Poll: NJ Unfazed By National Buzz Over Christie

TRENTON, N.J. (WCBS 880/AP) -- A new poll finds most New Jerseyans are unfazed by the national attention their governor is getting.

"He's been talked about across the country as a potential candidate for president for the Republican nomination, he has made some headlines with the stand he's taken campaigning across the country, the fact that he's the first governor to come out clearly as a pro-life governor here in New Jersey," Patrick Murray, Director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute told WCBS 880. "All these things are things that people pay attention to and say that he has something else on his mind."

In the Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Press Media Poll out Thursday, two-thirds of those questioned said the national buzz over a possible Chris Christie presidential run hasn't affected his performance as governor.

"We find that most people know there's been presidential buzz about Chris Christie and we find the 63 percent say it really has no impact on his performance as governor in fact 11 percent say that talk has actually made him more effective," Murray said.

Most said it has been no more than a minor diversion from his duties as the state's chief executive.

The first-term Republican has repeatedly insisted he will not be a candidate for the GOP nomination in 2012.

The telephone poll of 801 residents taken Feb. 2-7 has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

(TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)