Minnesota Poll: Show of support for PawlentyBy Mark Brunswick, Star Tribune
Last update: October 03, 2007 – 12:04 AM
Gov. Tim Pawlenty appears to have weathered some of the most tumultuous events of his tenure, with 59 percent of Minnesota adults approving of the job he is doing as governor, a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll shows. It is his highest approval rating in the poll since February 2003, shortly after he took office.
Despite frequent combat with the DFL-dominated Legislature, the recent horror of a bridge collapse on his watch and questions about the state's response to flooding in southeastern Minnesota, Republican Pawlenty's strong approval rating cut across gender, regional and age lines.
Meanwhile, Minnesotans are almost evenly split on the job being done by the Legislature, with 43 percent approving and 39 percent disapproving.
The poll, conducted Sept. 18 to 23 for the Star Tribune, surveyed 802 Minnesotans and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The error margin is larger for subgroups.
The poll was conducted after the Aug. 1 collapse of the Interstate 35W bridge and flooding that ravaged portions of southeastern Minnesota. It also was conducted after Pawlenty called a one-day special legislative session to deal with flood relief.
Men and women were about equal in approving of Pawlenty's performance. The highest approval level came from 18- to 39-year-olds, with more than six out of 10 approving. Among respondents older than 60, 53 percent approved.
http://www.startribune.com/10220/story/1461175.html