Poll says Perry doing good job but vulnerable [Texas Gov]

Houston Chronicle ^ | 2-18-05 | R.G. RATCLIFFE

[deport]

Feb. 18, 2005, 12:34AM

Poll says Perry doing good job but vulnerable

Though numbers are up, Hutchison still most popular of elected officials

By R.G. RATCLIFFE
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry's job-approval rating has rebounded to its highest level in three years, according to a new poll, and he is well-positioned to face potential re-election challenges in next year's Republican primary from either U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn.

The Scripps Howard Texas Poll found 51 percent of the Texans surveyed said Perry is doing a good job as governor while 33 percent disapprove of his job performance. That is in marked contrast to a year ago, when half the Texans surveyed disapproved of Perry as governor.

The poll also shows strength for Perry among his own partisans. Among Republicans, 73 percent approved of the job Perry is doing as governor.

"Obviously, from a Republican primary standpoint, it's good numbers," said Perry political director Luis Saenz. "Republicans approve, and we're pleased with that."

Hutchison's backing high

But Hutchison remains the most popular elected official in Texas, with 72 percent of those polled saying she is doing a good job in the Senate. Her job approval among Republicans was 85 percent.

Hutchison could make the case to Republican primary voters that she is a stronger candidate than Perry to put up against the Democrats in next year's general election. Hutchison also has not ruled out running for re-election next year.

More than 60 percent of the self-identified Democrats and Independents questioned had a positive view of Hutchison. By contrast, more Democrats and Independents had a negative view of Perry than positive.

"The poll summary states that Texans see Senator Hutchison as the most effective statewide elected official. That's gratifying," Hutchison spokesman David Beckwith said.

"The poll shows she could win any political contest she entered," Beckwith said.

Perry's other potential challenger, Strayhorn, has retained positive job-approval ratings in the survey, with 53 percent saying she is doing a good job and 16 percent disapproving. Her numbers are almost identical among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

Strayhorn makes a name

The poll indicates Strayhorn's biggest problem in taking on Perry is almost a third of those surveyed did not know enough about her to have an opinion. Her aides said that is because she changed her last name from Rylander to Strayhorn after remarrying before the 2003 legislative session.

"She has never been on the ballot as Carole Keeton Strayhorn, so we are absolutely delighted with these numbers," said spokesman Mark Sanders. "As people learn that Strayhorn is the same person as 'One Tough Grandma,' the numbers are coming up." Strayhorn billed herself as "One Tough Grandma" in previous elections.

The Scripps Howard Texas Poll survey of 1,000 adults was conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 14 by the Scripps Research Center and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

The survey did not include potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates. Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell has formed an exploratory committee.

The job-approval ratings may have been affected by a change in wording in the poll. In prior polls, respondents were asked whether an officeholder was doing an excellent/good job or a fair/poor job. This time they were asked to approve or disapprove of job performance.

The new poll found 61 percent of Texans approve of the job President Bush is doing while 33 percent disapprove. First lady Laura Bush received a positive rating from 81 percent of those surveyed.

Bush's re-election campaign carried the state with 61 percent of the vote last year.

Numbers are rising

Bush was Texas governor when he won election as president in 2000. When he resigned from office, then-Lt. Gov. Perry became governor. Perry won the office in the 2002 elections and has announced he will seek re-election next year.

Texans' opinions of Perry as governor fell through the floor during the 2002 election campaign as Democrat Tony Sanchez poured millions of dollars into negative television advertising against Perry.

Partisan battles over redistricting and state budget cuts further drove Perry's approval ratings down through 2004, with more Texans saying Perry was doing a bad job than good.

"Regardless of the poll numbers, the governor has always governed based on his philosophy," Saenz said, adding, "We are pleased that Texans are responding favorably and that his numbers are increasing."

The state's junior senator, John Cornyn, received a positive review from 49 percent of those questioned, but 35 percent did not respond.

Similarly, Lt. Gov. DavidDewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick also received positive job-approval ratings.

r.g.ratcliffe@chron.com

[deport]

And they're off........

[Dog Gone]

The Democrats are hoping the Republicans will have a bitter primary fight leaving their candidate with a shot in the general election. We'll see.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Ah yes, more Democrat math from the Houston Chronicle. If A>X, B>D, and C>M, then clearly C>A.

Why not also poll who you would vote for in a governor's race between the three? Perhaps because they wouldn't get the answer they're trying to imply?

And Carole....Strayhorn is going to have to stop reselling her name for bidding rights if she wants to establish name recognition.

[Dead Corpse]

Screw Streyhorn. But I'm not impressed with Perry either. Especially with CAMPO running amok and him doing nothing about it.

[deport]

Why not also poll who you would vote for in a governor's race between the three? Perhaps because they wouldn't get the answer they're trying to imply?

---

I think you maybe correct.... or at least at the point in time when it became time to fish or cut bait...

[DrewsDad]

Strayhorn, has retained positive job-approval ratings in the survey, with 53 percent saying she is doing a good job and 16 percent disapproving. Her numbers are almost identical among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

Among Republicans, 73 percent approved of the job Perry is doing as governor.

But Hutchison remains the most popular elected official in Texas, with 72 percent of those polled saying she is doing a good job in the Senate. Her job approval among Republicans was 85 percent.

So among Republicans, job approval is Hutchison(85), Perry(73), and CK-Whatever(~53). I would have approved of Hutchison and Perry but not the "one tough grandma[stander]". I'm surprised they didn't ask which one they would favor for Governor. Maybe they did, but didn't publish it.

[deport]

It would be interesting to see what the question about a governor vote would be..... I suspect they didn't asked it.

53% for Strayhorn is misleading as that's her total number. I didn't see a number for just Republicans for her. [Her numbers are almost identical among Republicans, Democrats and Independents.]

[DrewsDad]

It would be nice to see the raw numbers. Wonder if anyone here has access to them.

[MeekOneGOP]

Among Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison or Comptroller
Carole Keeton Strayhorn-Rylander*, I'll take Perry again.

*Or whatever she is calling herself this week. :^)

[roostercashews]

I really hate to see Kay out of Washington, but I'd love to see her as governor, and then, maybe, the first female Prez? As long as it's not Hillarity.

Perry is still part of the dying good 'ol boy network of Texas politics, and worse than that, he's a fence sitter unless it's a politically good idea to support something.

Long and short is I trust Kay over Perry and CKS.

[Dead Corpse]

Kay Bailey "Welfare for Amtrak" Hutchinson? No thanks...

[Dead Corpse]

Let's get you on the ticket. I'd prefer you or Eaker over any of the Gomers likely to run on the ticket.

[greasepaint]

Kay wants to be president.
Kay needs a real job.
Perry needs to go.

[BluH2o]

Visited Austin, TX about a year ago. Walking thru the Statehouse, my wife and I saw a picture of Gov. Rick Perry and his wife. We both agreed, he looks like a local news anchor and his wife does the weather. Way to cutesy ...

[DrewsDad]

So do you agree with her vote to reconfirm the Roe Vs. Wade decision?

[roostercashews]

....or, Perry's multi-lane super highway from Mexico to Dallas, no thanks. While CKS is more fiscally stable, I feel Kay is the lesser of two other evils in the Texas GOP. I'm also looking ahead a bit. It is possible that Kay could go head to head against Hillarity or whoever the dems toss out for Prez, after she's had a few years in the Governor's seat. While I have doubts about the above scenario, I wouldn't say it won't happen. Right now more of my trust is with Kay.

[roostercashews]

See my reply to Dead Corpse.

[Dead Corpse]

Getting tired of the "lesser of two evils" bullcrap. I say we put Eaker on the ticket...

While Perry would build a superhighway that'd make the Big Dig look fiscally responsible, Kay would do the same thing with Amtrak.

[SwinneySwitch]

"The poll shows she could win any political contest she entered," Beckwith said.

It doesn't say she could beat Rick Perry in the Republican primary for Governor, David. That would be one big mistake! Kay Bailey should either run for the Senate in '06 or retire! IMHO