Anchored by Jake Tapper, The Lead airs at 4 p.m. ET on CNN.
We've moved! Come join us at our new show page.
(CNN) - In a Des Moines Register poll, Republican Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin is doing gangbuster numbers, scoring 73% favorability in the all-important state of Iowa. Governor Chris Christie, R-New Jersey, saw a high unfavorability scoring of 30%.
Is Paul Ryan the heir apparent?
"No!" said national editor for The Cook Political Report Amy Walter. "I just want to take that poll and just punch it in the face."
Ryan was the vice presidential nominee, so people recognize his name, says Walter. Meanwhile, Chris Christie's numbers reflect a well-known situation.
"Any candidate trying to run in Iowa as a Republican, if you're seen as a moderate, which right now he is, you're going to have a hard time winning in the state of Iowa," said Walter.
There is a "misnomer about where Republicans are going to end up being," says CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen.
"Look at Ted Cruz, again, who is supposed to be the conservative super hero over here – high unfavorables, very low favorability, when you have Ryan and Mike Huckabee, an also-ran, coming in way ahead of him," said Rosen.
For more of our political panel, check out the video above.
soundoff (No Responses)