A new poll could jeopardize Chris Christie's chances of making the next debate
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) may not be on the main stage at the fourth Republican presidential debate next week.
The rules for the Fox Business-hosted debate, which will take place on next Tuesday in Wisconsin, stipulate that candidates need to average at least 2.5% support among likely Republican primary voters in the latest four national polls released through Wednesday.
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It's still unclear which polls Fox Business will use, but the latest four national polls — from Fox News, Quinnipiac University, NBC News and The Wall Street Journal, and CBS and The New York Times — found Christie's support at an average of 2.25%.
That would relegate Christie to the "undercard" debate, which has featured lower-polling candidates like Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania), and former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) in the past. That debate requires candidates to garner at least 1% support in those recent national polls.
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Even if Fox Business uses the same selection of television-only polls that dictated qualifications for last week's CNBC debate — which did not include Quinnipiac — Christie still would not qualify. His support in the Quinnipiac poll, at 3%, is his strongest level. He hasn't garnered more than 3% in a national poll since a mid-October CNN survey.
Fox Business reportedly said Wednesday that it would announce the official lineup Thursday night on "Lou Dobbs Tonight."
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A Fox Business spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment on which polls the network will use. The Fox Business debate in Milwaukee airs at 9 p.m. ET next Tuesday.
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