Chris Christie’s “bromance” with President Obama following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy might not have won him any allies in the Republican party, but it has certainly earned him favor with New Jersey Democrats.
The conservative New Jersey governor has seen his approval rating skyrocket to 77% in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, with New Jersey Democrats giving Christie positive marks all-around for his apolitical and bipartisan approach to providing relief to his state.
The math: A Fairleigh Dickenson University poll of 241 registered voters in New Jersey, taken from November 13 through 18, showed 67% of Garden State Democrats approving of Christie’s job as governor. A poll taken prior to Hurricane Sandy showed Christie’s Democrat approval rating at around 26%.
Many Republicans were vocal in their disapproval of Christie’s handling of Hurricane Sandy, with criticism mainly directed exclusively at the governor’s willingness to work with President Obama to solve the crisis. Though Christie never backed up on his support for then-GOP nominee Mitt Romney or his conservative stances, some saw this as a party betrayal.
News magnate Rupert Murdoch specifically took umbrage at the partnership , giving (unsolicited) advice to Christie to re-avow his support for Romney or else suffer GOP backlash. Christie did just that days later, though he defended his cooperation with President Obama by saying that New Jersey needs every friend it can get.
Still, the message of Christie’s bipartisan cooperation seems to have taken, with 4 out of 5 surveyed voters saying that his response showed “needed cooperation and bipartisanship.”
What do you think of Chris Christie? Is he Judas Iscariot of the GOP or a bipartisan hero?