Survey: Most Americans Feel Gov. Christie Had Knowledge Of Bridge Lane Closures
MADISON, NJ (CBS) – Most Americans feel Gov. Christie had knowledge about 'Bridgegate,' a new poll shows.
According to the most recent Fairleigh Dickinson University Public Mind Poll, just 37% of voters surveyed nationwide say Christie was in the dark. Fifty-seven-percent feel he knew of the closure plan.
But the poll also finds that voters across the country are paying decidedly less attention to the scandal than New Jersey voters are. While just 18% nationwide are following the Bridgegate debacle "very closely," a March 2014 survey showed that 82% of New Jersey voters said they were.
Still, a hypothetical race for the White House between Christie and Hillary Clinton reveals the NJ governor on the losing end. Forty-six-percent of voters said they would vote for Clinton, while just 36% would go for Gov. Christie.
"It's possible that without the governor's troubles of late, the head to head numbers with Clinton would look different and Christie would be in a stronger position," says Krista Jenkins, the director of PublicMind and professor of political science at Fairleigh Dickinson University. "Bridgegate has removed Christie from the fast lane of presidential campaigning. Instead of being ahead, Christie is bumper to bumper with the Republican pack."
Fairleigh Dickinson says it surveyed 1051 registered voters by phone in April of 2014 to get the results. The margin of error is +/- three percentage points.
To read more on the study, click here.
