Chris Christie and Hillary Clinton are hot. Congressional leaders, cold.
Those are among the findings of a new Quinnipiac poll released Monday. The survey asks people to rate their feelings toward major political figures.
Christie, the Republican govenor of New Jersey, registers 53.1 degrees, followed by Clinton, the former Secretary of State, at 52.1. Next is freshman Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a Democrat, at 49.2 President Barack Obama rates 47.6.
The four top congressional leaders are all at the bottom: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, 33.8; House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, 36.7; Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, 37.5 and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, 38.4.
"Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's score is not surprising given her lengthy political career and especially strong support among Democrats and women," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"But Gov. Christopher Christie's rating is impressive given that his experience - less than four years as governor - pales compared to Mrs. Clinton' s resume. What is interesting is that only two of the 22 figures rate better than the absolute middle of the scale, not exactly a ringing endorsement of the nation's political establishment."