Another Q-Poll, More Bad News For Dodd

Quinnipiac University released their latest poll at 6:30 this morning, and ultimately it is more bad news for Chris Dodd. At first glance there appears some reason for hope on Dodd's part, but I don't think the results should make him feel any better. The poll was conducted between May 20-25, when Dodd was getting free play on every network for his credit card legislation and President Obama was stroking him on live TV in the Rose Garden. With that kind of fawning attention, David Ortiz's approval rating would have gone up in Boston.

Dodd picked up five points on Simmons in a projected match-up, now only losing 45-39, and Dodd has a 41-39 lead on State Sen. Sam Caligiuri, less than the margin of error. Those are pretty rough numbers for a thirty year incumbent Democrat in Connecticut. It is still early, and at least his plummeting stopped, but Dodd must have hoped for bigger gains than he posted. This is especially true when you consider that the April poll was done right at the peak of the AIG mess, the exact inverse of the PR scenario he finds himself in during this poll.

More numbers that should leave Dodd leary:

• his approval rating is still WELL below fifty percent at 38-53.
• complete unknown Merrick Alpert, Dodd's announced Democratic primary challenger, picks up 24% of the Democratic vote in the primary match-up, despite the fact that 92% of respondents indicated they do not know enough about him to have an opinion on his favorability.
• 49% say Dodd is not honest and trustworthy, and 47% say he does not care about their needs and problems.
  

Additional coverage at ConnPoliticsTV, ViceOnline, CTNJ, and Rick Green at the Courant.