MN Governor
Pawlenty Disapproval Rating Rises For 5th Straight Month in SurveyUSA Polling
A few days ago, Smart Politics went into great detail to explain why the latest Star Tribune poll results did not provide persuasive evidence that Governor Tim Pawlenty was flirting with danger in terms of his statewide approval rating. That…
Read MoreWhy Governor Pawlenty Is Not in the ‘Danger Zone’
The headline from the latest Star Tribune Minnesota Poll results released on Thursday morning reads: “Pawlenty’s popularity loses some luster, edging toward ‘danger zone'” The new poll measured Pawlenty’s approval rating at 48 percent in the Gopher State, which the…
Read MorePawlenty’s Political Future: When Will We Know?
Although taxes and vetoes are the talk of the town today, reporters at the State Capitol would still like to know the answer to the question: “When is Governor Tim Pawlenty going to announce his future political plans?” Most analysts…
Read MorePawlenty Approval Rating Defies National Trend; Eclipses 50 Percent Mark Once Again
The 45th SurveyUSA poll measuring Minnesotans’ approval of Tim Pawlenty’s job performance finds the Republican Governor back once again in familiar, positive territory. Last month, for only the 6th time in 45 SurveyUSA polls, Pawlenty fell below the 50 percent…
Read MoreWhy (the DFL Thinks) Pawlenty Does Not Want A Structurally Balanced Budget
One of the frequent refrains heard throughout the DFL leadership this session has been a criticism of Governor Tim Pawlenty’s budget as failing to be structurally balanced beyond the 2010-2011 fiscal years, and a disapproval of the Governor’s use of…
Read MorePawlenty Approval Rating Sinks to Lowest Level Since October 2006
Perhaps it is due to the Governor presiding over record spikes in unemployment statewide. Perhaps it is the Governor’s stated opposition to the federal stimulus legislation that landed Minnesota billions of dollars. Or perhaps the Governor is losing his public…
Read MoreWhy Governor Pawlenty’s Criticism of the Federal Stimulus Bill Is Smart Politics
A recent article at MinnPost explores how Governor Tim Pawlenty is out of step with many state leaders, and governors across the nation, in taking a “hands-off” approach when it comes to lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass federal…
Read MorePawlenty Approval Rating Stable Through Good Times and Bad
Even though Minnesota is experiencing unprecedented month-to-month increases in unemployment and a $5 billion budget deficit, Governor Tim Pawlenty’s political stock has not (yet) been devalued in the Gopher State. A Smart Politics analysis of more than 5-dozen public opinion…
Read MorePawlenty Invokes Obama and Displays Fancy Footwork On Tax Policy in Budget Presentation
Governor Tim Pawlenty’s discussion on the role tax policy should play in the upcoming budget battle during Tuesday afternoon’s budget presentation was a near masterful display of how combining the bob and weave with an occasional jab can make…
Read MoreA Content Analysis of Governor Pawlenty’s 2008 and 2009 State of the State Addresses
Governor Tim Pawlenty’s State of the State Address on Thursday afternoon saw a significant change in the policy issues he raised from his previous address on February 13, 2008. These changes largely reflected the harsh economic reality that has beset…
Read More