Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #18210

By 5:1, NJ Voters Say Governor Christie Should Not Run for President in 2012: New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, beloved by some and despised by others for his bluntness, has a Minus 18 job approval today as speculation continues about whether Christie should run for President. 38% of NJ adults approve of the job Christie is doing, 56% disapprove.

According to this latest Eyewitness News Poll conducted by SurveyUSA exclusively for WABC-TV in New York City, NJ voters by 5:1 say Christie should not run for President.

* By 2:1, NJ voters say Christie would be a worse president than Barack Obama.
* Obama carried NJ in 2008 by 15 points. Obama's approval rating in NJ today is Plus 14 (54% approve, 40% disapprove).
* Voters split evenly on whether Christie would be better president than George W. Bush.

Christie has cut state spending on education. In those Jersey homes where a school teacher lives:

* Christie's job approval is Minus 30 (33% approve, 63% disapprove).
* 6:1 say Christie should not run for president.
* 5:2 say Christie would be a worse president than Obama.

In union households:
* Christie's job approval is Minus 36 (31% approve, 67% disapprove).
* Obama's job approval is Plus 15 (55% approve, 40% disapprove).
* 8:1 say Christie should not run for president.
* 2:1 say Christie would be a worse president than Bush.

Republicans and Conservatives have mixed feelings about whether Christie should stay focused on the Garden State or allow himself to be talked into putting both feet onto the national stage.
* Among Republicans, Christie's job approval is Plus 29. But: by 2:1, Republicans say Christie should not run for President.
* Conservatives by 2:1 and Republicans by 3:2 say Christie is qualified to be President.
* Conservatives and Republicans by 3:1 say Christie would make a better President than Obama.
* Even among the state's comparatively few Tea Party members, where Christie's approval is Plus 49, there is division: 38% say Christie should run for the White House, 39% say he should not.

* Among Independents, Obama's job approval is Plus 7, Christie's is Minus 11.
* Among Moderates, Obama's job approval is Plus 28, Christie is Minus 23.
* Among lower-income voters, Christie is Minus 32. Among upper income voters Christie is Minus 5.

This poll includes Cell Phone Respondents and Landline Respondents: 700 NJ adults were interviewed by SurveyUSA 05/11/11, including 16% who use a cell phone as the only way, or as the primary way, they make and receive phone calls, and 84% who were interviewed using recorded voice on their landline home telephone. (NJ is 49th among 50 states in so-called "wireless substitution." SurveyUSA's decision to include 16% cell respondents, and not a higher number, is based on the most recently released government data from April 2011). Of the 700 adults, 644 were registered to vote in NJ. Interactive tracking graphs, a SurveyUSA exclusive, are available wherever the Triangle T appears. Though Christie is at Minus 18 today, he was at Minus 29 when SurveyUSA measured his job approval one year ago. Obama's job approval is largely unchanged from 1 year ago; then he was Plus 12, today he is Plus 14.

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as President?

700 Adults	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.8 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Approve	54%	51%	57%	61%	52%	53%	47%	56%	50%	47%	83%	54%	69%	56%	54%	100%	0%	29%	72%	28%	58%	24%	82%	49%	18%	60%	76%	28%	84%	55%	54%	55%	54%	55%	55%	57%	53%	60%	55%	55%	47%	55%	54%	52%
Disapprove	40%	46%	35%	32%	42%	40%	50%	37%	44%	47%	14%	36%	25%	28%	42%	0%	100%	67%	23%	71%	36%	71%	15%	42%	79%	32%	20%	68%	11%	40%	39%	40%	40%	37%	39%	35%	42%	34%	37%	37%	49%	38%	42%	40%
Not Sure	6%	4%	8%	7%	6%	7%	3%	7%	5%	6%	3%	10%	6%	16%	4%	0%	0%	3%	6%	1%	7%	5%	3%	9%	3%	8%	4%	3%	5%	5%	7%	5%	6%	7%	7%	8%	5%	5%	8%	8%	4%	7%	4%	8%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Adults	100%	48%	52%	29%	31%	22%	17%	60%	40%	68%	12%	12%	7%	16%	84%	54%	40%	38%	56%	8%	86%	26%	35%	38%	23%	52%	19%	40%	35%	31%	67%	31%	68%	5%	20%	24%	51%	29%	24%	19%	28%	41%	32%	27%

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Chris Christie is doing as Governor?

