Polls

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, long considered a strong contender for the Republican 2016 presidential nomination, has seen his home state approval ratings dip below those of even President Obama, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Southern Media Opinion & Research, placed Jindal's approval rating at 38 percent — a 13-point dip from last October. By contrast, 43 percent of those surveyed approved of President Obama's handling of his job.

The survey indicated that some of the major initiatives championed by Jindal — including cuts to the state's higher education and healthcare budgets, along with plans to privatize the state's charity hospitals — have begun to wear on his popularity. Jindal's tax reform plan, which would eliminate corporate and income taxes and replace them with a state sales tax, proved particularly unpopular, with just 27 percent of respondents supporting it.

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A Quinnipiac poll finds him with a 40-37 net positive approval rating, a bump from February's 36-41 split.

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A new poll looking ahead to the 2016 presidential race finds former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with double-digit leads over Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) in the high-profile Republicans’ home state of Florida.

In hypothetical match-ups, Clinton leads Bush 51 to 40 percent and tops Rubio by 52-41 in the crucial state, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Thursday.

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House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) favorability rating has dropped 15 percentage points in the months since Mitt Romney selected him as a running mate, and the majority of Americans now hold an unfavorable opinion of the Wisconsin lawmaker.

Just 35 percent of respondents in a poll published this week by Rasmussen said they have a favorable impression of Ryan, while 54 percent say they have an unfavorable view. Nearly a quarter — 23 percent — say they have a very unfavorable view, while 12 percent of voters are undecided.

That represents a significant decrease from Ryan's 50 percent favorability rating in August, just after Ryan was added to the Republican ticket.

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A pair of new polls released this week predict that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be the odds-on favorite in Pennsylvania's 2016 presidential contest. Republicans have said they hope to make the state more competitive in future presidential contests after losing its 20 electoral votes in 2012.

Both Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, and Quinnipiac University polled the state over the past week, asking voters their preferences in hypothetical presidential match-ups. In both instances, Clinton led any Republican contender she was put up against.

In the Qunnipiac survey, Clinton led New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie 47 percent to 42 percent, Rep. Paul Ryan (Wis.) 55 percent to 38 percent, and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) 54 percent to 36 percent. In the PPP survey, Clinton led Ryan 52 percent to 40 percent, Rubio 52 percent to 37 percent, and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) 55 percent to 38 percent.

But there are signs of optimism for Republicans if Clinton opts against running. In the Quinnipiac survey, Christie led Vice President Biden 51 percent to 38 percent and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo 53 percent to 32 percent. The vice president and New York governor both defeated Ryan and Rubio in hypothetical match-ups.

The state appears to have a strong affinity for Christie, who maintains the nation's highest popularity rating in neighboring New Jersey. In the PPP poll, Christie was the top choice of Pennsylvania Republicans with 20 percent; Rubio and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) each earned 17 percent of potential primary voters, while Santorum and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush each received 10 percent. No other Republican candidate cracked double digits.

"Former First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is keeping her future plans to herself, but if those plans include another run for the White House, she starts in a good position in Pennsylvania," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a statement.

"And if Ms. Clinton doesn't go for it, Pennsylvania voters can look across the Delaware River at another contender, New Jersey Gov. Christopher Christie. Another neighbor, Vice President Joseph Biden, a native of Scranton and former Delaware senator, doesn't do nearly as well as Clinton or Christie."

President Obama’s approval rating dipped slightly after Democrats and Republicans failed to reach a deal to avoid the sequester, according to a Gallup survey released Tuesday.

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An increasing number of Republicans want more electable candidates instead of more conservative candidates, according to a poll conducted for Conservative Intelligence by GOP pollster Harper Polling.

When asked if they would more likely "vote for the party-backed candidate who is more electable or the Tea Party conservative candidate," 45 percent went with the "more electable" candidate, while 27 would support the Tea Party candidate.

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A new poll finds a majority opposes spending cuts for most government programs, including defense and entitlements. 

 According to a Pew Research poll released Friday, a majority supports either increasing spending or keeping spending at current levels for 18 of the 19 federal programs surveyed.

The poll was issued a week before $85 billion in cuts are set to begin hitting the government on March 1. 

The most popular programs are veteran’s benefits, as 91 percent say it should be increased or maintained. Eighty-seven percent support keeping Social Security spending at current levels or increasing it, while 89 percent favor increased or current spending for education. 

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Nearly two-thirds of New Jersey voters said it was unlikely they would vote for television host Geraldo Rivera in a new poll from Monmouth University, casting doubt on the viability of the Fox News commentator's bid for the U.S. Senate.

In the survey, more than half of all voters — 51 percent — said it was "not at all likely" they would back Rivera at the polls. Another 14 percent said it was "not too likely" they would tally a vote for the longtime media personality.

Still, over a quarter of Jersey residents —26 percent — said it was either "very" or "somewhat" likely they would cast their ballot for Rivera. And asked their opinion of Rivera, voters are split, with 26 percent reporting a favorable view and 27 percent reporting an unfavorable view.

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A plurality of voters say they trust President Obama over Republicans on the economy and the deficit, according to a Quinnipiac University survey released Monday.

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