Chris Christie's Approval Rating 51% in Quinnipiac Poll

New Jersey's governor, Chris Christie, is the kind of guy that doesn't take anything from anyone. He's no nonsense. He's blunt. Sometimes gruff, not always smooth, but always himself.

At least, that's the impression that many have of the first term governor.  

But here's the thing: His constituents like it. Here's the latest Quinnipiac poll:

Fifty-one percent of voters approve of Christie, while 36 percent disapprove. That’s a major jump from the last Quinnipiac poll, taken on June 17, when 44 percent approved and 43 percent disapproved.

“This is a good poll for Christie," said pollster Maurice Carroll. "People are getting to know him, and they apparently are getting to like him." ...

Voters’ perceptions of Christie’s personality have also improved. When asked if they saw him as more of a leader or a bully, 51 percent said “leader” and 39 percent said “bully.”

In many ways, President Obama embodies a sort of anti-Christie. Generally smooth, hardly gruff, and always trying to appeal to the audience he's directly addressing. And here's the other thing, New Jerseyans don't like Obama much these days:

President Obama does not fare as well. Fourty-seven percent approve of the president and 47 percent disapprove. In June, 50 percent of New Jersey voters approved of his job performance and 46 percent disapproved.

Christie has indicated that he's not interested in running for president. But his performance so far in New Jersey, if it continues to trend this way, might soon have many folks hoping he changes his mind. 

For more on Christie, see Fred Barnes's THE WEEKLY STANDARD story from April, and Daniel Foster's National Review story this month on Christie's victorious budget battle.