Strickland garners high approval rating

Most of those polled approve of the state Legislature's performance.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- An Ohio Poll shows Gov. Ted Strickland with the highest inaugural approval rating for a governor in the survey's 26-year history.
Of those polled, 68 percent approve of the performance of Strickland, a Democrat formerly from Lisbon. Among the rest, 16 percent disapprove and 16 percent didn't have an opinion.
The Ohio Poll, released Monday by the University of Cincinnati's Institute for Policy Research, shows Strickland's approval rating among self-described Republicans at 64 percent.
The Ohio Poll is traditionally an accurate political gauge of state voters, correctly stating the winners in 2006 and 2002 statewide elections before Election Day.
Seventy-five percent of those who identify themselves as Democrats approve of the governor and 60 percent of those who consider themselves independents approve of how Strickland is doing his job.
Strickland has served as governor since Jan. 8.
How it was done
The poll questioned 825 Ohio adults by telephone between April 26 and last Tuesday with a margin of error of 3.4 percent.
The Ohio Poll also shows that 59 percent of those asked approve of the performance of the Republican-controlled state Legislature.
Those polled were asked how important is it for Strickland and the Legislature to work on a number of issues.
Topping the list of issues, in order, that are "extremely important" to those polled were: improving the state's economy with 61 percent, improving the state's job situation with 58 percent, reducing the cost of health care with 57 percent, and reducing the number of children without health insurance with 55 percent.