Quinnipiac poll: Clinton would beat Christie in 2016. Biden or Cuomo would lose to Christie.

[Redfairen]

Hillary Clinton would defeat three potential Republican presidential candidates if the 2016 presidential election were held today, with New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie second in a field of three Democrats and three Republicans selected by Quinnipiac University for a national poll released today.

Vice President Joseph Biden and New York's Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo would not fare nearly as well, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.

The Republicans tested also include Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

Former First Lady, Senator, and Secretary of State Clinton wins easily against any of the Republicans, topping Christie 45 - 37 percent; leading Rubio 50 - 34 percent and besting Ryan 50 - 38 percent.

Christie gets 43 percent to Vice President Biden's 40 percent and tops Cuomo 45 - 28 percent.

Biden tops Rubio 45 - 38 percent and gets 45 percent to Ryan's 42 percent.

Ryan tops Cuomo 42 - 37 percent while Cuomo and Rubio are tied 37 - 37 percent.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-centers/polling-institute/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=1861

[firehorse]

1. Cuomo will need to keep his job for at least 8 years before aiming higher.

Though maybe he'd make a good VP for Clinton.

[Myrina]

2. How does it pan out with a Rand Paul 3rd party/Cuckoo-Nut run?

Or, if he does stay an R, does he split the primaries and the GOP ends up with another weakling like Mitt atop their ticket?

[AlinPA]

10. I don't see Rand Paul as a 3rd party; he is now the leader of the GOP. The teabaggers love him.

[subterranean]

3. They're doing polls for an election that's 3 1/2 years away?

Maybe it's just me, but polls like this conducted now seem meaningless, except maybe for the prospective candidates themselves.

[jenmito]

4. This is SO worthless. Who was the favorite to win the '08 election in '05? Did it mean anything? nt

[davidpdx]

12. Exactly

We have no idea who will run on either side in 2016. At this point in 2005, President Obama had been a Senator for about two months. Even right before he announced in 2007 he was a super long shot candidate.

[Arkana]

5. And 2008 was going to be Rudy vs. Hillary in the general.

Polls this far out prove precisely nothing for people that don't have name recognition.

[BlueStater]

6. Like I said before, this is a poll based around name recognition and nothing more.

I can assure you that Lyin' Ryan won't beat ANYONE in a general election. Count on it.

[antigop]

7. just another stupid poll trying to push the "inevitability" meme. nt

[Zoeisright]

8. I doubt that Christie would win very much.

Plus, that's three plus years away.

[union_maid]

9. IIRC there were polls show Hillary to be the favorite

going into 2004. Except, of course, that she wasn't running. But she was the only name that people recognized a couple of years ahead. It's quite possible that it won't be any of those choices. So many things can happen.

[madville]

11. No way Christie gets through the Republican primary

Just don't see it