| To be filed under "Duh."
President Barack Obama's approval rating, while it's fallen a bit from its stratospheric start, still leaves Pawlenty in the dust. This, according to the same poll that showed Norm Coleman not doing so hot in a hypothetical matchup to succeed Pawlenty in the Governor's office. Obama easily outpolls Pawlenty, Palin
Raleigh, N.C. - Barack Obama's approval rating in Minnesota has dropped six points since April. Nevertheless he beats Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin by a larger margin than he won against John McCain in the state last fall, Public Policy Polling's newest survey finds.
Obama's approval rating is 54%, with 39% of respondents disapproving. When PPP polled Minnesota in April the spread was 60/30. His numbers are steady with Democrats and have dropped some with independents but the biggest decline is among Republicans. Where previously 23% of them approved of his performance, now just 12% do. Voters in the state still like him a good deal better than some of his GOP alternatives though. Tim Pawlenty's approval has also dropped from a 46/40 spread three months ago to now a negative 44/48 one. In a hypothetical 2012 contest Obama leads Pawlenty
51-40.
Sarah Palin does far worse with Minnesotans, with 53% of them viewing her unfavorably and only 39% in a positive manner. She trails Obama by a 56-35 margin, which would be the most lopsided margin for President in the state since 1964.
"These numbers nicely sum up the national political climate," said Dean Debnam, President of Public Policy Polling. "Barack Obama's popularity is declining as the economy continues to stagnate, but voters don't trust the Republican leaders either. It doesn't bode well for Tim Pawlenty". [Emphasis added] Of course, there are still years between now and when a poll like this would actually matter -- a lifetime in politics. Nevertheless, if Tim Pawlenty can't even offer his home state as a potential electoral college pickup, it's difficult to see how he makes a case for himself as a 270-vote winner nationally. |
