MassInsight reportedly has a poll putting Gov. Deval Patrick’s approval rating at 19%. I say reportedly because I like to see the methodology. There’s no link at MassInsight, and no idea what questions were asked. Still, 19 percent!?
Patrick appears to be running evenly with State Treasurer Tim Cahill and GOP gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker.
In a survey of 445 residents, taken last month and released this week, only 19 percent of respondents gave him a positive job rating, while 77 percent rated it fair or poor. One percent said he was doing an excellent job. Those numbers are significantly worse than last month’s Globe poll, which also found him to be struggling politically.
Anyway you spin it, this looks really bad for Patrick.
Please share widely!
that Timmy Cahill has quite a lot of money in the bank- 2 million bucks.
…but it’s hard to tell with folks sitting on a war chest. they put chunks into 6 month, 1 year and 2 year cds (which mature as the election get closer) so unless you go through the last 4 years or so of reports, you can’t tell how much they have.
WBZ radio this morning. So really, 3 mil? WBZ said that Cahill was way ahead of all the contenders in overall fundraising. I did listen to Tim on Dan Rea last week, and I wasn’t convinced he was actually running. He sure seems to have the money, though.
at the end of the story.
if he were he only one running. Just sayin’.
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p>He may be trolling at 19 percent, but Patrick is better than any of the alternatives. I will gladly and heartily support him despite the crash-and-burn in the polls.
any better than the alternatives? I don’t mean just throwing rocks at the alternatives, I mean defining why he is any better than the rest. We’ve already seen Act 1.
How is Deval Patrick better than Christie Mihos, Charlie Baker, or Tim Cahill?
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p>I must be on the wrong blog. I thought this was BMG, the progressive blog that supported progressive Democratic ideals. None of the three I mentioned above even pretend to profess progressive Democratic ideals. I do believe, however, that Patrick does subscribe to them. But this is Massachusetts, after all, and a whole bunch of Republicans have a D after their names to ensure their election in the legislature and to ensure their employment in the state house. Did Patrick misstep? Yup. Is he still ideologically aligned with my values? Yup.
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p>I vote my values no matter how unpopular.
Geez…I hope you’re not a teacher! Or a hypocrite.
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p>Seriously…answer the question. What makes Deval Patrick any better than any of the alternatives? I don’t know you or your progressive ideals. I have, however, seen Mr. Patrick’s budget priorities, and I wouldn’t call those “progressive.” I’ve seen him make appointments that seem not progressive at all. In fact, some of them are very much “business as usual.” So, yeah – I’d like to understand how you believe that Mr. Patrick is any better than any of the other candidates, because quite frankly, I don’t see a hairbreadth of difference between Deval Patrick and some of our Republican governors.
Thank you.
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p>Answer: The budget process is the most difficult in the many years that I have been an observer. Republican Governor Mitt Romney was elected during the mini-recession of the early part of this decade and cut with a hacksaw into budgets. There was little communication or prioritization, just whack. There was no recovery on the local level before the current fiscal downturns hit. Therefore, the hopes of improving funding for services from the years of the Romney cuts have not materialized, as it has been virtually impossible to achieve.
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p>The Patrick Administration has managed the most difficult budget crisis since the Depression. Education has been largely spared, public safety promises were not achieved but working with stimulus funds some of the impacts have been diminished. The same is true for infrastructure projects.
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p>Real reforms (ex. transportation) that have saved millions of dollars have been implemented. These reforms cost the Governor serious political capital with Legislative leadership and some rank and file egos. Flaggers at traffic/construction sites cost him the IBPO.
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p>Cahill has stated that he would not have approved a sales tax increase…despite the disastrous impacts. Easy to say “no” to taxes Timmy when you don’t have the responsibility of the human beings who are impacted. Mihos likes the idea of gambling everywhere, all the time to fund government services.
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p>That’s just openers. Thank you.
Yes, we had a recession in the post 9-11 world, and Romney did cut budgets with a hacksaw, but with the approval of the Legislature. The Democratic legislature VOTED to allow mid-year 9C cuts. The legislature ceded their power and gave the governor free reign. I remember this because I was a city councilor at the time and I wrote to my senator and BEGGED him not to allow this. He voted to do it anyway. The legislature was in fact, communicated with and voted to allow it. You are right about one thing, though – the recovery at the local level hasn’t materialized.
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p>The Patrick administration may have had one of the most difficult budget crisis since the Depression, but that didn’t stop all the hiring that took place since 2006. According to the Pioneer Institute, since 2004, (and subtracting the cuts made by Governor Patrick) just under 5,000 employees have been added to the budget. This impacts not only the budget, but the pension system. I don’t agree with everything the Pioneer Institute supports, but that number is glaring. This was also reported in the local papers. And his appointments. Aloisi – the original prince of darkness? This guy wasn’t a hold-over from the previous administration – Patrick hired him himself. Mr. Big Dig. Harnell? Walsh? Vendors in the EOHHS. No more business as usual?
