Pawlenty: approval number better than most governors

Posted at 11:57 AM on September 29, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is downplaying a new poll that shows his approval rating remains steady.

A new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll found Pawlenty's job approval is 49 percent, which is similar to results in April. But a year ago the Republican governor's approval was 54 percent. And it was 59 percent two years ago. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points. Pawlenty says the number is still better than many governors.

"Almost every governor in the country has experienced dramatic drops in approval ratings since the economy collapsed, Pawlenty said. "Mine actually has held up better than most."

Pawlenty declined to respond to the poll results related to his possible White House aspirations. The poll found 55 percent of respondents don't want him to run for president in 2012. Pawlenty referred those questions to his political spokesman, Alex Conant.

Conant said it's premature to be thinking about the 2012 election.

"Governor Pawlenty is focused on finishing his term strong and electing conservatives in 2010, Conant said. "Nevertheless, the fact that half of voters would consider supporting him is a testament to his leadership."

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