It appears to be more bad news for Bob "Taliban Bob" "Governor Ultrasound" McDonnell as he scurries about trying to land himself the GOP VP nomination slot: his popularity in Virginia and Virginians' outlook for the state are falling. Not that McDonnell hasn't help inflict much of the damage on himself - with the aid, of course, of the religious extremists within the Virginia GOP. McDonnell's ratings still exceed the 50% mark, but sizable drops are not what one needs when trying to whore himself out for the VP nod. Especially in the demographic groups most needed by Mitt Romney to win in November. An article in the Washington Post looks at Governor Ultrasound's woes. Here are excerpts:
After a contentious legislative session that drew large protests and national ridicule to the state Capitol, Virginians are less supportive of Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and less optimistic about the direction of the state, according to a poll by The Washington Post.
The approval rating for McDonnell (R) dropped six points over the past year, from 62 percent to 56 percent. Thirty-five percent disapprove of the job he is doing — a nine-point increase from a year ago.
The governor still has firmly positive ratings at a time of political discord nationwide. But he has lost support among independents and urban women after a 12-month period that closed with a partisan standoff over the state budget and an uproar over a bill requiring women seeking an abortion to first undergo a vaginal ultrasound.
Fifty-two percent of women in Virginia approve of McDonnell’s job performance despite an 11 percentage point increase in his disapproval rating. Among independent women his disapproval jumped by 18 points.
More than seven in 10 independent voters, men and women, say that adding McDonnell to a national ticket would not affect their presidential choice — 8 percent are more likely to back Romney and 18 percent say it would push them toward President Obama.
Doug Murray, 70, an independent voter who said he probably would cast his ballot for Romney, said McDonnell spends too much time thinking about his next job.
A majority of those polled — 59 percent — think abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
However, half of them oppose the ultrasound law. Democrats and independents are against the measure, and Republicans narrowly support it, the poll found. Men and women oppose it in nearly equal numbers.
Scott Hall, 41, a Republican from Loudoun County, said he has never voted for a Democrat and would like to see abortion outlawed. Yet he said he thinks Virginia is going in the wrong direction largely because of measures such as the ultrasound law.
Fifty-three percent in the poll support stricter gun-control laws. And 71 percent oppose the repeal of the limit, with solid majorities among Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Extremism comes with a price, and Governor Ultrasound may well be poised to pay the price if Romney passes him over.
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