Gov. Walker's approval ratings slip deeper

Shift in opinion over job approval due to rejection of initiatives

Gov. Scott Walker’s approval ratings have tanked significantly.

His latest approval numbers (43 percent) are dwarfed by those in the state that disapprove of his job performance (54 percent). What’s more, one-in-two Wisconsinites now believe Walker should face a recall election, a step up from February.

Walker doesn’t fare well if it comes to potential challengers either. In a hypothetical match-up, former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold beats Walker by a ten-point margin (52-42). The man Walker defeated last November, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, also defeats Walker in a hypothetical election (50-43).

Walker’s dwindling poll numbers are significant for a number of reasons. They indicate that Wisconsin voters are rejecting his proposals for this state, especially those that hurt workers and their families. Cutting and altering social programs like FoodShare and FamilyCare as well as education by a billion dollars doesn’t bode well with the average Wisconsinite. People in our state have determined that the vision Walker is trying to realize isn’t acceptable to the rest of us.

And that’s going to be important coming into these recall elections. If the tide continues to shift like this, the State Senate could change hands (to Democratic control) with relative ease -- a shift that the people of Wisconsin also currently support.