With Woeful Approval Rating, Pa. Gov. Corbett’s Re-Election Hopes Look Dim

[DonViejo]

His constituents down on his job performance, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) approaches his 2014 re-election campaign in a politically precarious position, according to a poll released Tuesday.

The latest survey from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling showed a mere 33 percent of Keystone State voters approving of the job Corbett is doing. Fifty-eight percent said they disapprove of Corbett. Moreover, the first-term Republican received equally low marks, or worse, for his performance in specific areas. On Corbett's handling of the sex abuse scandal at Penn State University, 58 percent of voters said they disapprove. An even larger portion of the state — 67 percent — said they disapprove of his plan to privatize the state's lottery.

In hypothetical matchups of next year's gubernatorial race, Corbett lagged behind all five Democrats tested by PPP. He trailed former state environmental protection secretary John Hanger and Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) by margins of seven and 11 points respectively. Hanger and Schwartz have both announced that they will run in the race. The poll also showed that a plurality of 49 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans would prefer a different nominee in the gubernatorial race. His approval rating among GOP voters is negative, with 43 percent of Republicans in the state approving of his job performance to 45 percent who disapprove.

Corbett's individual numbers have actually dipped further since PPP's previous survey of Pennsylvania in January, when 38 percent of voters approved of his performance while 52 percent disapproved. Other polls released in the last year have shown his approval rating in negative territory, as reflected by the PollTracker Average.

-30-

Link to full PPP:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/2011/PPP_Release_PA_031213.pdf

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/with-woeful-approval-rating-pa-gov-corbetts-re

[MrSlayer]

1. It really doesn't matter.

He's going to kill us as he walks out the door with right to work, privatizing the state stores and the lottery, even more cuts to services and further tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations. The idiots in this state gave the baggers an unstoppable majority in both houses. They're mad at him for not being a big enough asshole but he'll come through for them in the end.

[solemnspace]

14. Don't forget privatizing the turnpike and selling half the state to the fracking industry.

[Cha]

2. This is such good news... one of the Lyin' teabaggers who got in through

the teabagger delusional express in 2010.

[Cha]

3. P.S. thanks DonViejo

[AlinPA]

4. GOP teabaggers control this stinking state. The State House, Senate, Governor, 13/18 US House seats

and one teabagger US senator. We even have a GOP State Supreme Court Justice (Orie-Melvin) recently convicted of corruption who won't resign and GOP House won't impeach.

PA voters are crazy for voting in that ignorant slob Corbett and the rest of the crap.

[modrepub]

5. As a PA Resident

I still think the race will be close. The economy is generally improving and PA hasn't not reelected of governor since the governor was allowed to serve more than one term; that includes Thornburgh. That said I hope to get rid of this guy. He's shown me he's only capable of managing a small group of expensive lawyers, not running a state.

[nonoyes]

12. Be sure and deny him a pension, too!

Just sayin

And maybe charge him with some crimes, have him spend a year or two in prison. That's only fair.

[otohara]

6. Yay

Unless he steals it, I think he's a goner!

[DFW]

7. Corbett has been like rat poison

He can't disappear quickly enough. That goes for Snyder (MI), Scott(FL), Walker (WI) and that moron in Maine as well.

I won't comment on AZ, NE, KS or back home in TX.

All four states should know better and they keep doing it to themselves anyway.

[Freddie]

8. Rumor has it he might be primaried

By Montgomery Co. DA Bruce Castor. Interesting. Don't know much about Castor politically but he's been involved on many high-profile crime cases.

[Dawson Leery]

9. The 60 year pattern of re-electing the incumbent could break next year.

The race will be competitive as it will be Pennsyltucky vs. Civilization.

[gelsdorf]

10. Get me a tissue n/t

[yellowcanine]

11. Will the teabaggers primary him?

Seems they might if his approval ratings stay in the toilet.

[KamaAina]

13. Privatize the state's lottery?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_State_Lottery_Company

The Louisiana State Lottery Company was a private corporation that in the mid-19th century ran the Louisiana lottery. It was for a time the only legal lottery in the United States, and for much of that time had a very foul reputation as a swindle of the state and citizens and a repository of corruption.

The company, initially a syndicate from New York, was chartered on August 11, 1868 by the Louisiana General Assembly with a 25-year charter and exchange gave the State $40,000 a year. With the passage of the charter, all other organized gambling was made illegal. This start almost immediately gave it a bad reputation as having bribed the legislators into a corrupt deal, especially at a time when other states were viewing lotteries and gambling with suspicion. It was founded by John A. Morris and Charles T. Howard, the former owing a controlling interest and the latter serving as its nominal head.

Charles Howard served as the first president, having previously worked for the Alabama Lottery and Kentucky State Lottery. Former Confederate Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and Jubal Anderson Early held the drawings. They added credibility but according to the New York Times they were paid handsomely for the few days each month their services were needed. Most of the tickets were sent via special train (there was so much mail it required a special consideration) to agents in the U.S. and abroad who would sell them in their respective areas.

In 1890, three years before the charter's expiration, the company bribed the legislature into passing an act to write them into the constitution (thus requiring a successful supermajority of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature and referendum) by offering to give the state $500,000 per year.

[yortsed snacilbuper]

15. Corbett let the penn state perverts run free for five years,

that alone should be his death knell!

[bigdarryl]

16. Lets not celebrate just yet

The Koch Ass holes will go in that state and spend millions against the democrats.