Strickland Popularity Still Very High

A new Quinnipiac Poll shows that Gov. Ted. Strickland (D) is strongly approved by a broad cross-section of Ohioans. His approval rating is 58% favorable/18 unfavorable, down slightly from his 61%/15% rating on July 11 but still very, very good. The numbers among Republicans are also good (54%/19%), and interestingly are quite similar to independents (55%/21%).

The poll also shows that 58% of Ohio voters favor policies that would make them pay higher consumer prices on imported goods in order to save American jobs, and 77% say the quality of goods from China is "not so good" or "poor." A majority of Ohioans among all three political categories favor import restrictions even if they mean higher prices (Democrats 63%/28%, Republicans 51%/37%, independents 58%/33%).

By a slim margin (49%/45%), Ohioans agree with Strickland that electronic gaming machines should be illegal in the state.

span style="font-weight:bold;">ADDENDUM: The same poll shows that approval for the Ohio Legislature is down at 38% approve, 37% disapprove. Although Republicans control both chambers, approval is actually lower among Republicans (38%) than among Democrats or independents (40%).