Is Patrick’s Hike Taking a Toll?
WBZ’s Jon Keller has some interesting poll data on his Keller @ Large blog that suggests Gov. Deval Patrick’s approval ratings have slipped in the past month or so, moving from a solid 51 percent approval rating to a more modest 45 percent, including an 18 percent drop among Democrats. (His ratings among Republicans and Independents has remained consistent).
As Keller points out, the obvious inference is the governor’s proposed toll hikes are to blame. As the toll hike/gas tax debate has dominated the news cycle for the last month that’s the likely root cause.
What else could be behind the slip?
Corruption: No one comes out looking good after the Dianne Wilkerson/Chuck Turner fiasco. The disgraced duo have both directly and indirectly cast a pall over the entire Massachusetts political establishment.
Leadership: Here’s a paradox. While Patrick was taking the lead on the Pike’s financial problems, Sal DiMasi sat back and waited, and waited. And then he came out strongly in favor of a gas tax. Well played by King Sal, to be sure.
Malaise: The economy’s in the tank, no one can afford Christmas presents, everyone’s worried about their jobs… Seemingly, the only politician with a strong approval rating is the one who hasn’t taken office yet.
So, what can the governor do? For starters, don’t mention casinos anytime soon. But Patrick can afford to play the waiting game. Let the Pike debate play out, and he has shown some flexibility on the issue, wait for the ethics reports to come dribbling in, and stay as far away from Wilkerson and Turner as he possibly can.
