Connecticut - Quinnipiac approval ratings for Jodi Rell, GWB

[Sam Spade]

I've never seen approval ratings this high for any governor, ever. 

I'm hesitating still to say that she's a shoo-in for governor if she runs in 2006, but geez...

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x11362.xml?ReleaseID=639

Jodi Rell:  83% approve, 3% disapprove (was 80%-4%, Nov. 23)

George W. Bush:  43% approve, 52% disapprove (was 44%-51%, Nov. 23)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

What's those ratings really mean is that they approve of the fact she's not Rowland.

[Keystone Phil]

Rodi was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and under went surgery. I'm sure that affected her ratings. That and the fact that she's not Rowland and comes off as a very likable official (I watched her State of the State address. Seems like a very nice woman).

[Smash255]

the non Rowland factor probably has a lot to do with that.  Rowland's approval was in the teens (if that) with disapproval well into the 70's when he left office

[The Vorlon]

Rowland left office with lower approval ratings than Grey Davis...

Now that is an achievement...

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Rowland left office with lower approval ratings than Grey Davis...

Now that is an achievement...

Bloomberg had sub-Davis levels at one point. Good thing for him that there's no recall law in NY.

[Alcon]

3% disapproval for a Republican in Connecticut is rather impressive.

What are her positions like?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

3% disapproval for a Republican in Connecticut is rather impressive.

What are her positions like?

I'm getting "", "", and "".

That's the only way a Republican in CT has a 3% disapproval rating.

[Alcon]

3% disapproval for a Republican in Connecticut is rather impressive.

What are her positions like?

I'm getting "", "", and "".

That's the only way a Republican in CT has a 3% disapproval rating.

Yeah, the empty quotation mark issue is a big one in Connecticut.

[Sam Spade]

3% disapproval for a Republican in Connecticut is rather impressive.

What are her positions like?

I'm getting "", "", and "".

That's the only way a Republican in CT has a 3% disapproval rating.

The Connecticut Republican party at the state level is actually fairly successful, running as a Rockefeller Republican type party (since Connecticut is dominated by suburbs).

They somehow manage to control three of the House seats and the governorship and aren't that badly outnumbered in the State Senate (they fair a little worse in the House).  Also, both of Connecticut's Democrat senators are among the most reasonable and moderate of all the Democrats in the Senate.

[dazzleman]

Governor Rell's popularity is a normal reaction to the shedding of a scandal-ridden administration.

But beyond that, she has handled herself very well.  She has said and done the right things so far to make a good impression.

Government in Connecticut is essentially a part-time job, running for the first 5 months of the year, when the legislature is in session.  Rell is just now going into this period.

Her popularity will surely fall when she has to make tough choices on the budget and other issues.

She already made one major decision - she refused to grant a reprieve to condemned killer Michael Ross, and she told the legislature that she would veto any attempt to abolish the death penalty.  That stand seems to be reasonably popular.

She's definitely not a shoo-in at this point, but she seems to be a good prospect to be elected in her own right in 2006.

[Defarge]

Had Ford not pardoned Nixon, I'm sure his approval ratings would be pretty high. 

Regardless, even I approve of Jodi Rell right now.  She's done a good job, considering the situation that has been handed to her.  Two of my political friends who live in CT are the most rabid Dems you'll ever meet, and they also approve of Rell.  Now, will they support Dodd?  Probably.

[dazzleman]

Had Ford not pardoned Nixon, I'm sure his approval ratings would be pretty high. 

Regardless, even I approve of Jodi Rell right now.  She's done a good job, considering the situation that has been handed to her.  Two of my political friends who live in CT are the most rabid Dems you'll ever meet, and they also approve of Rell.  Now, will they support Dodd?  Probably.

I think that Ford's approval ratings would have fallen substantially even without the Nixon pardon, as he got caught up in problems with the economy, foreign policy, etc.  The Nixon pardon didn't help, but he was president during a bad period, and many other things would have hurt his popularity.

At this point, Rell has done little to upset anybody.  That will change as she deals with issues like the budget, taxes, spending priorities, etc.  Apparently, her decision not to grant a reprieve to Michael Ross has not hurt her, but there will be others that will.

Even if she remains pretty popular, there will be certain people who will support a Democrat over her as a matter of principle, people like your friends.  There are not enough of these people to cost her the election if she remains pretty popular, but we'll see.  Connecticut has shown that it has no problem electing Republican governors by comfortable margins.