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The news just keeps getting worse for Governor Paterson. A new Q Poll shows that he now has the highest job disapproval ever recorded for a New York Governor and that more than half of New Yorkers think he shouldn't even run for a full term next year. The poll also shows stellar numbers for Attorney General Ancrew Cuomo and Paterson losing badly to Rudy Giuliani in a general election. Even a majority of Democrats say he should hang it up. Ouch.
Voters Say 3-1 Paterson Does Not Deserve Election, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Most Say He Should Announce Now He Won't Run
New York State voters disapprove 60 - 28 percent of the job Gov. David Paterson is doing, the lowest approval ever for a New York Governor, and say 63 - 22 percent that he does not deserve to be elected to a full four-year term, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Gov. Paterson's approval is so low that he should announce now that he won't run for election to a four-year term next year, 53 percent of voters tell the independent Quinnipiac University poll, while 39 percent say he can restore his reputation and should run next year. Even Democrats say 49 - 45 percent that he should drop out of the race now.
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, with a near-record high 75 - 14 percent approval rating, tops Paterson in a Democratic primary 61 - 18 percent.
In a general election, Republican Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, tops Paterson 53 - 32 percent.
Cuomo tops Giuliani 53 - 36 percent in a head-to-head matchup.
Voters disapprove 70 - 19 percent of the way Paterson is handling the New York State budget. Democrats disapprove 63 - 25 percent.
"So long, David, voters tell Gov. Paterson. His job approval tanks at 28 percent. The slide started with the Caroline Kennedy flap and deepened with the humongous state budget passed last week. The budget was an opportunity for Paterson to reverse his slide, but voters disapprove almost 4-1 of the way he handled it," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"Don't wait for 2010, Governor, New Yorkers say. Announce now that you won't run. Voters say almost 3-1 Paterson doesn't deserve a full 4-year term."
Voters aren't the only ones sending Paterson a message either. Liz reports that top Dem donors are telling the Governor privately that he'd better turn his numbers around quick, November at the latest, or he should forget about a 2010 run for a full term.
Top New York Democrats have privately set a deadline of early November for Gov. Paterson to turn his poll numbers around or they'll urge him not to run next year.
"The idea is to let him get through the budget and get through the summer," said a prominent Democratic donor who sees the fall elections as the cutoff for Paterson's improvement.
"Nobody really wants to go to a sitting Democratic governor who's African-American and say, 'Hey. You're a disgrace. Get out.'"
Paterson allies hold out hope he'll be able to mount a timely comeback, but admit his historically low job approval rating - a March Siena poll pegged it at 19% - presents a significant challenge.
"Even if he went up 100%, it wouldn't be much," the donor said. "The goal is to be close to 50, but I think if he could climb over 40%, he can begin to show real momentum."
I'm sure that Rudy Giuliani hopes that the Governor is able to make something of a comeback, at least enough of one to make a credible run and scare off any potential Dem primary challengers. Smelling blood in the water, Giuliani is once again hitting the GOP fundraising circuit and making noises about a run for Governor. (He could use a new gig as his firm, Giuliani Partners, is tanking) Giuliani would be crushed in a general election against Cuomo, but could most likely beat soundly a mortally wounded Paterson. Rudy's only real shot at the Governor's mansion is keeping Paterson on the ballot.
Given this, it shouldn't surprise anyone that a majority of New Yorkers seem to want Paterson to hang it up.
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