Snyder's numbers still down in the dumps

PPP's newest Michigan poll finds that Rick Snyder's numbers are not recovering yet following the plunge they took in December after he signed the right to work law. Only 37% of voters in the state approve of the job he's doing to 54% who disapprove, numbers basically identical to a 38/56 spread when we polled Michigan 11 weeks ago. Snyder's at just 34/56 with independents.

The right to work law continues to be a major contributor to Snyder's problems. Only 39% of voters in the state support it, while 48% are opposed. Those numbers are pretty similar to the 41/51 spread we found in December- the passage of time isn't changing voters' opposition to the bill.

Snyder trails every Democrat we tested in hypothetical reelection contests. Congressman Gary Peters does the best, leading Snyder by 7 points at 44-37. 2010 nominee Virg Bernero has a 5 point lead at 43-38, representing a 23 point reversal from their first showdown when Snyder won by 18. And former Congressman Mark Schauer leads Snyder by a 40/36 spread.

It could get worse for Snyder before it gets better. These Democrats all lead despite having very little statewide name recognition- 46% of voters are familiar with Bernero and from there it drops to 35% who know Peters and just 30% who know Schauer. As a result the undecideds in all of these contests lean strongly toward people who disapprove of Snyder and voted for Barack Obama last year. Those are folks likely to end up in the Democratic column once the party has a candidate and that person builds up their name recognition.

There is one bit of good news for Snyder in the poll. By a 57/30 margin voters support his decision to appoint an emergency manager for Detroit last week. Republicans (70/16) and independents (63/27) overwhelmingly support it and even among Democrats there's a decent amount of support (39/46).

Snyder may not be polling too well right now, but he's at least doing better than his brethren in the legislature. Republicans there have a 27/56 favorability rating, while the Democrats are on narrowly positive ground at 41/38. Democrats lead the generic legislative ballot 48/36, including 41/28 with independents. It should be noted though that that's a pretty big improvement for Republican from December, when they trailed 56/32 on that question.

At any rate nearly 3 months after the right to work law was passed, Rick Snyder and the Republicans in the legislature are still paying a big price for it in the court of public opinion.

Full results here

Comments

[pbrower2a]

Rick Snyder began as a non-confrontational 'moderate' with a Tea Party legislative majority. Then he gave in completely.

It is possible for politicians to change the political climate of a state by enacting unpopular legislation... but the Duty To Work for Much Less law is likely to enrich out-of-state interests at the expense of Michigan workers to the detriment of small business. The only jobs that it is likely to create are low-paying industrial jobs with high turnover.

[JCB Master]

Fell to 35% from where people know Peters, only 30% of people know Siu-yee. As a result, in all these games free voters strongly inclined people do not agree with Snyder last year to vote for Obama. These people may eventually established his own reputation at the time the party's candidates for the democratic column and this person.

[Macy harken]

Rick Snyder does not care about us. The workers that work physically hard. The people that built your auto's clean your house and yard. Make and serve your meals. Clean your clothes and cut your hair. Come now... Be governor for all of the people of Michigan not for just the rich. Our jobs do not keep up with inflation. No pay raise since 2005 . Our auto company makes a lot of money and we just get to work harder. I am so tired. We are the slaves to the rich.

Please remember who and what we do to make the rich richer.

Thank you for reading.

[pbrower2a]

Voters usually go with the Devil that they know over the Devil that they don't know -- but Rick Snyder is in the range in which he could be defeated by a relative unknown who has some political skills.

The Michigan Democratic Party has a huge bench, and Snyder is consummately vulnerable.

[Cecily McClellan]

The Emergency Manager Law (EFM) is the number one issues affecting democracy for approximately half of all the African Americans in the State of Michigan. This s a dictator law that is anti democratic and suppresses the right to vote. The Republican Party has passed a law that gives them the authority to take over any city, township, school district or other assets, the Metropolitan Authority Act. Over 1.5 million people in Michigan voted PA 4 (EFM law)down, only to get another law imposed by the lame duck Republican legislature. If they come for me in the morning and you do nothing,who will be there in the evening when they come for you.

[Sally Joseph]

I am so disapointed in Snyder. He has destroyed our education system , ruined chances of the average worker making a living wage, egnored the public vote on taking over cities and school districts. We dn't need a dictator who just wants his way period. There many qways to help cities, schools etc without arbitrary take overs. There is no way I will ever vote for him again. I was a fool to think his business background could be good for Michigan.

[DOriginalDonald]

Message to Sally and Cecily-Democrats have run Detroit since 1961. If THAT isn't a strong enough sign to vote GOP I don't know what would.