By a 32 point margin, voters say Gov. Tom Corbett does not deserve re-election according to the latest survey from Republican firm Harper Polling.
56% percent of respondents said it was time for someone else to lead the state, versus 24% who said Corbett deserves another term. Only 43% of Republicans said Corbett has earned a second term.
“The results of three poll questions illustrate the challenges Governor Tom Corbett faces in pursuit of reelection,” wrote pollster Brock McCleary.
“The baseline number for any generic Republican candidate running for Governor is 40% in this survey. Governor Corbett has the support of 24% of the electorate who believe he deserves re-election.”
Corbett does worse than a generic Republican in a GOP-vs-Dem matchup. 41% of respondents said they’d vote for a Democrat versus 40% who said they’d support a Republican in such a contest.
The generic ballot question found an 18-point gender gap: men support a generic GOP candidate by 7 points, 42% to 35%. Women back a generic Democrat by 11 points, 48% to 37%.
A plurality agreed that the economy is getting worse.
Harper surveyed 813 likely voters via interactive voice response from July 1-2. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.4%. 45% of respondents identified as Democrats and 42% as Republicans.
Generally, the results of any poll conducted by a partisan pollster should be taken with a grain of salt. In this case, the phrasing of poll questions pertaining to the gubernatorial contest appears to be totally neutral.
Medicaid expansion
The pollster tested two versions of a question about whether the state should expand Medicaid. The version that mentioned President Obama by name saw a 10% dropoff in support.
Version 1: “Do you agree or disagree that the state of Pennsylvania should expand Medicaid coverage for low-income individuals, as called for under the new health care law known as the Affordable Care Act?”
Version 2: “Do you agree or disagree that the state of Pennsylvania should expand Medicaid coverage for low-income individuals, as called for under President Obama’s new health care law?”
But even the less popular Obama version of the question saw majority support for expansion, 52% to 42%.
Further results of the poll, including public opinions related to the state budget, were released Wednesday.
10 Responses
Where does the 51% figure come from?
It’s not his ideology that is sinking him … it’s simply the fact that he’s really bad at being governor.
I cannot for the life of me understand why no other Republican is challenging him in the primary.
The longer he waits to come-clean on Sandusky, the more these numbers will worsen…particularly in light of the enhanced difficulty he has experienced dealing with the GOP-legislature.
Somebody please put the Republican State Committee leadership out of our misery? Gleason, Asher just have to go. Especially Asher who forced Corbett on us as Attorney General and launched the elective career of a dolt over some family feud in Montgomery County. Is there anyone left in Republican politics who cares about winning anymore? Or is it only about getting the goodies? This is bad: follow Corbett to disaster and hope for a miracle since it is worse for the Asher’s of the world to be shut out of a GOP administration than to be shut out of a Dem administration. The latter is expected. The former too humiliating to contemplate. That must be why our committee’s leadership and the business community is sticking with Corbett. No other explanation makes sense.
Dear Corbett Administration: I want to apply to be a Knight at your table. I have large appetites. I am willing to take a smaller deal than Senator John Gordner. Just give me a $50 million fund to invest. I am not qualified but some of the other Knights from your brotherhood of public service can bring me deals. But I’m flexible-If you want a guy to do nothing and pander to the TEA PARTY, I can do that too. I am ready to suit up. I offered Governor many great ideas and you never listen. THE TIME IS NOW!!!
Will somebody put the Medicaid Expansion poll numbers in front of the House Majority Leader? Opps, that’s right – School-choice fanboy TurdsEye can’t read.
If Tom Corbett has lost the GOP base then he has sunk his Governorship.
BrabenderCox has made 10s of millions on losing elections for Republicans. Will it be hired to lose more elections?
The polls should tell the money guys something. Let us see if the blockheads can figure out what is to be done. These numbers won’t get any better when AG Kane releases her report on the slow rolled Sandusky investigation.
One question How many investigators did Tom Corbett assign to this investigation and why wasn’t an arrest when the first credible witness came forward?
Only 43% of Republicans said Corbett has earned a second term.
That tells me Guv. Corbett’s agenda is too extreme for a moderate to blue Pennsylvania.