Poll: Clinton, Christie fare best in possible 2016 showdowns
Washington (CNN) - Hillary Clinton vs. Chris Christie.
It's an intriguing 2016 presidential showdown.
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And according to a new national poll, Clinton would come out on top in such a hypothetical matchup.
That's one of the findings from a survey released Thursday from Quinnipiac University, which asked American voters about nine possible general election matchups in the next race for the White House.
According to the poll, the former first lady, Democratic senator from New York and secretary of state, leads the Republican New Jersey governor 45%-37%. The survey also indicates Clinton would top Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida 50%-34% and would beat Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the House budget committee chairman and last year's GOP vice presidential nominee, 50%-38%.
"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would start a 2016 presidential campaign with enormous advantages," says Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "She obviously is by far the best known and her more than 20 years in the public spotlight allows her to create a very favorable impression on the American people. But it is worth noting that she had very good poll numbers in 2006 looking toward the 2008 election, before she faced a relative unknown in Barack Obama."
If Vice President Joe Biden became the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, the poll suggests closer general election contests.
Biden would trail Christie 43%-40% and would top Ryan 45%-42%. The three point margins in both matchups are within the survey's sampling error. According to the poll, the vice president would lead Rubio 45%-38%.
According to the poll, Christie would lead New York Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo 45%-28%, with Ryan ahead of Cuomo 42%-37% and Cuomo and Rubio deadlocked at 37%.
"Although some Republicans don't think New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie is conservative enough for their taste, he runs best of the three Republicans tested and would defeat two of the top Democrats," adds Brown.
One caveat with such polling is that the next presidential election is still three and a half years away, and surveys this early in a campaign cycle are often heavily influenced by name recognition.
The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted February 27-March 4, with 1,944 registered voters nationwide questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 2.2 percentage points.
- CNN Political Editor Paul Steinhauser contributed to this story.
That's right Marie MD. Christy is still a repub and will do anything to get back into their good grades. I would hope Hillary stays as fewer away from ole Humpty Dumpty as possible.
If she put him on the ticket, I would not campaign for her. This is the same obese swine that made the most disparaging comments against our very intelligent, physically fit, patience of Job POTUS.
Why do we set the bar so low for some and so high for others??
I have been telling my wife for a year that Clinton will run and win. She still does not believe me. I can't vote for her because I feel she will spend more than the current office holder. She has done a great job in a worthless position ( Sec State ) but will send us further into bankruptcy. Biggest problem will be figuring out how to get 2 desks into the Oval Office! Can Bill handle a smaller desk than Hillary????
What difference does it make to compare Hillary to any other Republican? The same demographics folks that voted for Obama will vote for Ms Clinton. Besides it will be history in the making the first women. Obama will support her 100% he owes Mr. Clinton big time. The liberals are on a roll and I doubt that the conservatives can get a candidate to defeat Ms. Hillary Clinton.
The article ignores a few points:
1 The GOP built up a massive file on Clinton, expecting to attack her in the general election in 2008. They were surprised by Obama's nomination, but they still have the file.
2. Obama has built the most powerful political machine ever known, and Clinton would make full use of it.
3. It's just a matter of time before Christie loses his temper or says something stupid. A Biden-Christie matchup would have them outstupid each other.
I am kind of tired of the press choosing the republican candidates for president. They choose by their reporting and printing bias. They do not seem to be interested in what is best for our country, but verbally attack anyone with an opinion that differs from theirs.
Please not Cuomo. He has already turned NY into a socialist state.
Who are we kidding!!! I would hope that Americans are smart enough to not vote for either one of these clowns. First off, Christie will more than likely die of a stroke or a heart attack within the next three years and Clinton is a liar/coward who is not worthy of the office. It doesn't matter what I say, the American people have proven in past elections that voting for the most qualified individual to run our country is overrated and not the most important thing in an election. So, we will just wait for whom ever Hollywood and CNN picks to be the next president and that is who America will vote for.
It would be very interesting, as I like them both for different reasons. The end result would be a vote for Hillary as Christie is too socially conservative.
I'm not a fan of Christie, but we need another clinton in the white house like we need another bush in the white house.
The Republican party has moved so far to the right, no serious person would dare run for the GOP nomination.
The GOP will keep nominating circus clowns and Dems will keep winning the White House.
It is a moot point because Gov Christie will not win the Republican presidential primaries. The Tea Partiers have targeted him for a purge. The list of Republican Party presidential candidates is so weak and extreme that Hillary Clinton will win easily.
As long as the name Bush, doesn't show up on the ticket were pretty safe. Let a Bush, get in the oval office and we're screwed.
Hillary will run and she will take Cristie!! Hands down!! Can't wait to vote for her!!
Neither one of these people look healthy enough to be viable candidates in 2016. Take better care of yourselves!!!
@Marie MD...thank you so much for your mature and thoughtful post. It is people such as you who insist on keeping everything in the gutter, but offer nothing constructive. Again, thanks so much for your valuable contribution.
I am not into "dynasties". We do not need any more presidents with the last name of Clinton or Bush.
Freedom seeker,
I wish it wasn't true but (unless something changes) what you have predicted is most likely how it will go down...
I would rather see a condi rice/john huntsman ticket.
As a fiscally moderate (almost liberal) , socially moderate (almost conservative) I usually don't really have a candidate as my willingness to spend MY money (not that of other peoples' children) and belief in decency (yes morality still matters) is a little unorthodox in modern America.
Chris Christie may not be the "perfect candidate" for this life-long Democrat, but he's pretty damned close.
The election could be a three-way affair with
Christie (I) destroying Clinton (D) and Bush (R).
By the way, I am GERERATION X......and we VOTE.
No, the more appropriate question is...would Rand Paul use a drone strike to take out the front runner???
@Wake up People
"if she put him on the ticket, I would not campaign for her. This is the same obese swine that made the most disparaging comments against our very intelligent, physically fit, patience of Job POTUS."
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Did Obama finally stop smoking cigarettes?
@Guy
I am not into "dynasties". We do not need any more presidents with the last name of Clinton or Bush.
Add "Kennedy" to that list!
hillary would be a very unfortunate choice for president .She did soooo many shady deeds the last time she lived in the WH that she cannot be trusted in such an important position. She is also a liar. As William Safire said in the NY Times several years ago..."She is a congenital liar". She had no significant achievements as sos except to break the mileage record and was a lackluster senator who put a few new names on old post offices and sucked up to the Republicans. I's take Christie any day of the week to horrible hillary.
Hillary, when elected, will be younger, and immeniently more qualified than Reagan.
You are also forgetting there is a high likelihood Hilary Clinton will not run for president – whether for health reasons, or simply for the sake of enjoying the rest of her life outside the stress of major public office. I hope she does decide to run, I don't think we have anyone else with her star power in American politics today. Demographics will not have changed much, and frankly are highly unlikely to ever swing back to the right in the foreseeable future. What will determine whether the democrats keep winning or not will be "turn out" and so really motivated, energized voters. She can do that. Is there another democrat that can – and hasn't been president twice already?