700 Adults	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.7 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Approve	38%	47%	30%	28%	38%	42%	52%	33%	46%	45%	15%	25%	40%	27%	40%	21%	65%	100%	0%	72%	35%	63%	19%	40%	67%	35%	15%	74%	13%	31%	42%	33%	42%	18%	35%	40%	42%	29%	39%	44%	45%	37%	42%	37%
Disapprove	56%	48%	64%	64%	55%	56%	46%	59%	51%	50%	79%	72%	48%	58%	56%	75%	32%	0%	100%	23%	59%	34%	78%	51%	29%	58%	79%	22%	84%	67%	51%	63%	52%	73%	59%	56%	53%	61%	56%	54%	50%	59%	53%	57%
Not Sure	5%	5%	6%	8%	7%	2%	3%	7%	2%	5%	6%	3%	12%	15%	4%	5%	3%	0%	0%	4%	6%	3%	3%	9%	4%	6%	6%	3%	3%	2%	7%	4%	6%	9%	6%	4%	6%	11%	5%	2%	5%	5%	6%	7%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Adults	100%	48%	52%	29%	31%	22%	17%	60%	40%	68%	12%	12%	7%	16%	84%	54%	40%	38%	56%	8%	86%	26%	35%	38%	23%	52%	19%	40%	35%	31%	67%	31%	68%	5%	20%	24%	51%	29%	24%	19%	28%	41%	32%	27%

3	Should Governor Chris Christie run for President of the United States in 2012? Not run for President? Or do you not know enough to say?

644 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.5 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Should Run	15%	19%	11%	12%	16%	14%	19%	14%	16%	19%	4%	4%	15%	14%	15%	6%	27%	35%	2%	38%	12%	27%	5%	15%	28%	13%	3%	30%	3%	10%	18%	12%	17%	**	15%	14%	16%	11%	15%	18%	17%	14%	16%	15%
Should Not	73%	71%	74%	78%	70%	75%	67%	74%	71%	69%	82%	92%	60%	73%	73%	84%	58%	45%	93%	39%	77%	56%	87%	72%	57%	77%	87%	53%	94%	83%	68%	79%	70%	**	71%	72%	73%	75%	70%	71%	75%	76%	70%	72%
Don't Know	12%	10%	14%	10%	14%	11%	14%	12%	13%	13%	14%	4%	25%	13%	12%	10%	16%	20%	5%	23%	11%	16%	8%	13%	15%	10%	10%	17%	3%	7%	14%	9%	13%	**	14%	14%	10%	14%	16%	11%	8%	11%	14%	13%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	47%	53%	27%	32%	23%	18%	59%	41%	69%	12%	13%	6%	15%	85%	53%	41%	39%	56%	8%	86%	27%	36%	36%	24%	52%	18%	40%	35%	31%	66%	33%	66%	5%	19%	24%	52%	27%	23%	20%	30%	41%	32%	27%

4	Is Chris Christie qualified to be President? Not qualified? Or do you not know enough about Christie to say?

644 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Qualified	28%	36%	22%	27%	27%	26%	33%	27%	30%	33%	18%	19%	19%	24%	29%	13%	49%	63%	6%	64%	24%	47%	10%	33%	53%	25%	8%	55%	6%	24%	31%	24%	31%	**	18%	30%	33%	20%	28%	30%	34%	28%	29%	27%
Not Qualified	54%	51%	57%	61%	54%	56%	43%	57%	50%	48%	67%	77%	52%	61%	53%	70%	32%	15%	83%	18%	59%	33%	73%	51%	28%	58%	78%	25%	82%	63%	50%	59%	52%	**	60%	54%	51%	61%	53%	54%	50%	56%	50%	57%
Don't Know	18%	13%	21%	12%	19%	18%	23%	16%	20%	19%	15%	4%	29%	16%	18%	16%	19%	23%	12%	18%	17%	20%	17%	16%	18%	17%	14%	20%	11%	13%	19%	17%	17%	**	22%	15%	17%	20%	19%	15%	15%	16%	21%	16%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	47%	53%	27%	32%	23%	18%	59%	41%	69%	12%	13%	6%	15%	85%	53%	41%	39%	56%	8%	86%	27%	36%	36%	24%	52%	18%	40%	35%	31%	66%	33%	66%	5%	19%	24%	52%	27%	23%	20%	30%	41%	32%	27%

5	Compared to Barack Obama, would Christie be a better President? A worse President? Or would he be about the same?

644 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Better	29%	36%	23%	19%	30%	30%	42%	25%	35%	35%	13%	17%	24%	12%	32%	5%	64%	67%	4%	73%	24%	58%	7%	30%	63%	24%	5%	64%	3%	26%	31%	29%	30%	**	26%	25%	34%	22%	28%	28%	38%	29%	30%	29%
Worse	53%	47%	58%	62%	52%	53%	42%	56%	48%	44%	79%	73%	55%	56%	52%	80%	16%	11%	83%	12%	58%	21%	81%	49%	22%	57%	79%	18%	86%	59%	49%	58%	50%	**	51%	54%	51%	57%	51%	52%	49%	56%	47%	55%
About The Same	14%	13%	15%	14%	12%	16%	16%	13%	16%	17%	7%	8%	11%	16%	14%	12%	18%	18%	12%	16%	14%	18%	11%	14%	13%	15%	14%	17%	9%	13%	15%	11%	16%	**	20%	16%	11%	15%	17%	15%	12%	12%	18%	14%
Not Sure	3%	3%	4%	6%	6%	0%	0%	6%	0%	4%	0%	1%	10%	16%	1%	2%	3%	4%	1%	0%	4%	3%	1%	6%	3%	5%	2%	1%	3%	2%	4%	2%	4%	**	3%	5%	3%	6%	3%	5%	2%	4%	4%	3%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	47%	53%	27%	32%	23%	18%	59%	41%	69%	12%	13%	6%	15%	85%	53%	41%	39%	56%	8%	86%	27%	36%	36%	24%	52%	18%	40%	35%	31%	66%	33%	66%	5%	19%	24%	52%	27%	23%	20%	30%	41%	32%	27%

