New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s favorability rating is down 8 points since the outbreak of “Bridgegate,” although he remains popular, according to a Rasmussen poll released Friday.
According to the survey, 55 percent of likely New Jersey voters now hold a favorable opinion of Christie, while 44 percent view him unfavorably. The current numbers are a drop off in support for Christie since his reelection, when he boasted a 63 percent favorability rating.
Revelations surfaced Wednesday that Christie's deputy chief of staff and a top aide at the Port Authority colluded to purposefully shut down access lanes leading to the Washington Bridge in retaliation against the mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., who did not endorse Christie's reelection bid. The closures caused four days of serious traffic jams on the nation's busiest bridge.
The automated phone survey of 800 voters was taken the night after Christie's lengthy, apologetic press conference, during which he denied any knowledge of the attempt at retribution and announced he had fired his deputy chief of staff.
One-night surveys, especially in the aftermath of fast-moving news stories, can be an imperfect gauge of public opinion. But the survey suggests that while voters have yet to desert Christie, many are concerned by his actions. A 54 percent majority said they believed Christie was at least somewhat aware of the traffic closures before they happened.
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