Poll: Strickland, Dems weathering economy, Dann

Quinnipiac University released a poll today showing a majority of Ohioans approve of Gov. Ted Strickland’s job performance, even though many are down on the economy. Meanwhile, most voters said the scandal surrounding former Attorney General Marc Dann hasn’t made them less supportive of the Democratic Party.

Strickland has a job approval rating of 55 percent, nearly unchanged from the last Quinnipiac poll taken in February.

Ohio voters were grimmer about the state overall: only 36 percent said they were "somewhat satisfied" with how things are going, with 33 percent who said they’re “somewhat dissatisfied” and 26 percent who said they were “very dissatisfied.” This is the most negative voters have been on the right-track, wrong-track question since Strickland took office, according to Quinnipiac surveys.

Worse, 81 percent rated Ohio’s economy as “not so good” or “poor.” A plurality think it will get worse: 41 percent said so, while 37 said it would stay “about the same,” and 17 percent said it will improve.

Few blamed Strickland or the legislature for the economy’s shape, with 58 percent blaming President Bush and the U.S. Congress for the trouble and 22 percent pinning it on “economic forces.”

Despite the Dann scandal, 38 percent of respondents associate the Republican Party with corruption while 30 percent associate the Democratic Party. Sixty-seven percent said the scandal “has no effect” on their view of the Democratic Party, while 23 percent said it makes them “less supportive” of the party. A majority (57 percent) said the scandal is about as serious as the scandal during Gov. Bob Taft’s administration.

Quinnipiac surveyed 1,738 Ohio voters between May 29 and June 2 with a margin of error of 2.4 points.

Full poll release here.