6	Compared to George W. Bush, would Christie be a better President? A worse President? Or would he be about the same?

644 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Better	35%	41%	29%	31%	37%	33%	39%	34%	35%	37%	17%	36%	38%	20%	37%	30%	43%	64%	15%	54%	33%	41%	25%	39%	42%	35%	27%	62%	15%	28%	39%	28%	38%	**	30%	33%	39%	31%	33%	29%	44%	34%	39%	30%
Worse	30%	26%	34%	35%	29%	29%	27%	32%	28%	27%	39%	41%	25%	42%	28%	35%	24%	6%	48%	16%	32%	23%	35%	31%	26%	29%	38%	11%	44%	41%	25%	37%	27%	**	35%	27%	29%	31%	29%	31%	29%	31%	28%	32%
About The Same	32%	30%	34%	31%	29%	38%	35%	29%	36%	33%	44%	21%	31%	25%	34%	35%	29%	27%	36%	29%	32%	33%	39%	25%	28%	32%	35%	26%	40%	30%	33%	34%	31%	**	33%	35%	29%	33%	35%	36%	26%	32%	29%	36%
Not Sure	3%	2%	3%	3%	6%	0%	0%	5%	0%	3%	0%	3%	5%	13%	1%	1%	3%	2%	1%	1%	3%	3%	1%	5%	4%	3%	0%	1%	1%	1%	4%	2%	4%	**	2%	5%	2%	5%	3%	4%	1%	3%	3%	3%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	47%	53%	27%	32%	23%	18%	59%	41%	69%	12%	13%	6%	15%	85%	53%	41%	39%	56%	8%	86%	27%	36%	36%	24%	52%	18%	40%	35%	31%	66%	33%	66%	5%	19%	24%	52%	27%	23%	20%	30%	41%	32%	27%

7	If there were an election for president of the United States today, which describes you: I would vote FOR Barack Obama no matter who runs against him. I would vote AGAINST Barack Obama no matter who runs against him. I would need to see who is on the ballot before I know how I would vote

644 Registered Voters	All	Gender		Age				<50 / 50+		Race				Cell Phone / Lan		Obama Approval		Christie Approva		Tea Party Member		Party Affiliation			Ideology			2009 Vote		Union Member?		Teacher?		Education				Income				Region
Credibility Interval: ± 3.9 pct points	All	Male	Female	18-34	35-49	50-64	65+	18-49	50+	White	Black	Hispanic	Other	Cell Pho	Landline	Approve	Disappro	Approve	Disappro	Yes	No	Republic	Democrat	Independ	Conserva	Moderate	Liberal	Christie	Corzine	Yes	No	Yes	No	No HS	HS Grad	Some Col	College	< $50K	$50K - $	$75K - $	> $100K	Northern	Central	Southern
Vote For	27%	25%	29%	30%	26%	26%	27%	28%	26%	21%	60%	26%	38%	33%	26%	48%	3%	12%	39%	19%	29%	8%	48%	21%	14%	27%	46%	6%	54%	30%	27%	28%	28%	**	34%	27%	24%	33%	29%	31%	20%	28%	28%	25%
Vote Against	21%	25%	18%	12%	25%	21%	30%	19%	25%	27%	8%	8%	16%	15%	23%	1%	51%	43%	7%	56%	17%	46%	5%	20%	52%	15%	2%	44%	3%	18%	23%	22%	21%	**	17%	17%	26%	20%	18%	20%	25%	21%	23%	20%
Need To See Ballot	51%	49%	52%	57%	49%	52%	43%	53%	48%	52%	31%	67%	41%	52%	51%	51%	46%	45%	54%	25%	54%	45%	46%	59%	34%	58%	52%	50%	43%	52%	50%	50%	51%	**	48%	56%	49%	46%	53%	49%	55%	50%	48%	55%
Not Sure	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	0%	5%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	**	1%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%	0%	1%	0%	0%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Composition of Registered Voters	100%	47%	53%	27%	32%	23%	18%	59%	41%	69%	12%	13%	6%	15%	85%	53%	41%	39%	56%	8%	86%	27%	36%	36%	24%	52%	18%	40%	35%	31%	66%	33%	66%	5%	19%	24%	52%	27%	23%	20%	30%	41%	32%	27%

** Too few respondents of this type were interviewed for this data to be meaningful.