“Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remains the front-runner for 2016 if she chooses to run,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “But New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie’s favorability numbers are impressive and if he can win over a solid share of those who do not yet have an opinion about him, he could be a very formidable candidate in 2016. Candidates with more than 2-1 favorability ratios don’t grow on trees.”

“Vice President Joseph Biden finds himself in the opposite situation as most Americans have an opinion about him and it is slightly negative, 38 percent favorable, 44 percent unfavorable,” said Brown.

“Biden trails Christie 46 – 35 percent in the 2016 face-off and is dead even 42 – 42 percent with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, whose favorability is a split 31 – 28 percent.

Clinton tops Paul 50 – 38 percent.