For weeks now, chatter about the noticeable heftiness of New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie has gained momentum to the point where it’s become one of the most prominent ongoing story lines in the campaign. But is all the talk simply a nasty sideshow, or is it having a real impact on the race? Probably the latter! A new Public Policy Polling survey asks likely voters whether Christie’s weight is a legitimate campaign issue, and though we can’t imagine any way in which it could possibly be one, 11 percent think it is! Meanwhile, a full 19 percent claim that Christie’s corpulence makes them less likely to vote for him and those are just the ones willing to openly admit to being shallow. Another 4 percent say it makes them more likely to vote for Christie, and it’s this almost certainly overweight and highly motivated segment of the population which, we believe, could decide this election. Which is odd.
New Jersey is a Toss Up [Political Wire]
