Election 2016

Chris Christie: The Polls Are Skewed

Written by SK Ashby

New Jersey governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie isn't doing very well in polls regardless of which state or states you ask, but Christie appears to have a big problem with one poll in particular.

A new Monmouth University poll shows Christie falling to eighth place among primary voters in New Hampshire, which is inline with national polls, but according to Christie the Monmouth poll is a skewed, liberal poll.

When asked about the poll by reporters, Christie launched into a tirade that helpfully illustrates his weakness.

It's a Monmouth University poll so you guys should know by now that the Monmouth University poll was created just to aggravate me. Just look at [poll director] Patrick Murray's tweets. There couldn't be a less objective pollster about Chris Christie in America. That guy's an advocate; a liberal advocate.

I've never paid attention to the Monmouth University poll in New Jersey and, by the way, it's the Monmouth University poll. Does anybody really care? Do you think nationally people are at the edge of their seat waiting for the Monmouth University poll to come out? Stop.

If the poll was created just to aggravate Christie, it clearly worked.

He may have his doubts, but I have no doubt that he has absolutely no chance of becoming the nominee or even winning a single state primary. His abrasive, bully persona does not play well among actual voters. It only plays well among the beltway media.

Christie may be correct when he asserts that polls at this stage of the game don't necessarily mean anything, but I'm not so sure in his case. To say that Donald Trump's support is currently inflated is eminently more believable than the idea that Christie has untapped reserves of support that will emerge over the next several months. Christie's support among Republican voters has never recovered from his cooperation with President Obama following Hurricane Sandy.

The Monmouth University poll is actually quite accurate according to FiveThirtyEight dot com which gives the poll a grade of A-.

(h/t TPM, video via American Bridge)