Poll Positioning In Governor's Race
By Kevin Robinson in News on Mar 10, 2010 3:20PM
Barely a month after the primaries, the race for governor is getting heated. For starters, Rasmussen released a poll on Tuesday that shows GOP candidate Bill Brady leading Democrat Pat Quinn 47 percent to 37 percent, with six percent preferring another candidate and nine percent undecided. That's not that odd, given Quinn's negative perceptions among the voting public, and Brady's relatively unknown status. But the details of the poll are what make it interesting:
Brady is viewed very favorably by 17% of Illinois voters, while only 11% view the Republican very unfavorably. Nineteen percent (19%) have no opinion of him.
Just 12% in Illinois view their governor very favorably, while 24% view Quinn very unfavorably. Only five percent (5%) have no opinion of Quinn.
At this point in a campaign, Rasmussen Reports considers the number of people with strong opinions more significant than the total favorable/unfavorable numbers.
Forty-three percent (43%) of Illinois voters approve of the job Quinn is doing as governor, while 56% disapprove.
Meanwhile, Quinn is preparing to roll out a plan to bring jobs to Illinois - the same plan that Brady promoted in his campaign. Quinn's will propose a hiring credit worth up to $2,500 a job for small business, according to Greg Hinz at Crain's, as part of his 2011 budget address today. Brady told the Tribune editorial board during the primaries that he would propose a $2,100 tax credit to Illinois businesses for every job they create.
And while Brady was decrying the ethnic heritage of his competition at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Peoria Monday evening, Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, Personal PAC, the National Organization for Women and Citizen Action are working to paint Brady as an extremist on abortion, because he opposes the procedure, even in cases of rape and incest.