Paterson Remains Unpopular With Voters: Poll
Despite recent attempts to bolster his image among voters, Gov. David Paterson continues to remain unpopular with New Yorkers, a Siena College poll today found.
The poll found that 27 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the Democratic governor compared to 61 percent who do not, slightly worse than a poll last month. His favorable rating in today’s poll was 24 percent in upstate.
Paterson’s job-performance rating was 19 percent positive and 79 percent negative. Only 15 percent of New Yorkers would elect him to a full four-year term next year after he succeeded Gov. Eliot Spitzer in March 2008. Seventy-two percent of voters would prefer someone else.
“By every measure, voters continue to keep Governor Paterson in the electoral cellar, and by every measure, Paterson’s numbers are within a handful of points or less of his all time record lows,” said Siena poll spokesman Steven Greenberg.
Paterson has talked tough in recent days in an effort to get the state Legislature to agree with him on how to close a $3 billion mid-year budget gap. He has proposed cutting aid to schools and health-care, and he has done a statewide media blitz to stress the need to lower state spending despite criticism from special-interest groups.
“I expect to face attacks over this plan,” Paterson said in a campaign email to supporters last week. “The attacks will be blistering, well-funded, and perhaps even personal. But I will stand firm.”
Fifty-six percent of voters said they would be less likely to vote for Paterson if he balances the budget with significant cuts in health care and education. But 53 percent said they would be more likely to vote for him if the budget is balanced without tax increases. He and lawmakers have ruled out tax increases.
Paterson has vowed to run for election next year despite attempts by the White House and some Democrats to get him to step aside.
In a potential Democratic primary next year, Paterson would lose to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo 70 percent to 20 percent, a wider margin than in a Siena Poll last month. In general election match-ups, Paterson would lose to potential GOP candidate Rudolph Giuliani 56 percent to 33 percent and would beat former Long Island Rep. Rick Lazio 39 percent to 37 percent.
Perhaps the one bright spot for Paterson is that voters blame the state Legislature more for the state’s deficit than they blame him.
While 13 percent of voters blame the governor, 19 percent blame Democrats who control the Senate and 14 percent blame Democrats who run the Assembly. Another 20 percent blamed the Legislature and the governor.
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The “fact” that Paterson would beat Lazio tells you how wacky, uneducated, and hapless the voters are in this State. They don’t know WHAT they want, and would no doubt elect Madonna, Janet Jackson, or Fred Flintstone were they on the ballot. The school system is doing a fabulous job.
but ed it also tells you that Lazio made such a bad run
last time that voters remember him as unimpressive and
that makes him a bad choice for republicans…when he
walked across the stage and got in hillary’s face he
imploded..plus you cannot be pro life and run and win
statewide…or do we need to go through that excercise
again as we did with spencer and faso…frankly any
solid businessman could take patterson down..but
it is moot because patterson will not be the candidate
cuomo will..so the only issue is who have the republicans
got that can beat cuomo.and the answer is maybe rudy..
but that’s it…are we tired of getting our ears pinned back
yet..I certainly am.but until we tell mike long to take
a walk we will not get back in the game..and by the
way ed cox has already made that point
All true, and though it is not his specific bailiwick, Long’s silence and lack of stated outrage after the blatant highjacking of the county Conservative Party by a few players and the resultant endorsement of a liberal Democrat renders him unworthy of the position he holds.