Rell’s popularity takes tumble, legislators in free-fall
By Keith M. Phaneuf
Journal Inquirer
Published: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 9:40 AM EDT
HARTFORD — The state budget crisis is taking
its toll on Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s popularity, and also has pushed the state
legislature into negative numbers.
A Quinnipiac University poll released today found
that 65 percent of those polled approve of Rell’s job performance. That’s a
worthy number for most politicians — but an 8-percentage point drop for Rell,
and the lowest approval rating for the most popular governor in Connecticut
polling history.
A sagging economy, a budget stalemate, and
weeks of public criticism by lawmakers and labor unions combined to lower
Rell’s rating, which stood as high as 83 percent in January 2005.
Still, with nearly two-thirds of voters approving of her work against 30
percent disapproving and 8 percent undecided, Rell fares much better than
governors in New York, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania,
Quinnipiac poll Director Douglas Schwartz said.
Rell, a Republican, scores highest in her own
party, with an 81 percent approval rating, and among independent voters, with
70 percent. Among Democrats, 49 percent approve of Rell and 45 percent
disapprove.
“She has defied political gravity for five years by almost always topping 70
percent in job approval and enjoying high marks, not only among Republicans and
independents, but Democrats as well,” Schwartz added. “The love affair with
Democrats in wearing thin, but she’s still in very good shape.”
Though 76 percent of voters say the governor has strong leadership qualities,
many are uncertain her policies have helped the state’s economy.
The poll found 53 percent are uncertain or say Rell’s policies have made no
difference in the economy, compared with 28 percent who say they’ve helped and
18 percent who say they’ve hurt.
When asked to look down the road, 41 percent are uncertain or are convinced
Rell’s policies will make no difference in the economic future, compared with
40 percent who believe they’ll help and 19 percent who believe they’ll hurt.
And though 54 percent approve of Rell’s handling of the state economy in the
new poll, that’s down from 68 percent who felt that way in March.
Rell spokesman Rich Harris said today that the governor “always has been proud
of, but more importantly gratified by, the support she’s gotten from the people
of Connecticut.”
The drop in approval rating, he added, comes “at a time when the governor has
had to make some very difficult decisions about how we are going to deal with
this disastrous economy.”
Connecticut is now more than three weeks into the new fiscal year without an
approved budget, as Rell and the Democrat-controlled legislature remain at odds
over how to achieve a balance of tax hikes and spending cuts to overcome a
record-setting deficit.
The latest poll found the public’s view of the legislature has fallen into
negative numbers, with 39 percent approving of its performance compared with 45
percent who disapprove.
In early May, Quinnipiac found 45 percent of voters approved of legislators’
work, with 38 percent disapproving.
“If Rell is down a step or two, the Democrats are tumbling down the stairs,”
Schwartz said.
The poll found 88 percent of voters believe the budget stalemate is either a
“very serious” or a “somewhat serious” problem.
Senate President Pro Tem Donald E. Williams Jr., D-Brooklyn, who accused Rell
of “misleading” voters in February when she proposed a tax-hike-free budget
that’s now believed to be as much as $2.8 billion out of balance, said today
it’s no surprise voters are frustrated by the budget gridlock.
“The longer this goes on, it affects the approval rating of the governor, the
legislature, and everyone involved,” he said. “People want a solution.”
The poll, which surveyed 1,499 voters by telephone from July 16-20, has a
margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.