CNN: “They’re making their case in Washington, in the early states and even on foreign trips: The governors vying for the presidency in 2016 say that their party must nominate a candidate who has led a state. But for a handful of Republican governors eyeing the White House, their popularity at home is taking a hit.”

“Poll numbers for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have reached rock bottom as their states confront fiscal woes; the problems are particularly severe for Christie, whose reputation in the Garden State has been badly damaged by the so-called Bridgegate political scandal. And Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin has seen his approval rating in his home state fall amid a divisive budget battle, even as his star has risen in national surveys.”

“The Republican Party’s field of presidential contenders is so unwieldy that even the Republican Party can’t keep track of it,” Politico reports.

“As if the actual field weren’t big enough, the Republican National Committee has unveiled an online 2016 straw poll with 36 options, including a dozen — Condoleezza Rice, Kelly Ayotte and Herman Cain, among them — who have signaled no intention of running. Meanwhile, two former governors who are actively exploring runs, Bob Ehrlich of Maryland and Jim Gilmore of Virginia, failed to make the cut.”