Beshear's approval rating plummets

Gov. Steve Beshear's approval rating has dipped into Ernie Fletcher territory.

A SurveyUSA poll done for WHAS-TV in Louisville shows Beshear's approval rating at 38 percent, down 8 points from last month and 24 points since January.

Approval ratings for Fletcher, the state's former Republican governor, hit 40 percent only once after May 2005, when his administration was smacked with an investigation of state hiring practices.

Beshear's short tenure has been marked with bad news, ranging from painful state budget cuts to a failed attempt to fill the seat left vacant in the state Senate by Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo with a Democrat.

The automated telephone survey of 600 adults was conducted April 11-13 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent.

- John Stamper

Comments

[KYJurisDoctor]

That is BIG, but he has time to try and recover, if he changes course.

[truth]

and it will continue to do so with people like Jim Cauley, Vince Gabbart, Mark York, Mike Haydon, etc. These people are all horrible for state government but good for helping ensure Beshear's loss next time.

[drippingwithirony]

I have a question: What the heck does the fact that former Gov. Fletcher's approval rating have to do with the fact that Beshear's has tanked so fast in a short period of time.

Oh yea I forgot. It's because the Herald-Leader likes to beat a dead horse. You only prove your point to those who believe in the "liberal media" argument.

Besides you need to focus on right now, not what happened three years ago. I know it's hard for you guys because the merit system investigation sold a lot of papers and made you some money, but it's time to move on and focus on the problems of the current administration.

[Roger]

You right-wingers still believe in the "liberal media" myth?

Do yourselves a favor -- turn off your Fox News already.

http://action.credomobile.com/comics/2008/04/bad_apples.html

[Roger Noe's liberal mind]

Everyone keeps bringing up the Alexander-Smith race. At least Scott Alexander kept it close.

If Roger Noe had been the nominee against Smith, he would have been beaten much worse than Alexander was.

You can't be anti-religion and anti-coal to the degree that Noe was and be elected in that part of Kentucky.

[Elizabeth]

What concerns me is the effect of this on our national life. Gov. Beshear/McBrayer are not in the position to help the Democrats in the senatorial or presidential elections.

In our state history it is the governor's attempts to "pay back his friends" that always hurts the state and so hurts the role we should be playing in our national civic life.

[ky progressive]

With the advisors the Governor has I am surprised that it is as high as 38%. He could get better advice on the street and the taxpayers wouldn't be out all that money. I have been told that he has more problems at demo hqs and it is so bad that several verteran board members will not return after their june convention. The whole situation look like a rudderless ship heading down.

[indyboy]

Hey Roger, the proof is in this morning's paper that the Herald-Leader loves to bash the GOP while choosing to take it easy on the Dems.

Below is the headline for the Herald-Leader's story on the firings of Susan Bush at EPPC, which was buried in a story about the cabinet being split:

"Beshear to split diverse cabinet"

And here's the headline from the Courier-Journal's story on the same topic:

"Beshear fires head of natural resources agency"

You see the difference? The C-J focused on the real story, which is the firing of a person who got great marks for her work on tightening rules on mine safety. The reason for her firing? She was a Fletcher hire.

The H-L is all its infinite newsroom wisdom decided to bury the Susan Bush firing to republish the spin Mark York and Vicki Glass put out about spliting a cabinet in tight financial times.

The recent headlines by both papers show that the C-J is doing an unbias job of covering the goings-on within the Beshear administration, which the H-L turns a blind eye.

Oh and before you bash me as a right winger, I'm a registered Independent and have worked for many years in the media consulting industry. So I know bias when I see it.

[Beshear is a disaster]

I hate to break it to you, Roger, but one stupid cartoon proves absolutely nothing. If you want to cite statistics, the overwhelming majority of the media types are liberal Democrats and the way they spin their stories reveals their bias. As far as the Herald Leader...wow...they crucified Fletcher at every possible move while giving the powermonger Stumbo a total pass for abusing his office. They have pretty much given Beshear a pass, but even that hasn't stopped the plummeting support for him. Can you imagine Beshear's approval rating if the H-L and the rest of the media had treated all his scandals and screw-ups as headliners?! It would be in the teens.

I would love to see a poll asking the following question: "If the election for governor were held today between Fletcher and Beshear, for whom would you vote?"

We were better off with Gov. Fletcher. He made some mistakes, but were it not for the Stumbo over-reaction, he would have had a very successful term. In terms of partisanship, Beshear if proving that contrary to his campaign lies, he is a divider, not a uniter. His recent firing of the wonderfully capable Susan Bush is just the latest example that he puts party and paying off his friends before the good of the Commonwealth.

[Recall Beshear]

I always believed that if the voting public knew the REAl STEVE BESHEAR that it would be obvious that Ernie Fletcher was by far the better choice. His true colors are being seen by more of the people now as more of his bone-headed decisions keep happening, like his partisan firing of Ms. Bush.

I agree with the previous poster, that were Beshear's mess-ups treated like Fletcher's in the media, he couldn't be elected dogcatcher.

[Elizabeth]

The "suffering index" has probably gone up, since January, in the same proportion that the governor's approval has gone down.

Large numbers of people can't afford the cost of gasoline to drive to jobs that don't pay enough. They can't afford milk, eggs, meat. And it is not just the poor who are scared. People feel like they've turned a corner, but this time they are headed downward.

Until the governor and his advisors from the 80's are able to see that, their approval will fall further. The Derby fetes will make it worse. I bet there are a couple of hundred of people in Frankfort alone who will wish they could get to the Derby breakfast just to have a good meal.

[SLD]

Wait until the news of all the layoffs and downsizing in state government really hits. Watch the approval rating take a continued nose dive. Just look back at some of the appointment decisions - old retreads that haven't had an original idea in 20 years. Also, no real business experience or leadership experience outside of state government. They need to put some people in place who know what it is like to meet a payroll and how to be successful within a budget. Sometimes you do need to spend money to save money and nobody in this administration has a real grasp on that one. The Gov has surrounded himself with some pathetic people who will run the state into the ground. He has put some so-called leaders into key roles where they will fail miserably. They have lousy communication skills at best. Leadership is non-existent. Sad day to be a Kentuckian!