Beshear's low approval rate signals short honeymoon

Download full poll results for Gov. Beshear's approval rating

By Ryan Alessi
ralessi@herald-leader.com

Gov. Steve Beshear’s approval rating has dipped under 40 percent after his first session dealing with the state legislature and just six months after winning a landslide election, according to the Herald-Leader/WKYT Kentucky Poll.

Thirty-nine percent of the 600 likely Kentucky voters surveyed between May 7 and May 9 said they approved of the way Beshear has handled the job so far, while 55 percent frowned on his performance.

“It’s a pretty short honeymoon for any governor,” said Scott Lasley, who teaches political science at Western Kentucky University. “It reflects a lot of overall frustration with what went on in Frankfort.”

In addition, a majority of respondents said Beshear hasn’t come through on his pledge to restore integrity to state government — the central argument he made on his way to defeating Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher in November by 17 points.

The telephone survey was conducted by Research 2000 of Olney, Md., and has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Beshear responded with a statement attributing his low numbers after five months in office to a tumultuous General Assembly session that ended with agreement on an austere state budget but little else.

“We are coming off a legislative session that was disappointing to everyone and people are worried about the economy and high gas prices,” he said. “Polls go up and polls go down, and we will not be guided by polls in our efforts to move the state forward.”

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Comments

[nothing but the truth]

Beshear is living in a state of denial if he thinks his approval rating can be blamed on the General Assembly. The telling sign is the number of people who believe he has not delivered on his promise of ethical government.

I hope this petty, vindictive, corrupt little man continues to see the world through his rose colored glasses. He'll be an easy target in 2011. He'll have to resort to even more corruption to try and buy re-election.

[richmond observ]

Does anyone else find it strange that Steve B in every statement and release is using Fletcher's line -- "moving Kentucky forward?"

[ramseys dinner]

Today I was at Ramseys and congressman chandler was having lunch there literally gloating to his table about how he made the right decision about not running for governor. He said it would have been the easiest election for him to win ever, that he could have "walked into" the Governors office. But that he was too smart to take that job. Hmmm....maybe these poll numbers prove him right.

[TriCity]

Maybe this will explain his dismal poll #s:

STATE AIRPLANE
2007-Debate:
I'm not going to use it for political purposes...it's wrong.
2008-after using it for state senate race in eky and to attend Hillary event:
silence...

CASINOS
2007-Debate:
You won't have to ask what I'm going to do about revenue because we're going to get it done.
2008-After failing to get it done:
It's not my fault that I didn't even mention my cornerstone, or file a bill until 30 days into a 60 day session, or even get my own party's leadership to go along in the House...but even though it didn't even get out of the House I'll blame it on the Senate.

ETHICS:
2007-debate and inaugural speech: I'll clean up the mess in Frankfort and we'll pass a comprehensive ethics bill.
2008-after failing to get anything passed in 08 session:
Latched onto Mike Cherry's perennial ethics bill from the last 2-3 sessions and it didn't pass either.

HIRING/FIRING:
2007-We'll follow the law and respect state employees.
2008-Fire the PSC employees, no wait hire them back...ok well go ahead and fire them.

BUDGET:
2008-Budget address:
I propose no raises for teachers and cuts in higher education of 12% for the universities.
2008-Budget passes:
Senate Republicans get agreement from House Dems on budget that includes at least 1% raises for teachers each year of biennium and restores nearly 10% of Beshear's cuts to universities along with others restored funds to other agencies. Beshear-forget my proposal let's dog this one.

BOTTOM LINE:
Just look at the issues above and who handled them...
Beshear's poll numbers are just where Steve Beshear, Mongiardo, and advice of junior leaguers like Cauley, York and others have put them. At this point sad part is having to put up with them for 3 1/2 more years!

[Back Row]

Unfortunately, you are right. With such an easy race last year, Governor Beshear has completely blown it. Just think, he moved into 30's territory without any major scandal which says that when there IS one in the next few years, he'll actually sink below that!

[Bill Adkins]

The legislature draged down Beshear - 22% approval/66% disapprove. Compared to Davey and Jody, Beshear is the most popular politician in the state.

As for the failure to pass a ethics bill, lay that one directly at the feet of the Republicans, David Williams and Damon Thayer. They killed the ethics bill with a bogus provision as to political donors. Could have been fixed, but what the Republicans wanted was to kill the bill.

[coleman]

Beshear will recover in the polls, Fletcher left the state broke and the revenue has been down, thanks to our President. We are in a national recession and possible a depression. Gas prices may reach $5.00 a gallon this summer, as is all commodities. The tax and spend Republican congress that was formerly in office along with Bush has gotten us in a economic mess. Oh Yes, we do have a war, useless at that, but none the less a war that takes one billion dollars a day to operate. It is the economy stupid.