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p>The reform bill was as much about what was left out of the bill…as was in. The bill really only contains the most flagrant abuses. Do you really think it was that great of a bill? The cities and towns are still left holding the bag on Quinn. Pension reform…isn’t finished yet. GIC, the state health insurance mandated for state employees but optional for municipalities forced to negotiate it. And lottery aid, one of the last unrestricted bits of local aid for the cities and towns…has been cannibalized by the state over the years, and the funding “formula” is a joke, as they haven’t run all the money through it in years. I know – the state has now passed a law to stop raiding the pot, but the law that created the lottery restricted the revenue, which the state has ignored for decades.
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p>As for the whole gambling thing – from my perspective, in terms of morals…there isn’t a bit of difference between the 3 casino parlors proposal and any of the others. Predatory gambling to balance a budget is still predatory gambling, no matter how well it’s wrapped.
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p>Thank you
Patrick has done nothing other than exacerbate one bad situation after another. Transportation is going from bad to worse. Spending is not being cut—–spending is going up hand in hand with taxes. it is unsustainable. We are months behind Caleeeefornia. We have to take an axe to the budget. We have to stop runaway spending on the BS in Boston Public Schools. Whw do Boston’s Schools have the largest budget and the poorest outcome. Is every teacher and administrator in Boston a racist or an incompetent?
We must demand that public unions go on the state healthcare plan. It’s time for us to collectively put the brakes on this train—because not far down the track is a hairpin curve.
His actions regarding transportation give me the impression that he has zero interest in public transportation. He brought in Bernard Cohen as transportation secretary — well-qualified with a good track record and credentials. It appears to me that Governor Patrick then marginalized and ignored him. I suspect that Mr. Cohen presented Governor Patrick with the facts about what is required, and Governor Patrick politely and graciously told him that all that was “off the table” (a phrase that has become nauseating from overuse by this government). I would love hear or read Mr. Cohen’s perspective on Governor Patrick’s commitment to public transportation in MA.
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p>His appointment of James Aloisi to replace Mr. Cohen, his eagerness to scapegoat Mr. Grabouskas about both the NTSB report and the fiscal situation of the MBTA, and his handling of the entire sorry spectacle of the departure of Mr. Grabouskas all leave me with impression that Governor Patrick (a) doesn’t care the slightest bit about public transportation, (b) is far too willing to throw qualified hard-working people under the bus, and (c) lacks the courage, stamina, and discipline needed to assert effective leadership of his own administration. Each of those goes strongly against my own values — especially item (b).
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p>I won’t be voting for Mr. Mihos, Mr. Baker or Mr. Cahill. I also won’t be voting for Mr. Patrick.
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p>I’m only half-joking about drafting Mike Dukakis. If Deval Patrick is the best hope of Massachusetts progressives, then we are in far worse shape than I feared.
Patrick is the only one on the radar with a Progressive record, care and attention to “the people” and all regions of the Commonwealth.
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p>Mittster, Muffy, “Big Dig” Baker, Tim “slot parlor” Cahill and Christy “bet your gramma” Mihos all succumb to the “no taxes” fanatics at any price, including education, infrastructure, public safety…in short, society. I see no evidence that any of the above would have or could have managed the current extremely difficult economic situation better.
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p>Patrick has made some huge blunders with appointments, endorsing slots/casinos and with PR. He also kicked butt wrestling reforms from the clenched fist of Legislative leadership.
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p>Patrick’s problem is not with the polls, it is with his base. Progressive can not stand the idea of funding government through gambling addiction, destroying the environment and small businesses with casino monoliths whose business models are the same as the corporations that ripped off the American people while reaping billions from our taxes in the form of bailouts, aka corporate welfare. A permanent regressive solution to a temporary problem.
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p>Patrick brought the casino curse and the cesspool of lobbyists with it to the Commonwealth. He must resolve that problem if he wants to see a second term.
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“progressive record.” I’d like to understand what that means. It’s a great buzz word, but I haven’t seen too much evidence of what I understand to be “progressive.” His budget priorities are not progressive. Casinos are not a progressive response. The appointments – Aloisi, Senator Walsh, the press secretary for the first lady, and others (really, vendors running depts in the EOHHS)…not exactly progressive.
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p>I think there’s a tendency to throw “progressive record” and “progressive values” around without a reasonable definition of what it means.
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p>Personally, I hope another Democrat steps up so I don’t have to vote for the alternative. But I will, because I am not voting for this guy. He doesn’t reflect my values.
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RGGI, doubling the RPS requirements (with the lege), executive orders on energy efficiency, etc. Heck, he even brought up increasing the gas tax and expanding the bottle bill. Didn’t get any traction, but the mere act of bringing it up helps push those ideas along.
the three highest priorities for the state during his term were (and are):
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p>1. Transportation infrastructure
2. Education
3. Health care
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p>I suggest that if Governor Patrick had made environmental issues the keystone of his campaign, he would not have been elected. He campaigned for, and was elected based on, the above three priorities.
on health care. The New York Times agrees:
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p>Now, many have said to this, “That was Romney’s/DiMasi’s bill.” True at the outset, but the executive branch has huge discretion over the management of the program.
