PPP's latest South Carolina poll highlights two important facts:
1. PPP confirms David Nir's analysis that Governor Nikki Haley (R. SC) is unpopular:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/...
Nikki Haley is one of the most unpopular Governors in the country. Only 42% of voters approve of the job she's doing to 49% who disapprove. Out of 43 sitting Governors PPP has polled on, that ranks her 35th in popularity.
Haley has pretty solid numbers within her own party. 70% of Republicans approve of the job she's doing to 22% who disapprove. But with Democrats (15/78 approval) and independents (28/57) her numbers are pretty woeful. - PPP, 12/10/12
But PPP shows how Haley can improve her image. Read on:
2. The majority of South Carolina voters want Haley to appoint South Carolina native, Dr. Stephen T. Colbert of the Colbert Report to replace outgoing U.S. Senator and Tea Party hero, Jim DeMint (R. SC):
There is a path back to popularity for Haley though: appointing Stephen Colbert to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate. Colbert tops the wish list of who South Carolina voters would like to see join that body at 20%, followed by Tim Scott at 15%, Trey Gowdy at 14%, Jenny Sanford at 11%, Henry McMaster and Mark Sanford at 8%, Jeff Duncan and Joe Wilson at 5%, and Mick Mulvaney at 4%.
It's Democrats and independents- those voters Haley most needs to improve her standing with- who are pining for a Colbert appointment. Among Democrats 32% say they'd like Colbert to be picked with Jenny Sanford at 19% and no one else in double digits. With crucial independent voters Colbert has a 15 point lead for the appointment, getting 28% to 13% for Tim Scott, 12% for Jenny Sanford, and 10% for Trey Gowdy with no one else in double digits. - PPP, 12/10/12
Colbert made a strong argument for why he would be a great replacement for DeMint:
http://www.salon.com/...
“You want somebody young, somebody conservative, somebody from South Carolina, maybe somebody who had a super PAC,” Colbert said, ticking off the choices by putting down a finger until the final one was left pointing at himself.
“Wait a second,” Colbert said, as his crowd cheered. - Salon, 12/8/12
Haley can't rely on just Republican voters to help her secure her re-election bid. She needs Independent and Democratic votes to do that. Unfortunately, Haley is ignoring PPP's advice:
Thousands of messages poured into the governor’s official Twitter account. She responded on her favorite social media site, Facebook, writing on her page that she appreciated Colbert’s interest and all the tweets.
“But you forget one thing, my friend. You didn’t know our state drink. Big, big mistake,” Haley wrote, adding a link to a video of her April appearance on Colbert’s show where the host did not know milk was the official state beverage. - Salon, 12/8/12
Personally, I think Colbert is a more serious option for the U.S. Senate than this guy:
http://blogs.wsj.com/...
So could departing Sen. Jim DeMint be followed in a few years by…Sen. Mark Sanford?
Don’t rule it out. In an interview, the former South Carolina governor said he’d been by bombarded Thursday by calls and emails from former donors and allies encouraging him to consider a run in the 2014 election for Mr. DeMint’s seat. And, guess what? He’s not dismissing the idea.
“It’s not a ‘no,’ but it’s not a ‘yes,’ ” Mr. Sanford said.
The “love guv” is best known nationally for the embarrassing disclosure in 2009 of an extramarital affair, after he was intercepted at the airport flying back from Argentina – after aides had claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. - Wall Street Journal, 12/6/12
Colbert gets a 30/32 favorability rating with Democrats (44/25) and Independents (38/23) highly approving him but Republicans (14/43) do not. PPP also highlights two more interesting facts:
-2 years after leaving office Mark Sanford isn't getting any more popular. Only 30% of voters have a favorable opinion of him to 53% with a negative one, and even with Republicans his favorability is 39/44. His prospects for a comeback to electoral office don't look very bright.
-Jenny Sanford, on the other hand, really could probably get elected to office if she wanted to. 44% of voters have a favorable opinion of her to only 25% with a negative one and her popularity holds true across party lines. She's at 48/21 with Republicans, 43/31 with Democrats, and 39/26 with independents. - PPP, 12/10/12