Maybe John Kasich should reconsider modeling himself off of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie

During the campaign, John Kasich seized upon first-year New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) as a model he’d emulate if elected.  He’s continued that bombastic style and amped it up since winning the election.  Looks like Kasich… well, you explain it Knight of the Templar:

Not even a year into his term, and Christie’s approval ratings have dropped below 50%, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.  In a little over a month, Christie has seen his approval rating drop five points, and his disapproval rating raise six.

While Republicans love him and Democrats hate him, Christie is starting to already lose the support of Independents that were a huge part of his “winning” coalition.  (Christie has something else in common with Kasich; neither won with a majority of the vote.)

Christie’s approval among female voters is still ten points higher than Kasich’s favorability rating with the same group in a recent PPP poll.  But both numbers are horrible, especially so early in an Administration.

In contrast, President Obama has a 50%-45% approval rating and is on the upswing in comparison.

Christie is particularly vulnerable with voters on taxes and education in which his disapproval on those issues are beyond the margins ahead of his approval rating on those issues.  Even state spending, his supposedly strong point finds him with sub-50 percent approval rating with disapproval closing behind his approval.  He loses independents on education and taxes entirely.

Another New Jersey poll released yesterday from Rutgers is downright brutal. It finds Christie ending the year with a 39%/54% disapproval rating.  Although his approval rating puts him in the “middle of the pack” for first-year Governors, those who rate him as doing “poor” this year is the second highest number in the poll’s history.  

Rutgers has his approval rating with independents 40%  (excellent or good)/52% (fair or poor.)

Whichever you choose to believe, it’s clear that Chris Christie’s popularity in New Jersey is already wearing thin less than a year in office.  (But even his worsening poll numbers is still better than what Kasich got in the PPP poll.)

Don’t be surprised if you start hearing Kasich talk up Mitch Daniels more now and Christie less.