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p>I think it can fairly be said: This administration has been masterful on health care. Patrick said he would keep the program together: They did. He said they would control costs: To the extent possible within the small time window in one term, they have done so: He worked with Sen. Prez Murray to pass a good cost-control law in 2008, and the administration has actively worked on cost control within the executive branch framework, including the introduction of the new “global payment” system which could well revolutionize health care finance.
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p>All this while maintaining the “stakeholder” coalition, and strong public support for the law.
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p>Charlie Baker, Christy Mihos, and Tim Cahill (the worst of the lot, in some ways) don’t really care about health care the same way; they don’t feel it, they won’t prioritize it. If you care about health care as issue #1, Deval Patrick is an easy choice.
but the reason I went and saw pre-candidate Patrick at Photonics over on Comm Ave — he was the only guy in the race who was explicitly for Cape Wind, even when it was unpopular at the time (it’s now popular both on C&I and the rest of the Commonwealth).
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p>Deval Patrick’s support for environmental issues very early, in spite of the fact that they were neither sexy nor popular, is exactly why I became an early backer of Mr. Patrick.
The cornerstone issue of the 06 primary was Cape Wind as symbol of progressive reform over the establishment. The environment was why I signed up and it’s where the Patrick administration has succeeded the most. The three you listed were important secondary issues, and the governor has managed them fairly well, especially given the bad state they were in, though clearly most success on health care and the least on transportation.
environment was a big issue. Cape Wind, in fact, was a major symbol of the campaign — remember that Patrick volunteers gained little windmills for the number of people they’d contacted and gotten to commit to Patrick?
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p>Windmills. And no fault of Patrick’s — we’re still waiting for Cape Wind.
any candidate who proudly ran under the nickname “bet your gramma.” i have no idea what that means, but it sounds great.
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p>it’d be particularly good for anyone whose name ends in a G. for example, there’s no way the Gov could have fired someone named Dan “Bet Your Gramma” Grabauskus. riots would ensue.
I can’t wait to find out who will be seeking the Green-Rainbow nomination next year!
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p>Deval Patrick will surely not be the only “progressive” in the race. I was very impressed by both Jill Stein in 2002 and Grace Ross in 2006.
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p>I don’t think Patrick has been a horrible governor, but his missteps and unpopularity could allow the Greens to grow and become the SECOND party in Massachusetts politics.
2002 = 1%, 2006 = 2%
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p>heck greens might hit 3%….stranger things have happened
can be a good thing! Change usually comes slow and I do not expect the tired Democratic establishment in the Commonwealth to go away too swiftly!
Indeed.
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p>Which is why if the Green-Rainbow party had any intention of being influential in state government, they’d start challenging the 75% of the legislature that goes unopposed each election cycle. Then, over cycles build up into a voting block that must be reckoned with. Heck, they wouldn’t even need that many seats to achieve parity with the Republicans.
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p>But that would take a long time. Better to run a no-chance gubernatorial candidate every four years and disappear in between.
You could say almost the identical stuff if you switched the words “Republicans” and “Green-Rainbow”
That’s it!
Everything is beautiful in Blueland.
We like having more and higher taxes.
We love the governor’s independence (his hiring his friends anyways).
We loved him slashing the DMR budget by $45 million, that shows courage, integrity, and leadership.
Yup, everything is wonderful in Blueland.
You have to start with competence in governing and in politics.
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p>Patrick’s record is startlingly incoherent on progressive values. Patrick’s record as a politician is, to be frank, embarassing, in governance, to say its mixed is charitable.
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p>Yeah, credit him with bringing up the gas tax. It was the stupidest political move he could have made: a proposition that was going nowhere and ate into his shrinking capital like a starving dog.
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p>Politics and ideals are like love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage, you can’t have the latter without the former.
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p>Sorry, for the lack of rhyme.
The MassInsight poll is done by Opinion Dynamics, a respected professional firm. The political/electoral section is a standard format in use for about 20 years.
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p>These are very bad results for Patrick, because the negatives are so high. The head-to-head results are less meaningful, as Baker is not well known.
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p>My take is that Patrick (whom I support) ran as a reform Democrat (good) and then tried to govern as one (doomed) – it’s Dukakis I redux. His big “success” is the utterly botched ethics bill, one of the worst pieces of legislation in memory.
Has anyone been able to find this poll anywhere? MassInsight doesn’t have it, OpinionDynamics doesn’t have it and Boston.com doesn’t have it, but every article I’ve seen on it, links back to one of the aforementioned sources.
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p>Obviously, these numbers aren’t good, but one headline I saw said “77% disapprove of Patrick.” Well, no, not quite. 77% rated him as FAIR or POOR. FAIR is not POOR. Nor is it GOOD or EXCELLENT, but it’s certainly not the same as disapproval either.
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p>If it’s 37% FAIR and 40% POOR, couldn’t that same headline just as easily read “56% satisfied with Patrick”?
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