Rock Bottom: Paterson Down to 19% Approval

I'll say this for the accidental governor: At least he's consistent. This is the Marist poll that now has him at 19%.

How low can New York Governor David Paterson’s job approval rating go? Based on the latest Marist Poll numbers, it can still go lower, but not by much! Not quite one-fifth of New York registered voters statewide — 19% — report that Governor David Paterson is doing either an excellent or good job in office. That is a seven percentage point drop since The Marist Poll last asked this question in its March 2009 survey. In fact, voters are so dissatisfied with the governor’s performance that a majority — 51% — say they would prefer his sex scandal-plagued predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, be in office than he. On both questions, Paterson doesn’t even receive backing from a majority of voters in his own party. Just 22% of Democrats think he is doing well as governor, and half say, “Resurrect Spitzer!”

Dear God, help us.

Curiously enough, Paterson has the same 19% approval in the Siena poll six weeks ago.

Now if only the hapless NY GOP could capitalize.

GOV. PATERSON was prominently mentioned on "Meet the Press" yesterday -- but not the way he would have liked.

Paterson's name was invoked during a discussion of what it would take to revive the Republican Party around the nation, and, according to former Florida GOP Congressman and MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough, New York's accidental governor is doing a fine job, thank you very much, helping its effort in the Empire State.

Ticking off the names of several states, including Connecticut, where he said the GOP's fortunes are on the rise, Scarborough said, "Even New York state, thanks to David Paterson, is a state that could very well go Republican."

What he didn't say was, "especially if former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani runs against Paterson" -- a conclusion backed by several recent polls and privately conceded in the upper echelons of the state Democratic Party. "Paterson is the best organizing tool the Republicans have," one of the state's most prominent Democratic consultants told The Post.

Yet another statewide poll, from Marist College, is due out today, and while its details remained unknown last night, political insiders expect the governor's record-low approval ratings to remain the same or decline still further.

Paterson's increasingly tough talk about seeking election no matter what poll numbers show isn't being taken too seriously in Democratic circles.

"He can say whatever he wants, but everyone agrees that if David is doing anywhere nearly as poorly in six months as he's doing right now, it will be all over for him," said a prominent Democrat who has frequent contact with the governor. "Paterson's challenge is to accomplish something that makes this a better state and have the public recognize that, and, until he does, he's not going to be doing much better in the polls."