Rasmussen Poll: Almost Six In Ten Wisconsin Voters Disapprove Of Gov. Walker

Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI)
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s efforts to strip public employee unions of most of their collective bargaining rights appears to be so unpopular, that a Rasmussen poll now finds that almost 60% of likely Wisconsin voters disapprove of his job performance.

That finding shows just how quickly Walker — who was elected to his first term last November with 52% of the vote — has sunk just in his first two months in office. And it comes one day after Rasmussen released results from the same poll, all of which showed public opinion firmly on the side of the unions in the labor rights battle that has deadlocked the state capitol for the past few weeks.

In the poll, 57% of respondents said they disapprove of Walker’s job performance — including 48% who say they strongly disapprove. Meanwhile, only 43% said they approve of the job Walker is doing.

Not surprisingly, respondents who said they belong to a public union sided heavily against Walker, with roughly eight in ten giving him negative marks on job performance. Yet not only were public sector union members opposed to Walker, but a majority of private sector union members also disapproved of the governor by a 53% to 43% margin.

Also interesting to note — the overwhelming opposition from people with children in Wisconsin public schools. Sixty-seven percent of people in that demographic disapprove of Walker, including 54% who strongly disapprove.

It’s the latest poll to show Walker losing public support as the debate drags on, and as he continues to insist on a roll back of collective bargaining rights that have been in place for decades. Previous polls by PPP and GQR have shown Walker receiving little support for his proposal.

The Rasmussen poll is notable because, while PPP and GQR are Democratic pollsters, Rasmussen tends to tilt Republican, suggesting the results spell even more trouble for Walker.

The Rasmussen poll of 800 likely Wisconsin voters was conducted March 2. It has a margin of error of 4.0%.

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