Poll Shows Big Leads for Cuomo, Gillibrand in N.Y.

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Wall Street Journal

The latest Quinnipiac poll in New York shows Andrew Cuomo well ahead of his Republican rivals in the governor’s race, and Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, once thought to be among the vulnerable incumbents this year, the clear frontrunner in her contest.Cuomo, the state’s attorney general, leads former U.S. Rep. Rick Lazio 57% to 25%, and Carl Paladino, an independent candidate, 60% to 23%, the poll found. That’s well outside the poll’s 2.5 percentage point margin of error.

Cuomo’s approval and favorability ratings are also strong: 69% approve of the job he is doing as attorney general, and 54% view him favorably. In contrast, 24% view Lazio favorably, while 49% say they don’t know enough about him to form any opinion. It’s worse for Paladino: 70% say they don’t know enough about him.

But voters worry about the state’s budget and how Cuomo will fix it. Nearly two-thirds of voters, 63%, say Cuomo hasn’t explained enough about his plans to fix the budget, and on that topic, 44% say he’s “ducking his responsibility as a candidate.”

Gillibrand’s job approval and favorable ratings aren’t nearly so high – 46% approve of the job she’s doing while 38% view her favorably – but few voters know the three GOP candidates: New York politician and lawyer Bruce Blakeman; economist David Malpass and former U.S. Rep. Joe DioGuardi.



Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/09/01/poll-shows-big-leads-for-cuomo-gillibrand-in-ny/

[aquart]

1. Good. Appointee Gillibrand won't miss my vote.

And soon she'll be able to pretend she was elected to her office.

[geek tragedy]

3. Strange complaint.

Gillibrand has been exceptional since being appointed.

Would you have been resentful of anyone who had received the appointment?

[aquart]

8. Yes.

If we were not given the opportunity to ELECT that person in a primary. The Republicans don't put up realistic opposition in these races. The Democratic primary is the real election in New York (unless the Dems have screwed up so egregiously we put in a Republican just to clean house for a while--which is how we got Giuliani). Preventing a primary is flat out disenfranchisement.

Me, I'm a Democrat who believes in democratic elections. Had Gillibrand won the primary, I would have voted for her in the general.

But now she basically has a job for life and the only choice is between her and the token Republican opposition? That ain't democracy no matter how she votes.

Or is it your belief that Democracy consists of letting the old boys club in DC and Albany select which of their buddies they want to serve with? Wait. Isn't that how the teabaggers want senators chosen? AND YOU THINK IT'S OKAY FOR THE DEMOCRATS TO PUT THAT IN PLACE WITHOUT A WHIMPER?

I don't.

[Name removed]

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[aquart]

9. Appointing Senators is teabagger policy.

Appointee Gillibrand got her job exactly the way teabaggers think senators should be chosen.

And that works for you? Because the Democrats did it? IT DOES NOT WORK FOR ME.

I actually believe in choosing my representatives through democratic process. Which has been circumvented to ensure Gillibrand stays in place.

[TheWraith]

10. Fuck that bullshit.

Gillibrand got appointed according to the law of the land, and potential challengers right and left have been running away from her ever since because she's a damn good Senator. Politicians realizing that they'd get their asses kicked and declining to run isn't "circumventing the democratic process." Even so, there's a primary challenger to her up for a vote on September 14th. So if you want to go vote against one of the loudest voices in the Senate for single-payer and marriage equality, just because the way she got their didn't involve enough Democratic blood on the streets for your taste, please be my guest.

[leftynyc]

12. Wrong

The baggers want senators chosen by state legislatures. Gillibrand was appointed by Governor Patterson.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Bet Palin won't go near Gillibrand and/or Cuomo.

They'll push back.

[ejpoeta]

4. i don't think lazio is helping himself by ignoring paladino. there are a lot of paladino

signs around here (blech). i do think, however that there is a long way to go before november. unfortunately. i say unfortunately because i am sick of the political ads already.

[Renew Deal]

6. I'd like to know more about the Democratic Attorney General Primary

It's not getting any attention. I know a former republican Nassau county AG is running for it and I think Richard Brodsky. But I'd like to know who the candidates are.

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. Five Democrats are running:

Richard Brodsky: http://www.richardbrodsky.com

Sean Coffey: http://coffey2010.com

Eric Dinallo: http://www.ericdinallo.com

Kathleen Rice: http://kathleenrice.com

Eric Schneiderman: http://www.ericschneiderman.com

[maddogesq]

11. It's these local polls that should be watched by all of us.

The lamestream media only has their biddies at Gallup, etc. to do "national" opinion polls. All politics is local, and local, race-by-race polling should be what we watch.