NEW POLL: JINDAL POPULARITY DOWN 10% FROM LAST YEAR, LOWER THAN BLANCO'S WAS
by SOUTHERN MEDIA & OPINION RESEARCH (excerpt)

JINDAL POPULARITY DOWN 10% FROM LAST YEAR, LOWER THAN BLANCO'S AT THIS POINT IN HER TERM.

A new survey conducted by Southern Media & Opinion Research, Inc. polled Louisiana voters on key issues including the economy, education, state funding and elected official performance.

The poll, developed and conducted by Southern Media & Opinion Research, included telephone interviews with 600 randomly selected Louisiana voters from April 13 – April 16, 2009. The overall margin of error is 4.0 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence.

Among the key findings of the survey:

- Slightly more voters think conditions are getting worse than getting better in Louisiana. Black voters see conditions getting worse by a margin of two to one.
- Governor Bobby Jindal remains popular with voters receiving a positive job performance of 26% excellent and a 41% good. He receives a 30% negative job performance with a 19% not so good and 11% poor.
- 2/3 of Louisiana voters think Jindal should stay here and work on problems; only 1/3 think his travel is good for Louisiana’s image.
- On making progress on education K - 12, healthcare and highways/roads, Jindal fails to get over a 50% positive.
- 52% of voters rate Jindal’s progress on improving state finances to avoid budget deficits as excellent or good.
- 57% believe their tax dollars are not being spent wisely and 57% believe spending is causing our financial problems, not a lack of revenue.
- Concerning full funding, highways and roads ranks first followed by economic development and universities.
- Concerning most important to fund, health care ranked first followed by economic development and universities.
- Voters believe universities do not have enough money to do their job of educating our kids.
- Union sponsored legislation in Congress to do away with private voting was opposed by over 3/4 of voters.

Pollster Bernie Pinsonat with Southern Media & Opinion Research noted, “Especially facing such a consequential session, being armed with current research about what Louisiana citizens think is critical information for our legislature.”

The survey was funded by Lane Grigsby in an effort to share the thoughts of the electorate with Louisiana elected officials. Grigsby has committed to underwriting a Louisiana voter survey bi-annually. For more information and to view the survey, visit www.laplaintalk.com (or just click on story title link above)

Key Findings & Analysis:

Conditions in Louisiana: Slightly more voters think conditions are getting worse than getting better in Louisiana. Black voters see conditions getting worse by a margin of two to one. Only 15% see conditions getting better and 33% see conditions getting worse. 50% see conditions staying the same. Whites are only slightly optimistic with 28.8% see things getting better and 25.3% see conditions getting worse. One third of Acadiana and South West Louisiana see conditions getting worse, only 18.9% see conditions getting better.

President Barack Obama: President Barack Obama receives an overall positive job performance of 53% primarily because of black voters. A whopping 94% give President Obama a positive job performance. Only 36% of white voters rate President Obama’s job performance as positive. 54% give President Obama an overall negative job performance. White democrats however give President Obama a positive rating of 50%. By comparison candidate Obama received only about 17% of the total white vote last year; he is doing better with whites after his first 100 days in office.

US Senator Mary Landrieu: Senator Mary Landrieu remains popular with Louisiana voters. She received an overall positive job performance of 60%. Her positive job performance is due primarily to black voters as they rate her job performance at a very high 93% positive (40% excellent and 53% good). Senator Landrieu received a 19% not so good and 16% poor for an overall negative of 35%. Whites were evenly split with a 48% positive and 48% negative. Candidate Landrieu has never received a majority of white voters in her elections – however she always gets enough to win.

US Senator David Vitter: Senator David Vitter remains popular receiving a 58% overall positive job rating. His excellent job rating of 9% is low compared to Obama, Landrieu and Jindal. Only 9% of all white voters rate his job performance as excellent. Landrieu and Jindal receive similar negative rating from Louisiana voters. However, about a third of all white voters rate his job performance with a not so good of 17.7% and 14.5% poor. Senator Vitter has time, but it would greatly help his reelection effort if he could improve his job performance rating with white voters by election 2010.

Comparisons of Bobby Jindal to previous Governors in their second year according to SMOR statewide surveys:

Governor Buddy Roemer: second year (September 1989) 60% positive and 37% negative. Budget shortfalls and a tumultuous relationship with the legislature defined his first two years as governor.

Governor Edwin Edwards: second year (March 1993) 27.8% positive and 67% negative. Negative gambling stories re his family and friends dominated the news.

Governor Mike Foster: second year (April 1997) (served two terms) 76% positive and 16% negative. As good as it gets. After two years as Governor, Mike Foster was very popular and stayed so throughout his first term.

Governor Kathleen Blanco: second year (August 2005) 70% positive and 25% negative. Blanco was a cinch for reelection until Katrina destroys her. (March 2006) 31% positive and 66% negative.

Governor Bobby Jindal: first year (April 2008) 77% positive and 7% negative; second year (April 2009) 67% positive and 30% negative.

Jindal’s national ambitions: 2/3 of Louisiana voters think Jindal should stay here and work on problems, only 1/3 think this good for Louisiana’s image. This issue alone will not lead to his demise, however if Jindal stumbles, out of state travel will be an issue his opponents can attack him with success.

State Spending: 57% believe their tax dollars are not being spent wisely and 57% believe spending is causing our financial problems not a lack of revenue.

Bail Outs: Voters in Louisiana are not in favor of President Barack Obama bailing out GM.