Monday, February 11, 2008

Dave Layman was a bit incredulous on A Lively Experiment last week when, pressed for an answer, I predicted that Obama will win Rhode Island's March 4 primary. Yes, the Ocean State has been Clinton country, and I could certainly be wrong. Yet a new Darrell West survey suggests that my prediction is well within reason.

If the primary was held today, 36 percent of the 474 voters who indicated they were likely to vote in the 2008 Democratic primary say they will vote for Hillary Clinton, 28 percent support Barack Obama, 27 percent say they will vote for the “Uncommitted” ballot line, and 9 percent are undecided.

Among favorability ratings for statewide officials, it's interesting to see Patrick Lynch riding relatively high, and how Providence Mayor David Cicilline's measure remains respectable, even with the expected hit following December's snow storm debacle.

When asked about the job performance of state officials, 40 percent feel [Governor] Carcieri is doing a good job as governor (down from 44 percent in September). Thirty percent believe Lt. Governor Elizabeth Roberts is doing a good job (down from 37 percent). Fifty percent think Attorney General Patrick Lynch is doing a good job, up from 48 percent in September.

 

Twenty-five percent feel Secretary of State Ralph Mollis is doing a good job as secretary of state (up from 23 percent). Forty percent believe Treasurer Frank Caprio, Jr. is doing a good job (up from 37 percent).

 

Fifty-one percent say Providence Mayor David Cicilline is doing a good job, down from 64 percent in the last survey. Nineteen percent believe House Speaker William Murphy is doing a good job (down from 21 percent) and 15 percent feel Senate President Joseph Montalbano is doing a good job, down from 16 percent.

The thing that should most concern elected officials, of course, is how only 16 percent of respondents think the state is headed in the right direction, while 74 percent think we're going the wrong way.