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Chris Christie 'Hottest' Politician in the Country, Poll Says

Quinnipiac temperature poll puts New Jersey's governor at the top of the heap.

Written By Keith Brown

Gov. Chris Christie is the hottest politician in the country right now, a new poll says.

Christie, who’s gearing up for a re-election bid in November and is rumored to be eyeing the White House in 2016, was rated the hottest politician in the latest Quinnipiac temperature poll, released Monday.

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Voters were asked to give politicians a number from 0-100 representing how they feel about that person -- 0 least favorable, or coldest, and 100 the most favorable, or warmest, according to a Quinnipiac release.

Christie came out on top, with a rating of 53.1 degrees. Coming in second was Hillary Clinton at 52.1 degrees and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who scored 49.2 degrees, although 51 percent of voters did not know enough about her to rate her.

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All were hotter than President Barak Obama, who scored 47.6 degrees on the temperature scale.

"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's score is not surprising given her lengthy political career and especially strong support among Democrats and women," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in the release. "But Gov. Christopher Christie's rating is impressive given that his experience - less than four years as governor - pales compared to Mrs. Clinton' s resume." 

Christie is the hottest politician overall, but he ranks eighth among Republican voters, with 59.8 degrees. U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the GOP's 2012 vice presidential candidate, generates the most heat among Republican voters, with 68.7 degrees. 

"Christie's great strength is among independent voters, who give him 50.6 degrees of love, and Democrats, who give him 53.2 degrees," Brown said. "His rating on the Thermometer scale is a good indication of what may face him should he travel the 2016 campaign trail.”

Quinnipiac polled 1,468 registered voters from July 28-31 for the survey, which has an error margin of plus-minus 2.6 percentage points.


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