Post has been updated.
Voters aren’t happy with the governor or the state legislature. They do, however, give a thumb’s up to teacher tenure and film incentives, according to a new Public Policy Polling survey of 1,076 registered voters June 12-15.
Asked if they approved or disapproved of Gov. Pat McCrory’s job performance 39 percent approved, 45 percent disapproved and 16 percent were unsure.
Asked the same question about the legislature and only 18 percent approved. Both parties, by the way, need to work on their charms: Republicans had a 35/47 favorability rating and Democrats a 32/50.
The legislature’s unpopularity relates back to McCrory as more people (43 percent vs. 27 percent) said they thought the legislature, not McCrory was calling the shots.
The spin from the Democratic-leaning PPP: “When there’s a perception that you’re ceding power to a General Assembly with an 18 percent approval rating, it’s generally not going to be good for your standing.”
We should note that in back in May – when the legislature had only been in town about a couple of weeks – a poll of 600 registered voters by the conservative-leaning Civitas Institute showed McCrory’s approval rating at 48 percent favorable to 38 percent unfavorable. It didn’t ask about the legislature.
PPP’s other findings:
• 51 percent supported tenure rights for NC teachers; 33 percent opposed.
• 32 percent opposed a recent bill that keeps municipalities from charging privilege taxes to businesses; 25 percent supported.
• 41 percent supported continuing the state’s tax credit program to the film industry; 29 opposed.
McCrory’s unpopularity didn’t hurt him in a fictitious gubernatorial match with N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper in 2016. That make-believe race was a toss-up, 44 percent to McCrory compared to 42 percent to Cooper. Most (52 percent) said they didn’t have an opinion of Cooper. Of those who were more familiar with him, 31 had a favorable opinion, 17 unfavorable.
Posted by Mary Cornatzer