Poll: Clinton, Christie fare best in possible 2016 showdowns
Washington (CNN) - Hillary Clinton vs. Chris Christie.
It's an intriguing 2016 presidential showdown.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker']
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.
From CNN Politics
- Why the mass shooting cycle remains predictable and permanent
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Untitled
- Illinois took action after the Highland Park shooting. But the assault weapon ban there still faces legal hurdles
- Mike Pence must testify about conversations he had with Donald Trump leading up to January 6, judge rules
- Untitled
@critical thinking
Now lets get real, Obama will endorse Biden to spite both Hillary and Bill. Biden will be the Dems nominee and will lose to anyone the Republicans put up. Next question.
===============================================
Under your old name you predicted a Romney victory. Next prediction.
This country is doomed if nobody does nothing.
Christie should fix potholes on the NJ roads and loose some weight. Hillary should just go away.
@J Robinson
I don't want Clintons back in the WH. They've dominated our politics(and our news) long enough. How about some new faces, please?
======================================
The Clintons gave us a great economy and DID NOT start two unfunded, protracted wars with no exit strategy and 4,500 dead Service-Members. The Bush's gave us the recession, ILLEGALLY STARTED two unfunded, protracted wars with no exit strategy, and 4,500 dead Service-Members. Maybe the problem is the political party represented by the dynasty...
As an Independent (social Liberal, fiscal Conservative), would be a tough call. Maybe I'll just wait a couple of years and see how it plays out rather than "vote" now?
C'mon Christie, jump ship and become a democrat! We know you have it in you...be Hilary's V.P. Both of you are for the people. You'll both get my vote.
Give it up already. A lot can happen between now and 2016. Let's work on solving the problems we have now.
If you can make up your mind about a race in 2016 in 2013 I guess you must own a crystal ball. None of us knows what will happen between now and then.
Hilary Clinton may be 15 years older than Chris Christie but any insurance actuary will tell you that Christie's weight puts him at a much higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke during his term. You'd be oblivious not to acknowledge it.
mark this down-Hillary beats christie, bush or rubio in a landslide in 2016! with carville running the show and bill raising millions == hillary beats some chump republican easily! Hillary-next president!
none please!
I'd vote for a Clinton-Christie ticket.
Considering how bad she did as Secretary of State, no experience in running an economy, no ideas on job creation and the stupid apologies she made... she is a shoe in for the democrats.
I dunno is Christie even healthy enough to make it to 2016?
Christie is a good tomato!
As a republican, this is a no brainer to me. Clinton.
I know it sounds strange, but I believe loyalty is key. Sure, I laughed when Christie did the selfish thing and throw Mitt under the bus, praising Obama in such grandiose fashion just days before the election. I knew then, that the election was ours and I was honestly happy. But I would never, ever, trust someone (Christie) who so obviously thought more of himself than his party. He tried to disguise it as being someone who reaches across party lines, but only a gullible fool would buy it. This is one republican that will vote for any democrat if Chris Christie is the "Republican" nominee.
CPAC says I can't vote for Christie. It's a shame.
IvotedforObama
I like them both so this would be a tough decision who would get my vote. If Hillary is against anybody on the right except Christie then Hillary gets my vote. If she runs against Christie I would have to flip a coin.
---------------------------------------------–
Inclined to agree it would be a remarkable – and perhaps finally a real battle. Likewise I generally like Clinton, Christie brings a real battle to the game. The irony is the GOP seems to have soured on Christie – and yet again he is probably one of the very few that could actually do it. Still,if I were betting, a Clinton juggernaught would be very hard to stop.
The 2nd to last paragraph: "btw, this whole thing is worthless, but sensational enough that we all went through the effort. Hi mom, I'm on the news. Hi mom, I write for CNN."
Good lord, if either of these two make the ticket then we need to take down the flag and turn out the lights. When are we going to ever find a candidate that isn't a circus clown?
Here is your fantasy 2 pick! Yes, unless something changes prior to 2016 I could vote for either one. What about Hillary as president and Christie as VP, or the other way aorund?
I am not a Republican, but at least Christie is NOT as big a liar and hypocrite as Clinton. As things stand at this juncture, Christie would probably get my vote to lead América.
Stay tuned...
I live in NJ, so we get to see Christie in action on a daily basis. He has a lot of attributes that connect with people here- he is loud, brash, unfiltered. Sometimes a bully, which isn't attractive when you're the guy holding the stage. But he's not carefully couching all his words in politspeak like so many pols.
BUT he remains too much of a republican ideologue- a climate change skeptic, always trying to cut taxes for the richest, and he has doled out the taxpayers' money to his connected republican pals- John Ashcroft got a big contract to oversee the reform of some troubled university, now Ashbrit- a republican-connected company, represented by Haley Barbour (Christie fund raiser)- got a NO-BID contract to do clean-up in the state after Sandy, despite other companies offering much lower prices for the same work. As people see more of his day-to-day workings they will see him as he really is.
Hillary!!!!
NJ lost 400 MILLION dollars in federal aid for education early in Christie's tenure, because the paper work for the "Race to the top" was done incorrectly. Christie shot from the hip- he said that NJ HAD provided the data, blamed the Fed officials, Obama, everyone but the clown he appointed to present NJ's case.
"That’s what the Obama administration should answer for,” he said. “When the president comes back to New Jersey, he is going to have to explain to the people of the state of New Jersey why he is depriving them of $400 million."
The Dept. of Education released video of the meeting, showing it was clearly the fault of the state. Caught with his pants down, Christie then fired Brett Schundler. But did he ever retract any of his prior statements or accusations? Of course not.
2016 election predictions?! barrack hasn't even finished year 1 of his second term, yet.