SurveyUSA is out with its latest approval ratings for governors and Senators. Here are the results for Virginia.Tim Kaine: 50%-39% (+11 points net approval), down 8 points from 56%-37% (+19) in the last SurveyUSA poll. Still solid numbers, but I can't really explain the 8-point dip from last month. I was thinking that maybe Kaine's more partisan role as DNC chair couuld be partly responsible, but Kaine is down pretty much across the board: a 71%-24% rating among Democrats, down from 79%-18% last time); a 31%-58% rating among Republicans, down from 37%-55% last time; and a 44%-41% rating among Independents, compared to 50%-47% last time.
Jim Webb: 48%-40% (+8), down 9 points from 52%-35% (+17) in the last SurveyUSA poll and under 50%, which is not good. I hope this is an aberration and not a trend, but I'm a bit concerned, especially when you compare Webb, who's been in the Senate since January 2007, to Mark Warner, who's only been there for a 3 months. It seems to me that Webb should be more popular by now.
Mark Warner: 64%-27% (+37), down 2 points from 66%-27% (+39), in the last SurveyUSA poll. Warner is popular in all regions of the Commonwealth, including 64%-29% in southeastern Virginia, 70%-21% in NOVA, 62%-29% in central Virginia and 61%-29% in Shenandoah. Virginia's most popular politician by far, which is why some people like to say that "Mark Warner is God." Ha.
