Minnesotans aren't feeling too fond of their chief executive these days. A new Rasmussen poll finds a dip in both the number of likely voters who would vote for Gov. Tim Pawlenty if he runs for president in 2012 and his approval ratings.
According to the poll of 500 likely voters, 50 percent of Minnesotans wouldn't vote for him for president and 38 percent would.
"That's down four points from November," the pollster said. "Pawlenty has to win the Republican nomination for starters, and the good news for him is that 72% of Minnesota Republicans say they would vote for him in 2012."
That might be some good news but that also means that nearly 30 percent of Republicans wouldn't vote for him, which can't be a comfort in his own state.
Nearly half, 49 percent, said Pawlenty's possible 2012 ambition has had a negative impact on the job he's been doing at the state's helm and 45 percent said the potential run has had a positive impact or no impact.
The governed aren't feeling to great about the job Pawlenty's doing back home overall.
"Minnesota voters are evenly divided on how Pawlenty is doing as governor these days, marking a downturn in his ratings from recent months," the pollster said. The percent of people who strongly disapprove of Pawlenty's job performance was up 9 percent from November to 34 percent.
The pollster asked 1,000 Minnesotans the question about Pawlenty's job performance. That part of the poll has a margin of sampling error of 3 percent.
The rest of the poll has a margin of sampling error of 4.5 percent.
The one-day poll was conducted on March 10.
