Will Paterson Usher In A GOP Comeback In New York?
by Matt at Mar 3rd, 2009
Today it was reported the Governor David Paterson has the lowest recorded approval rating for a New York governor in Marist Poll history
New Yorkers are sending a strong message to Governor David Paterson, “Shape Up!” Just 26% of registered voters report the governor is doing either an excellent or good job in office. That’s a drop of 20 percentage points since the Marist Poll last asked this question at the end of January. In fact, Governor Paterson’s approval rating is the lowest approval rating a New York State governor has received in the Marist Poll’s nearly thirty year history of statewide surveys.
Paterson doesn’t get high marks from his own party either.
Among registered Democrats in New York State, 30% think Paterson is doing an above average job while 65% disagree. Across the aisle, Republicans also overwhelmingly disapprove of Paterson’s performance. Just 26% of members of New York’s GOP approve of the job Paterson is doing as governor while 72% think he is doing a fair or poor job. Only 20% of non-enrolled voters agree that Paterson is doing well in the position.
Only 1 in 4 upstate voters approve of Paterson’s job performance.
Paterson has been digging his own grave for sometime… his handling of the budget situation has been laughable. The Hillary Senate Seat situation didn’t help him one bit, and his tax hike proposals are meeting fierce opposition.
But Paterson’s problems may not just hurt his chances for reelection, it could help propel Republicans back into power in this state.
A prominent Bronx state senator is going public with what many of his fellow Democrats are saying in private - that Gov. Paterson’s bumbling performance may cost Democrats their newly gained control of the Senate next year.
“I’m worried about what’s going on with the governor,” said Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., one of the “gang of three” that flirted with the GOP before voting to give their own party a 32-30 Senate lead.
“I’m very concerned that if things continue the way they’ve been going with the governor, after next year’s election we’re going to be in the minority again,” said Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr.’s father.
“We won in the fall because of the Obama tsunami, but we’ll no longer have that next year, and things will be different.
“Gov. Paterson has been unlucky with the national economy,” he added, “but even though he’s a nice human being, there are things he’s done that have created problems - the Caroline Kennedy stuff, the salary increases for his staff and his wife’s chief of staff. This isn’t the time to be doing that, when you’re asking state employees to get 3 percent pay cuts.”
Paterson’s bungling may even help a Republican win the governor’s race in 2010, A Siena College survey has Rudy Giuliani beating Paterson.
Paterson’s inability to lead may provide Republicans with the opportunity to take this state back from the party that has run it into the ground… at all levels of government. Even in the 20th district Republican Jim Tedisco is leading in the polls and is expected to win the congressional seat vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand.
My message to Governor Patterson isn’t to “shape up” it’s to “ship out!” He is grossly unqualified for allof the reasons lited aboveand in his short period of time has been a terrible failure.
The light at the end of the tunnel is 2010 when Republicans assume control of the Governors Mansion, State Legislature and eventually the Congress…. (Rudy Giuliani anyone?)
We can only hope that Guilani does run for Governor. He is the best hope to have some sort of checks and balances in this state. The Democratic Party, which now hold total control of New York State Government, are leading this state into a tailspin. No structural changes have been proposed to stop massive spending increases in two years. The federal stimulus packages simply puts a band-aid infusion of dollars for a two year period. After that, New York State will be in the same shape it is in today. As the native americans use to say.. “some people speak with Forked Tongue.