Gov. David Paterson just can't seem to find bottom, but you know it's close when a majority of statewide voters and 50 percent of his fellow Democrats would prefer to have the infamous Client No. 9 back in office.
Fewer than one-fifth of the state's registered voters approve of Paterson's performance, according to the latest Marist poll.
But things have gotten so bad for New York's "accidental governor, that 51 percent of those polled said they would rather have Paterson's disgraced predecessor Eliot Spitzer back in Albany.
Even Paterson's own party seems to have abandoned him: just 22 percent of Democrats approve of the job he's doing. And 50 percent of his fellow dems also would prefer the "Luv Guv" to Paterson.
About 19 percent of statewide registered voters think that Paterson is doing either an excellent or good job in office--down from 26 percent in March.
Voters were mixed on Paterson's management of New York's most pressing problems. About 46 percent approve of his management of the recent swine flu outbreak, while 18 percent disapprove and 36 percent are unsure. Nearly 7 in 10 voters disapprove of how Paterson is handling the economic crisis, and 58 percent do not think that he represents all regions of the state.
Although most respondents disapprove of Paterson's performance, 66 percent believe he's working hard for the state.
The numbers represent a new low for the governor, whose approval ratings have been steadily declining in recent months. The figures also reflect the worst-ever approval ratings for a New York governor.
Local
Other poll results indicate that Paterson has his work cut out for him in the 2010 gubernatorial election.
If Paterson were pitted against New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, 56 percent of respondents said they would vote for Giuliani, while 32 percent gave Paterson their support. In a hypothetical democratic primary match-up against Andrew Cuomo, 70 percent would vote for Cuomo, compared to 21 percent for Paterson.
The poll, conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, surveyed 1,029 New York voters.
