Just in time for the dog days of summer, Quinnipiac University has a new "thermometer," taking the temperature of voter attitudes toward politicians, including potential 2016 presidential contenders. New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie is the hottest politician at 53.1 degrees among all respondents. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is right behind, at 52.1 degrees.
But Christie gets a bit of a chilly reception from his own party, he ranks eighth among Republican voters. Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Mitt Romney's 2012 running mate, comes out on top with a sizzling 68.7 degrees among GOP voters.
"I think it's healthy that we have a party that has an open and active debate on different issues," Republican strategist Rick Tyler, President of Strategy Group For Media, and former Newt Gingrich spokesman, told Jansing & Co. "Chris Christie obviously was elected [Governor] by the people of New Jersey and Paul Ryan is probably the intellectual stalwart of our party."
Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, a former DNC spokesman, countered, "You could say they're [Republicans] having an open debate or you could say they don't have a vision that most people in American don't agree with," he told Jansing & Co. "Maybe the Democrats have figured out a way to actually talk to the people in the country about where we are, what we face and how to get us moving."
Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton scored a scorching 77.7 degrees, followed by President Obama at 76.3 degrees and Vice President Biden at 69.5 degrees.
Watch the full interview with strategists Rick Tyler and Jamal Simmons below: