Posted on 02/10/2009 10:10:52 AM PST by freespirited
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, halfway through her term, would defeat all Democratic challengers by at least 21 percent, while U.S. Sen. Christopher J. Dodd has sunk to new low in public approval, according to the latest Quinnipiac University Poll.
The poll, a recent survey of more than 1,600 voters released Tuesday morning, found that a week after her warnings of major financial problems facing the state, Rell has a 75-percent approval rating and would beat any likely Democratic challengers in 2010 by 21 to 40 points.
In what could be very bad news for Democratic challengers to Rell -including James A. Amann of Milford, the former House speaker who will formally announce his intention to seek the 2010 gubernatorial nomination Wednesday night in Bridgeport - 67 percent of state Democrats approve the job Rell is doing.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz leads the three announced Democratic hopefuls for 2010.
Unaffiliated voters approve Rell by 75 percent to 18 percent and 85 percent of Republicans approve the job Rell's doing.
"Gov. Rell remains in a strong position for re-election. She easily defeats her three potential Democratic opponents by more than 20 points," said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., in a statement accompanying the poll's morning release. "Rell even gets a 67 - 23 percent approval for handling the economy." The poll found that Rell tops Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy 58 - 26 percent; Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz 53 - 32 percent; and Amann 61 - 21 percent. Bysiewicz is the frontrunner among Democrats, 44 percent of whom said they'd support her in a gubernatorial primary.
Malloy, who lost the 2006 party primary to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., has 12 percent and Amann a paltry 4 percent of party support, the poll found, with 36 percent are undecided.
The poll found that Dodd, a week after he showed his mortgage refinancing documents to state reporters, has only a 41-percent approval rating and state residents are evenly split on whether they think he is "honest and trustworthy." Fifty one percent of voters said they would not vote for Dodd if he seeks re-election in 2010, while 42 percent said they'd definitely or probably vote for him.
Fifty four percent said they are not satisfied with Dodd's explanation of the details around his mortgage refinancing relationship with Countrywide Loans.
"Sen. Dodd is vulnerable," Schwartz said. "His approval has sunk to a new low. More voters disapprove than approve of the job he is doing for the first time in 15 years of polling," Schwartz said. "The mortgage controversy has taken a toll on his approval rating. Most voters are not satisfied with Dodd's explanation and say they are less likely to vote for him next year because of it."
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's approval rating is 45 percent. The poll indicates that Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, if he were to run a primary against Lieberman, would win 58 percent to 30 percent.
Blumenthal's overall approval rating is 79 percent.
The poll was conducted from February 4 -- 8. The university surveyed 1,603 registered voters in the state, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points. The survey includes 634 Democrats with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 points.
Lieberman is an independent, he can’t be challenged in a primary
Countrywide Dodd is going to be primaried?
Liberman voted for the stimulus. Maybe Hannity will stop sucking up to him. Rell or somebody needs to run against Dodd. Rich people in CT are seiing O destroy their wealth so maybe they will wake up but I doubt it.
Agreed. We need someone to defeat Dodd.
These numbers should be encouraging to ex-Congressman Rob Simmons in deciding to challenge Dodd.
51% of those polls said they would *not* vote for Dodd? Sounds pretty good to me. Rob Simmons is not a conservative, but he’s good on some issues (including defense) and would certainly be far better than Dodd. And in CT we can’t expect much better than Simmons.
Of course, if Simmons supports Porkulus like Specter and the Maine Twins, they might as well keep Waitress Sandwich Dodd.
He’s a democrat that ran as an independent and calls himself and “Independent Democrat”. If he runs again he will seek the rat nomination.
What's all this then?
Well, see if Bob Packwood had been a Democrat, he’d still be in the Senate today. Molestors, harrassers and rapists are only allowed to serve if they aren’t Republicans.
Politically, he almost was one.
In another Senate race, Strategic Vision (a GOP pollster) shows Crist easily winning the primary and general election. Connie Mack 4 narrowly beats all the potential RAT contenders. Rubio and Bense narrowly trail the RAT contenders. The best RAT contender is Klein. The Strategic Vision results show it is largely name id at this point.
The Stimulated Crist would have us begging for Annesty Mel instead.
I think he’ll run for Governor again instead. I’m inclined not to support him in that but a Republican Governor’s signature will be needed for the legislature’s redistricting plans. Poltics1 adjunct Vin Gopal floats a rumor that Crist will run for Senate and Bush for Governor again which I assume is allowed. Sounds like BS to me.
Rubio and Bense I would guess aren’t great in the name recognition department.
I forgot Mack IV was interested. I wish his father had not retired from the other seat.
Connie3 should’ve run for reelection and then resigned a year in and allowed Jeb to appoint a decent and stable nominee. That would’ve stymied an attempt by Judas Jeffords, since it would’ve been a slim majority GOP.
Exactly. Basically anyone but Chris Shays - the only House Republican to sign on to FOCA in the previous congress.
Rell is tolerable
Blumanthal is a horses a$$ - don’t get between him & a tv camera
Dodd is poop
(Just my humble opinion)
Rob Simmons is thinking of running, though he’s far from committed to it. Jodi Rell won’t run and it’s highly unlikely that Christopher Shays will.
Other names being mentioned are former U.S. Attorney Kevin O’Connor (who ran a respectable race for Congress in the Hartford-based 1st. District in 1998) and Lieutenant Governor Michael Fedele (an IT executive whose ideology is unknown to me).
Unlike IL there aren’t any conservative Republican candidates (I’d be surprised if O’Connor was, Fedele I seriously doubt is) , so I’m fine with Simmons over corrupt scum Dodd.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.