Christie Surges to 67% Favorable in Post-Sandy Voter Poll [View all]

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-21/christie-surges-to-67-favorable-in-post-sandy-voter-poll.html

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican who hasn’t said whether he’ll seek re-election next year, surged to a record-high favorability rating following his response to superstorm Sandy, according to a poll.

The first-term governor was rated favorably by 67 percent of registered voters, up from 48 percent barely a month earlier, the Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released today shows. More than 9-in- 10 said he handled Sandy “very well” or “somewhat well.”

Christie’s embrace of President Barack Obama, a Democrat seeking re-election with less than a week before the Nov. 6 voting, showed “needed cooperation and bipartisanship” between the two leaders, according to 81 percent of those surveyed. They toured damaged areas together and held daily telephone calls to discuss the response. Christie drew criticism from some national Republican figures for praising Obama’s aid.

“Governor Christie has emerged as a clear leader in this crisis, with New Jerseyans applauding his efforts,” David Redlawsk, the poll director who teaches politics at Rutgers, said in a statement. “In a time of crisis, people expect their elected leaders to put politics aside, and when that happens, they respond very positively.”