Chris Christie still having difficulties with Republicans

July 14, 2015, 6:55 PM GMT+0

Republicans aren't warming to Christie all that quickly, and few think he is a conservative

The latest official entrant in the crowded GOP field, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, comes with both strengths and weaknesses, demonstrated by the split opinions Republicans give him when it comes to ideology, honesty and other presidential qualities. Although in this week’s Economist/YouGov Poll Christie receives net positive ratings from Republicans (something not always the case for the Governor) a significant percentage of Republicans continue to dislike him.

This week, 47% of Republicans have a favorable view of Christie; 38% are unfavorable. Among the entire public, just under a third are favorable, while 51% are not.

Christie is currently at just 6% as the presidential choice of registered voters who identify as Republicans, placing him just about in the middle of the GOP pack. He fares no better with independents. When Republicans are asked to describe him in a word, many cite what they find unappealing about Christie, including some physical descriptions.

The most common positive word Republicans use for Christie is “bold.” And that fits with one positive assessment Republicans have for Christie – that he is strong. Other positive words include “outspoken,” “strong,” and “honest.” But he is also described as “loud.” When asked directly, nearly two-thirds of Republicans say Christie is a strong leader.

But that positive may not be enough to overcome perceptions that Christie just might not be conservative enough for Republicans. In this week’s poll, just 26% of Republicans identify Christie as a conservative – a drop since April. Twice as many Republicans call him a moderate or even a liberal.

Perceptions of Christie’s ideology clearly matter in the GOP horserace. Three in four Republicans call themselves conservatives.

Four in ten Republicans agree that Christie is “not conservative enough.” Only 9% of Republicans say he is “too conservative.” Only 5% think he will win the nomination.

That ideological chasm between the Governor and other members of his party hurts Christie when Republicans are asked about his qualifications. Republican identifiers divide almost evenly when they are asked if they are confident in Christie’s ability to handle an international crisis, with slightly more saying they would be uneasy as confident. Although more Republicans call him qualified for the Presidency as say he is not, his margin on this among his own partisans is not impressive.

Non-Republicans are even more negative. They also don’t regard Christie as a threat. Less than one in five think he is even somewhat likely to win the Presidency.

See the full poll results

Economist/YouGov poll archives can be found here.