New Yorkers Pan Obama for Pressuring Paterson

2 years ago

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While nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers in both parties don't want Gov. David Paterson to run again next year, they did not like President Obama's attempt to meddle in state politics, saying by 62 percent to 27 percent that the White House was wrong to urge him to drop out, according to a Marist Poll conducted Sept. 22.

That view was held by 51 percent of Democrats and 77 percent of Republicans (some of whom, given Paterson's poor poll numbers, probably should be rooting for someone to press him to remain a candidate).

The numbers remain about the same when voters were asked whether they thought the White House was wrong, even if Paterson's presence at the top of the ticket would hurt other Democratic candidates. Sixty percent still disapproved of the White House move, and Democrats said by 48 percent to 42 percent that Obama should have kept hands off.

Paterson said at a news conference Tuesday that when Obama encountered him on the tarmac at the Albany airport during a visit to the state on Monday, the president "expressed a little chagrin about the process in the situation." The New York Times and other news outlets had reported that White House political director Patrick Gaspard had met with Paterson and told him that the president had lost confidence in him and would not back him if he ran.

Voters are split on whether they think Paterson on the ticket would, in fact, hurt other Democrats, with 43 percent saying it would and 41 percent saying it wouldn't. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Paterson's job approval numbers remain in the tank, with 44 percent ranking him as poor, 35 percent as fair and only 17 percent as good or excellent.

As far as the New York Senate race, Marist said that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani would beat Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand 51 percent to 40 percent if he chose to run. Nine percent were undecided. Former Republican Gov. George Pataki had a weaker showing, leading Gillibrand 45 percent to 41 percent, with 14 percent undecided. The margin of error is 4 percentage points.

Filed Under: Senate, Democrats, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Polls, Governors, Poll Watch, 2010 Elections

Tagged: Daily Guidance, DailyGuidance, David Paterson, DavidPaterson, george pataki, GeorgePataki, new york governor, new york senate, NewYorkGovernor, NewYorkSenate

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