PPP: Minnesota trending deep blue. Dems set to retake legislature.
President Obama is not whalloping Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich in Minnesota like he was when PPP last polled the state last May, a few weeks after Osama Bin Laden was killed. That was the high point of Obama’s standing last year. But in PPP’s latest survey of the Gopher State, the president still looks like he is set to win the state by a similar margin as in 2008, when he defeated John McCain by 10 points here.
In fact, Obama leads Romney by that same spread now (51-41), down five points from eight months ago (51-36). But no one else does any better. Gingrich lags by 15 (54-39), versus 18 (54-36). Rick Santorum and Ron Paul were not tested last time, and they trail by respective 12- (52-40) and 13-point margins (51-38).
Wednesday’s results showed the former speaker winning the caucus race by a 2:1 margin over Romney. But he finds the most disfavor among voters in the general election, with the worst favorability rating and the biggest deficit to Obama. Only 27% of Minnesotans see him positively, and 60% negatively. The others are all also very disliked personally, but not to the same extent. Santorum is the most popular, at 30-50, followed by Paul (29-53) and Romney (29-56). The president’s approval rating stands at 49-45, down a tick from 51-44 last May.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/01/gingrich-romney-down-by-double-digits-in-minnesota.html
Mark Dayton's numbers have improved since PPP last polled Minnesota in May and he's one of the most popular Governors in the country. 53% of voters approve of the job he's doing to 34% who disapprove. That +19 spread is up 6 points from May when he was at +13 (51/38). Dayton has near unanimous approval from Democrats (85/5), is very strong with independents (51/33), and even has a decent amount of support from Republicans (19%). Dayton's 53% approval ties him for the 8th highest out of more than 40 sitting Governors PPP has polled on.
Dayton may get himself an easier legislature to work with next year. Democrats lead the generic legislative ballot in the state by a 48-39 margin. If that holds through November they should win back a whole lot of the seats they lost in 2010. It's not that legislative Democrats are popular- only 31% of voters have a favorable opinion of them to 49% with a negative one. But legislative Republicans have horrible numbers. Their favorability rating is 23% with 62% of voters viewing them negatively. That honeymoon wore off real fast.
Minnesota's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage is headed for a close vote. 48% of voters say they support it while 44% are opposed. It's very much a generational issue- voters under 65 oppose the amendment but seniors support it 58/32 and that's making the difference right now. 23% of Democrats intend to vote for it, more than the 19% of Republicans who are opposed. 71% of voters in the state do support either gay marriage or civil unions.
59% of Minnesota voters are opposed to the public paying any part of the cost for a new Vikings stadium, while just 33% are supportive. But they change their minds if a publicly funded stadium is the only way to keep the team in the state- 46% say they'd support tax money for a stadium if that's what it took to keep the Vikings while only 39% say they'd prefer the team just moving.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/01/dayton-sees-strong-approval-in-minnesota.html
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