Monday, March 23, 2009

The incredible vanishing Governor: David Paterson's approval rating plummets to 19%


"Hello, hello, is anybody there? I need help fast!"

A couple of weeks ago, when New York Governor David Paterson's approval rating in one poll had plunged to a low of 26%, I wrote that he still had about 10 months to show some stuff and launch a comeback. Now, in the latest Siena poll, a mere 19% -- yes, nineteen percent -- of voters think Paterson is doing a good job as Governor. When you've fallen so fast -- from 51% two months ago -- and you're so ridiculously far down a year away from the start of your election campaign, it's getting hard to see how you can recover.

Paterson badly needs to get his own house in order by staffing up with the best people and mounting an effective political operation, but numbers like these will make it harder for him to attract and hold the staffers, political supporters and contributors he badly needs. And his sub-basement numbers will encourage his likely primary and election opponents to gear up early for their own campaigns. If I were state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, I'd start raising money (which can be spent in either an AG or a gubernatorial campaign) and lining up political support like crazy in the hope that Paterson won't run. Cuomo could do so without ever saying he planned to challenge the state's first African-American Governor.

Anyway, Siena found that Cuomo was beating Paterson 52% to 22% among Black voters in a potential 2010 primary! Among all Democratic voters, Cuomo would beat Paterson 67% to 17%. And while Paterson would lose overwhelmingly to Rudy Giuliani, a possible GOP candidate, Cuomo leads Rudy by a healthy 10%.

Governor: You need a short-term plan to boost that job approval rating up above 30% in the next few months, or you can fuggetaboutit.

Any other opinions for the Governor? Post a comment.

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