Corbett's job approval numbers sink to new low
At the midway point of his second year in office, the numbers aren't looking good for Gov. Corbett. A new poll released today by Franklin & Marshall College finds the governor's job approval rating dipping below 30 percent for the first time. At the same time his disapproval rating increased by 10 percentage points.
Corbett's job approval numbers sink to new low
At the midway point of his second year in office, the numbers aren't looking good for Gov. Corbett.
A new poll released today by Franklin & Marshall College finds the governor's job approval rating dipping below 30 percent for the first time. At the same time his disapproval rating increased by 10 percentage points.
Poll director Terry Madonna attributes the drop to Corbett's cuts to human services, higher ed and basic education.
"He recommends cuts to popular programs and when the legislature restore it and he agrees he doesn't embrace the restorations," said Madonna. "Add to that they didn't provide rationale for cuts to begin with. He wasn't selling agenda and this is the legacy of the budget."
Fewer than a third (28 percent) of voters think Corbett is doing a good or excellent job while almost two thirds (66 percent) say he is doing a fair (40 percent) or poor (26 percent) job, according to the poll released today.
In a similar poll in June a total of 38 percent of Pennsylvania voters rated Corbett's job performance at good or excellent and 54 percent rated it fair or poor.
With election 2014 just around the corner - in political time - does this signal a tough road ahead for Corbett should he choose to run again?
Not necessarily, says Madonna. Virtually every other governor in recent memory, except Dick Thornburgh in the 1980s, suffered from mid-term voter blues and that didn't affect their ability to win a second term, he said.
"Corbett's reelection prospects are directly tied to two things: the health of overall economy and the fiscal condition of state," said Madonna. "Instead of talking about cuts, he can talk about other things and that markedly improves chances for reelection and his job performance."
Madonna said the challenge ahead also depends on whether the Democrats can find a big league candidate to put up against him.
And so far, though lots of names have been tossed around - among them U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and state Treasurer Rob McCord - no solid candidates have emerged.
The same poll found President Obama leading Mitt Romney, 44% to 38% with 15% undecided and Sen. Casey leading GOP challenger Tom Smith, 35% to 23% with 39% undecided
The poll of 681 Pennsylvania voters was conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College from August 7 to August 12 and has a margin-of-error rate of plus or minus 3.8 percent.
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Comment removed.- That would belong to Rendell whom left the state with a multi-billion $$$ debt hangover. You should learn how government works before you make an arse out of yourself. Democrats are all the same, spend spend spend and when the money dries up, blame a fiscally responsible person.
- Wait a second, multi-billion dollar debt hangover... sounds like what we saw in Jan. '09.
— mick-of-the-moment - Comment removed.
- “President Reagan also increased government spending on defense, even though he had campaigned against increased spending. Reagan spent hundreds of billions of dollars on the military, weapons (both conventional and nuclear), technology, and research. His pet project, SDI or Star Wars, had projected costs of over $1 trillion alone, although the project was eventually scrapped”
- Get your facts straight. The state is not allowed to run a deficit. — Bobby257
- So Tommy needs to go to the gas companies with his hand out with a gun in it,to get a better cut, I mean he is after all working for us , right ?
But nooooooo he would rather have the bad ratings than take on a multi million/billion dollar industry run by people who look like him. He would rather take benefits away from the poor and ridiculously educated malnourished masses.
Tommy the good old boy Republi-King . - True. States have in their Constitution an inability to forward a deficit. Call it fiscal responsibility. Yet, for the longevity for our "Union" we need to incur debt. If you disagree i ask for all your fiscal records to be made public. If you have debt, thank you for being apart of our future solvency. If you have no debt, you are either wealthy or frugal. Frugality does not help our economy to restart in a time of crisis. Yes, SPEND! If and when it all falls apart, it won't matter anyway,; we'll all fail. — An Independent Citizen
- Government works when we agree. An incumbent doesn't last forever. — An Independent Citizen
- don't get your hopes up. no incumbent Pa. governor has ever lost his bid for re-election
- We've never had a governor who is so outwardly working against the best interests of his constituents. One Term Tom only supports what makes him money. The citizens be dammed. — PhillySteel36
- this would be the same response if Mitt romney were voted in...— bbewsirhc
- No, that would be Obama and the: 1) first downgrade of US debt, passing of the JOB KILLING Obamacare, Most polarizing President since LBJ, largest increase in national debt in US history, Democrats STILL havent passed a budget in Congress and haven't done so since the Mid-Term elections. Time to wake up people, Democrats have controlled 2/3rds of Government for over 4 years and this is what you get...18+% unemployment.
- Comment removed.
- If you're going to lay blame at Republican control of the White house, then you have to also lay blame at Democratic control of Congress. No Republican Congress at all during Nixon, Bush 41, or Ford, and no control of the House under Reagan.
Partisanship is a losing game.
