ALBANY – Voter approval of Gov. Paterson has slipped backward in the wake of his perceived inaction on the financial crisis and his controversial complaints about racial bias in the media, according to new poll out this morning.
The Marist College survey of registered voters found Paterson’s job approval rating, which has for months been among the lowest for a governor in the nation, dropped a point to 20 percent. The Democratic governor had crept up to 21 percent in June after reaching a dismal 19 percent one month earlier.
The governor’s continuing struggles have led a vast majority of New York voters – some 70 percent – to conclude that he should not run for governor next year. The displeasure crosses party lines, with 65 percent of Democrats saying he skip of 2010 campaign while only 20 percent of party faithful believe he’s doing a good job.
Paterson hurt his own attempt at a rebound last month when he complained in a radio interview that he was victim of an orchestrated campaign by a white-dominated media to force him from office.
But today’s poll suggests the ongoing financial crisis was behind much of his political woes. Some 66 percent disapprove of his handling of the crisis.
Paterson is facing a potential primary threat from Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who continues to trounce the governor in a head-to-head match-up. In a startling turn, the poll found that Cuomo would also edge out likely Republican candidate, Rick Lazio, among members of his own party.
Amongst Republican voters, Cuomo led the former Long Island congressman 46-45. The attorney general would trample Lazio 71-21 in a general election contest, the poll found.
brendan.scott@nypost.com