despite his dropping poll numbers, Christie has led the Republican Governors Association to its largest January fundraising total yet, bringing in $6 million, the group announced. Christie is the chairman of the group.
This is just the media trying to convince us that Christie is supposed to be our candidate.
I'm happy to see the whimpering, feminine, lefty crash and burn.
Let's try something completely new (at least since 1980), and nominate someone who supports the conservative parts of the republican platform.
Get fat boi off the stage. He's an azz.
Christie never had a chance among conservatives. He was purely a democrat attempt to hijack the GOP nomination with yet another liberal.
There is one Conservative woman, IMO, who can do it.
But it will be a David vs Goliath situation, I'm sure.
Palin/West 2016 or maybe Palin/Rice (Condoleeza) or maybe Palin/Cruz 2016
Good! He is a rotten piece of meat.
Actually, Hillary is not all that popular. Many younger people think she is a old fat woman who Bill rightfully cheated on.
I think a male conservative candidate would be a great foil to Hillary.
I love it.
Anyone supporting either one of those two are the idiots I fear.
Time to stop the media promotions and get some real people in the limelight.
WE DON’T WANT HIM!
Condi is smart, articulate and accomplished but way too liberal.
But it will be a David vs Goliath situation, I'm sure.
Very likely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.