Bridgegate Pulls Down Christie's Poll Numbers

From Politico:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s net approval rating is at its lowest point in three years, a new poll says.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday, 49 percent of New Jersey voters approve of the Republican governor’s job performance, compared with 47 percent who disapprove. That net approval rating is Christie’s lowest since August 2011.

The poll shows that Christie — who is considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 — is being pulled down in the Garden State, largely because of the Bridgegate scandal and the state’s economic woes.

Many of the state’s voters still have significant distrust of the governor regarding the September 2013 George Washington Bridge lane closures. Twenty-six percent believe Christie personally ordered closures, compared with 64 percent who don’t. A plurality of voters — 47 percent — believe the governor was aware his aides were causing the traffic jams at the time, compared with 45 percent who think his staffers acted alone. Christie has consistently denied both that he caused the closures and that he knew about them beforehand.

New Jersey voters also have concerns Christie’s honesty. Forty-nine percent of the state’s voters don’t think he is honest and trustworthy, up 8 points from January and 29 points from 2009.

The governor receives low marks for his handling of the state’s budget problems. Fifty-one percent of voters disapprove of Christie’s handling of the economy and jobs, while 44 percent of voters approve. Forty-eight percent disapprove of his handling of the state’s budget issues, compared with 44 percent who approve.

He's above water - but barely.

He's going after pensions again, but he's underwater on his handling of budget matters, so he doesn't have much juice behind him.

And there's a huge surge in people who think he's a lying weasel - in 2009, 20% thought he was dishonest and untrustworthy, now it's 49%.

There's still a US attorney investigating Bridgegate, conflicts of interest involving his advisers and the Port Authority and the allegation that his lieutenant governor tried to extort a construction project for Sandy aid in a Hoboken parking lot.

In addition, he is under investigation for diverting Port Authority funds to the Pulaski project.

And this guy thinks he can run for president?