Before Deflate-Gate, before Tom Brady’s hat.. there was the hug.
Just weeks ago, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s buoyant embrace of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was the subject of gleeful derision from his foes and even serious speculation in political circles that Christie’s Dallas love deep in Giants country could jeopardize his future ambitions.
But a new Quinnipiac University poll shows that, at least in his home state, no one seems to mind it.
According to the poll, 13 percent of New Jersey adults say they think less of Christie because of his Cowboys fandom, versus 83 percent who say it makes no difference. A defiant three percent say Christie’s devil-may-care enthusiasm for Tony Romo’s team make them like the governor more.
And it turns out that Christie’s not alone. Eight percent of New Jersey football fans call the Cowboys their team, almost the same amount – 9 percent – whose loyalties lie with the New York Jets. About a third of Garden State NFL fans root for the Giants.
What’s more: seven in ten New Jersey voters say that the controversy over Christie’s trip to watch Dallas play – funded by Jones – is politically motivated, while just 11 percent call it “a serious issue.”
The poll was conducted January 15 – 19 and surveyed 1,406 New Jersey adults. The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percent.