The damage to Chris Christie from Bridgegate is indisputable. Despite the fact that, as of today, it appears as though Christie didn't know that two of his top aides ordering the closure of lanes of the George Washington Bridge as a means of political payback, the massive amount of negative attention -- both in state and nationally -- slowed his momentum in advance of an expected 2016 presidential bid.
Quinnipiac University has been polling New Jersey for years. This afternoon they released a chart detailing Christie's approval ratings that shows how much Bridgegate hurt him. It's striking.
Bridgegate broke in late 2013 and became a major national story in January 2014. What's clear is that Christie's numbers, which had been sky high following his sweeping reelection victory in November 2013, cratered during Bridgegate and still haven't come close to recovering.
Now, it's important to note that the chart shows Christie's approval rating among New Jersey residents. And, the New Jersey presidential primary is not going to matter all that much to Christie's chances of winning the nomination -- if he runs for it -- in 2016. But, the precipitous drop in Christie's numbers in his home state does complicate his pitch to major donors and activists in key early-voting states. And that's a problem.
