Christie favorability rating remains strong

According to a new Rutgers-Eagleton survey (pdf) of registered voters in New Jersey, Chris Christie's favorability rating sits at 50%/39%, which is the first time he's hit the halfway mark in a Rutgers poll.

Here's an important point -- don't confuse favorability rating with approval rating. Christie's approval rating is usually well north of 50% in most surveys but his favorability rating is often lower.

The Rutgers-Eagleton poll only measures favorability.

Some internals:

a. Indies give him a +23% favorability rating.

b. His appeal spans education. Those with "some college" give him a +8% rating, while college grads give him a +29% rating.

c. Every income group looks favorably on him.

d. There's a considerable gender gap. Men like him 56%/31%, but women are split at 45%/45%.

Christie's numbers have been so good for so long, that it's easy to forget just how remarkable his political story is and how much he could bring to the GOP ticket.