Haley's Approval Rating Dips Into Negative Territory
Thurmond, Campbell win state popularity contest, even in death; Sanford fares the worst
A new poll suggests that Gov. Nikki Haley is losing favor among S.C. voters.
The Democratic polling firm, Public Policy Polling, based in Raleigh, said Friday that the Lexington politician's favorability rating had slipped to 41 percent in August, with 43 percent disapproving of her job performance.
That's a slight dip from the firm's last poll in June when voters were split 42-41 percent in her favor.
Her 2010 Democratic opponent, Vincent Sheheen, received a positive favorability rating (27-25 percent, with 47 percent unsure). However, the poll said, if another election were held today, Haley would win again, and with a bigger margin than her 51-47 percent victory last year. Forty-nine percent of those polled said they would vote for Haley, versus 43 percent for Sheheen.
"South Carolinians are not particularly fond of their new Governor Nikki Haley, and they like her 2010 opponent Vincent Sheheen slightly better, but voters are still giving her the benefit of the doubt," pollsters said.
"Unlike some of her controversial counterparts, like Florida’s Rick Scott and Ohio’s John Kasich, Haley is a rare governor of the 2010 Tea Party breed who has not turned voters off so much that they have buyers’ remorse. Despite a slightly underwater 41-43 job approval rating, she would still defeat Sheheen, and by even a slightly larger margin than last fall," pollsters added.
As for the state's senator's, Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham, both polled favorably -- DeMint at 47-32 percent, and Graham at 41-39 percent.
Perhaps more interesting is the poll's favorability ratings for the state's politicians who are either dead or departed. Though deceased, political icon Strom Thurmond, and former Republican congressman and Gov. Carroll Campbell, polled highest. Thurmond polled 46-29 percent favorable; Campbell pulled a 45-19 percent favorability rating.
The big loser? Former Gov. Mark Sanford. Just 28 percent of those polled held a favorable opinion of the disgraced politician, versus 58 percent who held an unfavorable opinion.
"Mark Sanford is still persona non grata, particularly to Democrats and independents," pollsters remarked. "His overall 26-58 favorability rating is helped by a 39-42 with his own GOP."
PPP surveyed 587 South Carolina voters from August 25-28. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus four percent. Though PPP is a Democratic pollster, the organization said 79 percent of respondents identified themselves as moderate to very conservative.
For complete details on the poll, including crosstabs, click here.
Gretchen
4:14 pm on Saturday, September 3, 2011
I still think MARK SANFORD did a good job .... no matter what he did in his personal life.
Casual observer
5:59 pm on Saturday, September 3, 2011
Isn't Haley a reverse Obama so SC can echo national politics with a difference? Her ratings, therefore, would somewhat parallel Obama. What criticism of Obama surfaces as his re-election looms will somehow find a way into SC evaluation of Haley's performance; with a regional difference, of course.
rb
6:10 pm on Saturday, September 3, 2011
All I hear from Gov. Haley is about taking from the poor. Why should she care about anyone...she is wealthy and has the best health insurance.
Ben Howell
11:57 am on Sunday, September 4, 2011
That is so ignorant!! Regardless of ones status in life there can be caring and uncaring people. You who are without sin cast the first stone. How can you judge her heart about caring for people? I believe that there are both Dems and Reps that care about people. There are just differing routes to get there. The Dems think handouts and stealing from other is the answer. The Reps believe that public policy to provide incentives to work and to add jobs is the answer. Life ain't easy - ya gotta get up and work!!! Stop looking for the govt to take care of you. Why do you not have the "best health ins"? You could have - all you have to do is either work for a company that has it, purchase it on the open market, or get it from the State of Federal govt. If you are really poor you can get medicaid - no premium, no out of pocket cost... how does it get better than that you duffous?
Mimi
4:02 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Ben Howell I dont know where you get your data from that Dems think handouts and stealing from others is the answer. That is an insane answer in its self. I guess you think wall street and big banks stealing from people retirement accounts and then asking them to bail them out of there fraud is not stealing but just a honest mistake. The Reps believe that deregulating big banks and wall street somehow will keep them from creating ponzi schemes. If history hasn't shown you anything every time there is a recession the reason is LACK OF REGULATIONS. Another thing along your madness is that both parties spend money the difference is that Dems think the money should go back to the working people for services like fire protection, police, education, infurstructure where the Reps think we should all work for free and all money should go to the 400 wealthest people in the country to invest in other countries. Was it the Dems who thought we should start 2 wars without paying for them? Was it the Dems who created a windfall of profits to the Pharmacutical and Health Industries with Medicare Part D?? Is it the Democrats who hand out subsidies left and right to their campaing donors??? Listening to Faux and Glen Beck truly doesn't give you facts. Most of it is to keep you from the facts.
