Poll: Christie making gains in Iowa, Hillary still the people's choice

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 23 (UPI) -- Despite remaining ahead in the latest polls, Hillary Clinton's potential Republican counterparts are closing the gap on the front-runner for the Democratic nominee for president.

A new poll by Quinnipiac University does not show any Republican candidate faring better than a potential Clinton candidacy. However, the presumed-but-not-announced candidate is losing favorability in the face of the GOP doing the opposite.

"Things are getting a bit better in Iowa for New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie," noted Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the poll.

Christie trails Clinton's 44 percent to 36 percent, a five-point gain since March, when he was behind 48 percent to 35 percent in the battleground state. Despite the gains, pollsters say Clinton's lead is still a sign for trouble for the embattled New Jersey governor.

"[Christie], who was ahead of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Iowa before 'Bridgegate' took him down several pegs, still has a ways to go."

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike fared slightly better than Christie, trailing Clinton by six and seven points, respectively. If America's growing cultural divide manifests as a Clinton/Bush family rematch of the 1992 general election, Iowans prefer Hillary to Jeb by a significant margin, 49 percent versus 36.

Iowans are also predictably unhappy with President Barack Obama's job performance; only 40 percent of Iowans approve and 55 percent disapprove, slightly harsher numbers than the national average.

"The key to his problem is he is doing poorly among independent voters, a larger part of the electorate in Iowa than in most states."