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US President Barack Obama (C) shakes hands with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (L) after arriving at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, December 15, 2014, to speak to US troops. A majority of New Jersey voters say Christie isn't cut out for the Oval Office. AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEBSAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

(SAUL LOEB)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's 2016 presidential hopes better not hinge on New Jersey voters.

Almost the same percentage of voters who reelected him in a landslide in 2013 now say he would not make a good president, a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll finds. Fifty-nine percent said he's a poor fit for the Oval Office, while 34 percent said they believe Christie would do well in the White House.

Christie was reelected governor in 2013 with slightly more than 60 percent of the vote.

Only 45 percent of those surveyed said Christie has sufficient "experience" compared with other potential Republican 2016 contenders. The poll found 36 percent said he has the right "demeanor and personality," and 37 percent said he had the right "look" to be president.

"Governor Christie's numbers are a far cry from the very positive results we reported yesterday for Hillary Clinton," said David Redlawsk, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling and professor of political science at Rutgers University.

Nearly twice as many New Jersey voters - 83 percent - said Clinton has the right amount of "experience" when considered against other potential Democratic contenders; 74 percent say she has the right "demeanor and personality" and 70 percent say she has the right "look" to be president.

In addition, Christie's actions as governor are increasingly viewed with skepticism in New Jersey as he attempts to curry favor in the 2016 presidential contest:

• 68 percent said Christie's positions on issues and his decisions on whether to sign or veto bills are more about a potential presidential run than what is best for New Jersey, up 13 points from December.

• 22 percent say he is putting the state first.

• Half of voters said Christie's travel schedule hurts his ability to be an effective governor, while 44 percent say it does not.

Despite how they feel about him, voters are evenly split on whether Christie will become the 2016 GOP nominee. Thirteen percent say this is "very likely" while 36 percent think it is "somewhat likely." Another 49 percent think it is either "somewhat unlikely" (27 percent) or "not at all likely" (22 percent).

Results were from a statewide poll of 813 residents contacted by live callers on both landlines and cell phones from Feb. 3-10, 2015, including 694 registered voters. The registered voter sample has a margin of error of +/-4.2 percentage points. Interviews were done in English and, when requested, Spanish.

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