Governor Deval Patrick remains a highly popular figure in Massachusetts, but his constituents are concerned about his performance as the state's new chief executive after several stumbles during his first months in office, according to a Boston Globe poll.
Sixty-three percent of the 500 adults surveyed last week view the new Democratic governor favorably, which is comparable to his standing just before his landslide victory in November, when he received a 60 percent favorable rating in a Globe poll.
But despite Patrick's continued popularity, only 48 percent approved of the way he is handling the job, while 33 percent disapproved -- a relatively high number for a governor's honeymoon period, according to Andrew E. Smith, director of The Survey Center at the University of New Hampshire, which conducted the poll.
A mere 31 percent felt that Patrick has shown he can deliver on his campaign promises, and 48 percent of those interviewed said he has not met expectations, including 42 percent of Democrats. The poll, conducted March 31 through April 4, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
The results reflect a leader whose personal qualities remain attractive to his constituents, but whose actions as governor are causing ripples of concern as he approaches his 100th day in office this week.
"Patrick still has a reservoir of good will among the public," Smith said. "They are disappointed with some of his mistakes he has made early in his term, but they still are supportive of him overall. He still has that charisma and likeability that we saw during the campaign and that had attracted voters."
Of those surveyed who said they voted for him, 84 percent said they would cast their ballot for Patrick again if the election were held today. Four percent would defect to Republican nominee Kerry Healey, 3 percent to independent Christy Mihos, and less than 1 percent to the Green-Rainbow Party candidate, Grace Ross. In November, Patrick won by 20 percentage points in a three-way race, receiving 55 percent of the vote.
"He deserves a chance to do what he said he was going to do," said one of those surveyed, Lee Davis, 51, of Lawrence, an unenrolled voter who supported Republican Mitt Romney in 2002 but cast his vote for Patrick in November. "He is not really settled in yet. I think he is learning on the fly. That is what you have to do in Massachusetts."
Of those who gave Patrick a favorable rating, the most prevalent reason -- given by 23 percent -- was that they "just like him." Sixteen percent rated him favorably because of his policies, and only 10 percent cited the fact they think he is doing a good job.
Patrick's image as a political outsider, particularly after 16 years of Republican chief executives, continues to help him, with 71 percent of those surveyed agreeing that he brings a fresh perspective to Massachusetts politics. Even 52 percent of the small sample of Republicans agreed.
But several of Patrick's missteps have rankled the public. His hiring of a $72,000 chief of staff for his wife caused the deepest concerns, with 67 percent saying it was important -- including 64 percent of Democrats -- while 26 percent of those surveyed said it was not. Patrick's call to a
"That was a big misstep," said Kathy Troiano of North Andover, a 54-year old musician and an unenrolled voter, when asked about her responses to the survey. But she said she had voted for Patrick and would do so again. "Maybe he was unaware that he is not a private citizen anymore. He is a public official and he has to realize that he will be held to a higher standard."
Patrick's use of the state helicopter on at least two occasions and his decision to upgrade his official car and buy new office furniture does not seem to have stirred much public ire. Sixty-five percent said the helicopter was not an important issue, and 52 percent said the decision to lease a Cadillac and buy $27,000 in furnishings was not important.
Despite the perception that he mishandled some of those issues, Patrick received higher ratings as governor than Romney in the survey, with 43 percent saying he is a doing a better job than his Republican predecessor did and only 22 percent rating him worse. Thirty-five percent think he is doing the same as Romney. The responses broke down along party lines, with 54 percent of Republicans judging Romney the better governor, and 59 percent of Democrats tapping Patrick. Independents were fairly evenly divided, with 34 percent rating Patrick better, 30 percent choosing Romney, and 36 percent saying the two leaders were about the same.
The former governor, now a top-tier Republican presidential contender, is the least popular of the state's major political figures. His favorability rating has dropped to 42 percent and unfavorable rating has risen to 51 percent among the general public. Two years ago, before he switched to more conservative positions to run for president, Romney had a 52 percent favorable, 37 percent unfavorable rating.
Just under 50 percent said both Patrick and Romney have an equal ability to handle a crisis, while about 29 percent said Patrick is better at crisis management than Romney, and 22 percent said he is worse.
Other findings:
44 percent said Massachusetts is headed in the right direction -- the same as in a March 2005 survey -- while 56 percent said the state is off course. Younger adults were the most optimistic about the direction of the state, while Republicans were the most pessimistic.
High taxes were the biggest concern, with 19 percent calling it the most serious problem facing Massachusetts -- nearly twice as many as in an August 2005 survey, when the cost of healthcare was the top concern.
With Boston's homicide rate increasing, crime and drugs shot up dramatically as a top concern, with 14 percent citing it as the leading problem, compared with only 4 percent in 2005.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