Cornell Davis
1:23 am on Sunday, September 4, 2011
I am not a big fan of her either. Governor Haley cannot be trusted, especially when she lied about how many jobs were created in South Carolina. She said it was 10,000 jobs that were created but it turned out to be only 2,000 jobs. A GOTCHA MOMENT! I especially didn't like when she was campaigning last year and the hospital mess came up and she couldn't provide a decent answer as to what happened. When you take a job you should know what your salary is going to be. She had a problem with the IRS that wasn't addressed, nor the situation with the lady who was giving money to USC as to why she was removed from the USC Board. You don't remove a board member who has been giving money to the school, in less she wanted off the board, which I believe she didn't. This was a sign of disrespect on GOV Haley's part This is a vindative and evil woman. When the tough questions are asked, she avoids it like the pague. I find this odd that she wouldn't answer those types of questions. If you don't have anything to hide, then the question should be answered. Then of all things she is writing a book. She haven't been in office a year, and this is what she you is doing? Governor Haley's ego is bigger then the state of South Carolina. Another tea party nut job.
Mimi
4:05 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Thats why our states unemployment is on the rise one of the worse in the country due to her inability to do anything constructive for this state. She spends her time worring about her book and spending 17 thousand a month on groceries, visit Paris on the tax payers backs. Please tell what has this woman done for South Carolina???
Sara Caldwell
12:36 am on Tuesday, September 6, 2011
I am in complete agreement with Mr. Davis' comment. Methinks, THAT, Shethinks, that she is TEACHING kindergarden! She DOES NOT need to require REPORT CARDS! JohnQPublic are the good folks who will be handing out report cards, VIA the ELECTIONS!
Jay Bennett
2:54 pm on Sunday, September 4, 2011
Excuse me; a dip of 1 point; the Dems and The State newspaper go bananas, primarily because they are looking for any excuse to say something negative about Haley. No, she is not perfect but at least she is trying to do what she said she was going to do, thank God. Would like to thank the left-wing nut jobs posting here today for their inane, irresponsible, irrational, irrelevant rhetoric. Get a life.
Mimi
4:07 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Please tell us all what she is trying to do besides publish her book and line her personal pocket?? I would be very interested in one piece of legistration that was her idea that helped anyone in this state.
Mimi
4:09 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
The only irrational, irrelevant rhetoric is coming from you. Nothing you have commented on has any validity and is just talking points sounds more like someone trying to protect a failing governor to me. Oh and by the way there are as many right wing nuts in this state as there are on the left. The problem being is most people in the middle don't agree with you or the other side.
Renae Brabham
5:47 pm on Sunday, September 4, 2011
Let's make sure everyone that votes in the most critical obligation of an American citizen (VOTING) are who they say they are. Well how can that be done? Gov. Haley proposes that every voting citizen have a state licensed ID. "With the help of community-organizer ACORN, good citizens like Mary Poppins, Dick Tracy and my personal favorite, Jive Turkey, submitted their voter-registration cards in Cuyahoga County, and ACORN, which supposedly helps low-income families, has gone on to admit that a large number of the 1.3 million new voter registration forms it collected were indeed fraudulent"
Ok...now On Wednesday, Haley came through on the promise with details on how voters can catch a free ride from the state to their local Department of Motor Vehicles office for one day, Sept. 28, to get a free state-issued ID card. The state might have to regroup on the free ride offer if a significant number of the estimated 178,000 registered voters without a state-issued photo ID ask for a ride, such as tapping other state agencies for additional vehicles, said Kevin Shwedo, DMV director. The U.S. Department of Justice must authorize it first, and the agency announced earlier this week that it will take more time to decide. If numbers don't lie, then maybe it's true that her approval rating is slipping. I myself hope it is a "landslide" that will clean the state.
Mimi
4:13 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Another non factual statement. It doesn't matter how many registration forms Acorn took they were the ones to stop them and NONE OF THEM SHOWED UP TO VOTE. So you see blaming Acorn is the same as saying because we dont' have paper reciepts it is very easy for the Governor Appointed elections commision to all of a sudden find missing absentee votes or maybe a few votes didn't get counted. The problem is and never has been the people registering. The problem is with the process South Carolina choose to offer.
B C Brown
8:10 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Mimi, you have a problem. Your'e obviously a disgruntal left wing goverment employee who has nothing better to do but b----. Get a life.
aaron skipper
8:33 am on Monday, September 5, 2011
Hey Mimi, tell us what goverment handouts you are recieving, then i will tell you is paying for it. I have a wage and earning statment that says I AM !!!!!!!!!
Larson E. Whipsnade
3:11 pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Nikki Haley will be a one term Governor. She doesn't have the knowledge or ability to pass the CPA exam (5 attempts) and certainly doesn't have the ability to Govern the state. She is a loser in every respect. I think Sheheen will be our next Governor.