[amused]

Adkins:
maybe you didn't realize, like your governor, that there was a legislative session. governors usually get their proposals introduced before the session is half over. they usually talk to the leadership in their own party early and often. they usually show leadership and at a minimum talk about their proposals. beshear did none of the above. say what you will but patton wasn't afraid to talk issues and get them through the general assembly. blaming the general assembly in this case is not only foolish but stupid! beshear wasn't engaged in the session and didn't get his casino proposal out of the House which is controlled by Democrats (his party and yours)...and no fault to the senate on his KEY, SIGNATURE issue! Get over Bill and as hard it may be for you quit your apologist role...it's pathetic and frankly makes you the miserable character you are and bores us all to tears with your dillusional rants.

[Legislature and Gov are the problem]

Here's the deal. Kentucky will not "CHANGE" until you put someone else in your districts representative seat and vote out who is in there right now!!!!

Stop your bi*@$*ng and vote your "LEGISLATOR" out of Office! If you complain and do not vote them out then it is your fault that we do not move forward as a state.

Here is a list of representatives that must go!

Jody Richards - House
David Williams - Senate
Harry Moberly - House
Rocky Adkins - House
Dan Kelly - Senate

You fire these guys and then you start to get some where. They are the ones along with a few choice of others that are involved with the last minute behind the doors negotiating.

I agree with TERM limits.

Oh yeah.....two more people as well.

Steve Beshear - Current Governor
Dan Mongiardo - Current Lt. Governor

Vote them out! Vote them out! Vote them out!

If you don't then another generation of children that are raised in KY are going to fall behind. Then the population of KY born children will continue to decrease and those that graduate high school and college will go elsewhere.

But hey.......your buddy over in the house or senate or gov's office got your road black topped didn't they? So life's good as long as you got your favor, huh?

Stop thinking about yourselves and your favors from the politicians!!!!

THINK about your children and grandchildren!

VOTE THEM OUT!

[Taxpayer]

Coleman, buddy, you are lost. Fletcher did not leave this state broke. He left a "rainy day fund" close to $200 MM and the Beshear administration acknowledged this fact. Also, the receipts for revenue in this state are not down. They are comparibly similar to those of this time last year. We are not in national recession. A recession is not acknowledged by any financial person with any credibility until the GNP falls six consecutive months. That hasn't happened. Quit trying to take up for Beshear. He's a failure and we all knew this was going happen. He just doesn't realize that it's not 1985. He proved this by waiting halfway through the session to even file bills that he ran on to be Governor. He thought he could still strong arm people into doing what he wants as he did in 1985. Times has changed in Frankfort, unfortunately the power hungrly individual we elected Governor and his band of old cronies hasn't.

[Getitright]

Taxpayer is right! This mis-administration has been a boondoggle. Cronyism and hackism are back and in full swing. The do nothing state house and crony-filled gvrs office deserve all the credit.

And if my memory serves me right, gas prices have skyrocketed under a DEMOCRAT congress, that has the lowest approval ratings in modern history. BTW, wasn't it the Pelosi/Yarmouth liberals that want us to be more like socialist Europe where gas is $7+bucks a gallon. Hmm..seems rising gas prices are a building block of liberal philosphy.

[That's right]

Getitright is correct. Who are those who have resisted all efforts to explore more domestic sources of oil, such as in the Gulf or Alaska. The DEMOCRATS in congress! Blame high gas prices on them. Even a little more domestic production takes power away from OPEC, idiots like Ahmadinejad and Chavez, and other anti-American countries.

[That's right]

Getitright is correct. Who are those who have resisted all efforts to explore more domestic sources of oil, such as in the Gulf or Alaska. The DEMOCRATS in congress! Blame high gas prices on them. Even a little more domestic production takes power away from OPEC, idiots like Ahmadinejad and Chavez, and other anti-American countries.

[coleman]

When the most powerful financial power, Warren Buffet says we are in a recession, I listen. Fletcer left the state broke and his inept administration was thrwon out of office. end of story.

[Taxpayer]

Coleman, you are wrong again. Warren Buffett only bases his opinion of a recession on the stock market, not the GNP. And, for the last time, Fletcher did not leave this state broke as I provided you facts above that was/are acknowledged by the Beshear administration. Take off your partisan blinders. Beshear is a bigger disappointment than Fletcher and we are in for a much longer 4 years. Truly, end of story.