Monmouth Poll: Support for legal weed in NJ is high

62% of New Jersey adults support legalizing marijuana, up from 59% last year, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

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Monmouth Poll: Clinton’s National Lead Shrinks

Non-candidate Biden makes gains

West Long Branch, NJ – Hillary Clinton’s lead in the Democratic field has shrunk over the past month, mainly due to increased support for a candidate who isn’t even in the race.  The latest national Monmouth University Poll of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters shows Joe Biden’s support rising as speculation swirls around his potential entry into the race.  The poll also found that the prospect of a Biden-Elizabeth Warren ticket appeals to many Bernie Sanders voters.

Hillary Clinton currently has the support of 42% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning voters nationwide, which is down from 52% just one month ago.  Joe Biden (22%) and Bernie Sanders (20%) are practically tied for second.  This represents an increase of 10 points in Biden’s support since August and a 4 point rise for Sanders over the same span.

In addition to the 22% who currently back Biden for the nomination, another 7% of Democrats say they would be very likely to consider voting for him if he does get into the race and a further 34% would be somewhat likely.  The total of 63% who either back Biden now or would support him if he ran is up from 56% who said the same in July.  Majorities of current Clinton (56%) and Sanders (56%) voters say they would be at least somewhat likely to consider switching their support to Biden if he jumps into the race.

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Monmouth Poll: Trump Holds National Lead, Carson 2nd

Trump tops all but Carson head-to-head

West Long Branch, NJ – Donald Trump has increased his GOP vote share since last month’s debate.  The latest Monmouth University Poll of Republican voters nationwide also finds Ben Carson moving into second place, Jeb Bush slipping to third, and Scott Walker fading into the background.  The poll also tested Trump directly against nine opponents in head-to-head match-ups and found that only Carson is able to get the better of him.

When Republicans and Republican-leaning voters are asked who they would support for the GOP nomination for president, Donald Trump leads the pack at 30%, which is up 4 points from early August before the first debate.  Ben Carson (18%) has increased his vote share by 13 points and now holds second place.  Jeb Bush (8%) has dropped by 4 points and now stands in a tie for third with Ted Cruz (8%).  Following behind are Marco Rubio (5%), Carly Fiorina (4%), and Mike Huckabee (4%).

Scott Walker (3%), who held third place in Monmouth’s August poll, has dropped 8 points since then.  Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Rand Paul each get 2%.  The remaining six candidates included in the poll score no higher than 1% each.

“None of the establishment candidates is having any success in getting an anti-Trump vote to coalesce around them.  In fact, any attempt to take on Trump directly only seems to make him stronger,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute in West Long Branch, NJ.

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Outsiders Trump & Carson surge as incumbent Christie languishes: Iowa poll

TRENTON — A new Monmouth University Poll carries bad news for incumbents like Gov. Chris Christie, John Kasich and Scott Walker, and great news for outsiders like Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Carly Fiorina. Carson and Trump are now tied for the top spot among likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers with 23 percent of the vote, with… Read the rest of this entry »

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Monmouth Poll: Trump’s national lead in GOP presidential race widens

Christie is tied for 7th place, will likely make the “Top Ten” debate

click table for larger view

Donald Trump has a 2-1 lead over his next closest competitor, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie seems assured of a spot in the “Top Ten” prime time debate sponsored by FoxNews and facebook on Thursday evening, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

Pollster Patrick Murray also found that 74% of Republican primary voters do not like the “Top Ten” debate format designed by FoxNews. 45% would prefer to see two back to back debates with the candidates selected randomly and 29% would prefer to see all candidates in one debate.  Only 23% approve of the FoxNews formula.

Trump leads the 17 candidate field with 26% of the voters surveyed favoring him to be the 2016 GOP nominee. Bush is at 12.2% followed by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker at 11.1%.  Christie is tied for seventh place with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Florida Senator Marco Rubio at 4.4.%  Ohio Governor John Kasich comfortably holds to 10th spot in the Monmouth Poll with 3.2%.

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Monmouth Poll: Americans Don’t Trust Iran On Nuke Deal

Americans do not trust Iran to live up to any nuclear agreement negotiated with the Obama Administration, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.  The poll was conducted July 9-12, before the final agreement was announced.

55% of registered voters polled by Monmouth said they did not trust Iran at all. 35% said they trusted them a little. 5% said they trusted Iran a lot.

Democrats have more faith in Iran than do their Republican and Independent neighbors.  Only 45% of Democrats said they don’t trust Iran at all. 45% said they trusted them a little 7% trust them a lot.  71% of Republicans don’t trust Iran at all. 55% of Independents don’t trust them at all.

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Monmouth Poll: Christie has abandoned NJ, Won’t make a good Prez

58% say Christie is not honest and trustworthy

file photo by Art Gallagher

A new Monmouth University Poll, taken after Governor Chris Christie’s presidential announcement and released this morning, indicates that a strong majority of New Jerseyans believe that Christie has abandoned his commitment to govern the state and that he would be a bad president.

57% say Christie should resign now that he has officially entered the presidential race. 71% say Christie cannot run for president and govern effectively at the same time….”walk and chew gum”… as Christie refers to his plan.

Just 27% of New Jerseyans say Christie would make a good president.  More than two-thirds (69%) say he would not.  A few months ago, Christie was asked on national TV about similar poll results.  He responded that survey participants told pollsters he would not make a good president because “a lot of those people…want me to stay.”  Monmouth followed up with the participants in our poll and found that just 5% of those who said he would not make a good president say they gave that response because they would rather have Christie stay in New Jersey.  Fully 89% of this group, though, confirmed that their answer meant they really think he would make a bad president.

“I’m not sure how the governor defines ‘a lot,’ but any common sense usage of the term would have to be significantly greater than five percent,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

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Despite Indictment, New Jersey Rates Menendez Higher than Christie

Gov Chris Christie and Sen Bob Menendez kibitz at the reopening of the Belmar boardwalk as Freeholder Tom Arnone reads the names on the boards,  NJ.com photo

Despite the facts that U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was indicted by federal prosecutors last month and Chris Christie says he’s in the clear after he wasn’t indicted in the Bridgegate scandal, Menendez has a higher job approval rating the Christie, according to Monmouth University Poll releases.

In a poll release issued this morning, Menendez’s job approval rating is 42% positive to 38% negative and 20% unsure among registered voters.

In a release last week based upon the same 500 person survey, Christie’s approval rating is 35% approve, 56% disapprove, and 9% unsure among voters.

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Jersey Prefers Clinton, Bush or Walker over Christie for President in 2016

Christie’s poll numbers stink

New Jerseyans would rather see former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush or Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker elected president in 2016 than their own Governor Chris Christie, according to a Monmouth University Poll released this morning.

“The message from New Jersey voters seems to be as simple as ABC – anybody but Christie,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.

In fairness to Christie, it should be noted that Murray did not poll the Governor’s presidential bona fides against former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Congressman Frank Pallone, Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik, Freeholder John Curley, Monmouth Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal or Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Christie isn’t even New Jersey Republicans first choice to the president.  By 44%-30% New Jersey Republicans prefer Walker to Christie in 2016.

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Six in 10 Democrats favor nominee moving away from Obama

President Obama said recently that the American people are going to want that “new car smell” in 2016 – and two new polls show that might apply to members of his own party. A new McClatchy-Marist poll says that 38 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents think it’s more important to have a Democratic nominee for… Read the rest of this entry »

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