Should be said it's all about the $$$ in really ANY election. All though a major election it's even more skewed. A few years back a couple friends and I did a math model on that, with a fairly decent sample size. We found that the candidate who out spent the other, won about 83% of the time. While as the differential in the spending gap between the two main candidates grew, so did the chances of winning (got to over 90% when the spending gap was better then 3/1).

These polls really mean nothing. The election is well over a year away, and as Bobby Kennedy once said "6 months is a life time in politics". The Doyle machine is as corrupt, if not more so, then was Blogoevich's was in IL. The only difference is Doyle is not being wire tapped by the feds. His war machince is MASSIVE. He has more corrupt $$$ then almost any governor in the country. $$$ will WIN you elections, and I would be shocked beyond belief if Doyle lost in 2010. If Intrade (www.intrade.com) offers odds on the WI election (they do often offer state election odds), I will lay down some HEAVY action on Doyle if he is anything above even money. This is a total no brainer. You bet the candidate who has the $$$$. Why do you think Bush and Obama won? Just look who had the bigger war chest.
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It's ALL about the $$$ in major elections, never try to kid yourself!

I cannot stand the smoking ban. Doyle is a terrible governor. I don't smoke, but believe we are going down a slippery slope. What's next, perfume?? I absolutely get ill smelling that artificial stuff. Cancer causing ingrediants in perfume. I wonder how many people get cancer from second hand smell?? Then we could go after sweets and on and on and on. Afterall smoking is legal??

packrat - throwing out the rare occasional good politcian would be a small price to pay for cleaning out the current festering nests of self-serving, good-old-boy-network, pork-fed incumbent rodents at State and Federal levels and restraining political dynasties such as the Kennedy family.
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I'd do away with 2-year offices to cut back on the continuous campaigning those short-term offices tend to generate and make the President's position a single 6 year term of office to remove the incumbent advantage and give citizens a longer breather between the excessively drawn out Presidential campaign process. If you have a good politician, in a reformed system they could do two terms on a city council or county board, two four year terms in the State Assembly, two four terms in State Senate, two four year terms as State Governor, two four year terms in the House of Representatives, two four year terms as a U.S. Senator and a single six-year term as President of the United States. 40+ years of public "service" is more than enough per public "servant".
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Politicians could even "run the board" in one state and move to another state and do it over again. I'm sure that eventually the system would become corrupted in other ways, but I'm just interested in a housecleaning that will last MY lifetime, not the country's.

Scissor runners? Graduate to not wearing a seatbelt you scissor-running dissidents! I bet you throw pencils too. I run with gas powered hedge trimmers; while smoking a cigar; drinking a beer; while texting; while tweeting; and, while talking on the cell phone. When I am done destroying my shrubs, I am going for a Harley ride in tennis shoes and shorts and without a shirt. My partner and I will be stopping for a greasy tavern double-cheese burger - maybe I'll have two. There will no-doubt be fries dripping with oil consumed at some point as well.
Now's the part of the comment thread where people should insert passionate arguments about helmets.
But I have to move on here. Bet I will have more fun than the ol' Gov today; and, I will most likely have more fun than most of the Gov's nanny-staters out there that worship the attempt at ubiquitous daily-life manipulation of guys like me.
Bob Keith
cooldadiomedia.com

no,you should not be able to smoke in restaurants, you should wear a seatbelt,people who are not at their ideal weight and not in good health should not be able to eat at fast food places. people should be alloted so many alcoholic beverages in bars per hour.so many children should be alloted per family,only sensored material should be published,you should not be able to speak your opinion unless it asked, and tell them only what they want to hear and nothing negative.anything else for those of you who like your every movement decided for you.between thompson and doyle they have run this great state into the ground. wisconsin used to be a great and beautiful place to live. this governor needs to retire his time is over.

An approval rate of 45% is still 200% that of Bush, and I am surprised that in a state as diverse politically as Wisconsin, his previous low was a still respectable 54%! He must be doing something right, given the context, the sometimes unbelievable perversities passed around as gospel in the right wing conduits, and the ferocity of rabid anti-tax screecher one-notes wailing away unceasingly out there.

I do like the smoking ban though.

I don`t like that smirk he always has
on his face.

Sorry, I disagree with term limits. If you have someone in office that is doing a good job, let them stay. If someone wishes to run against them, may the best person win.
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With term limits, some "putz" could be elected only because the person most qualified had to step down.
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Nope. No term limits for me!

Term Limits? For Pete's sake no. Let's find another Tommy and crown him.

Where would all you Republicans on here cut 6 BILLION dollars from the Budget? How fast we forget "Taxing Tommy" !!!

All I can say is what in the heck took so long. I may actually have some faith in Wisconsin voters afterall

VOTE HIM OUT!!!

Four hundred people is enough to be statistically accurate within the set boundaries (5 percentage points). The poll does do political matchups, but only during an election season.

Good ol' chrome dome

Is anyone else sick of both of those private clubs they call parties? How about a third party in 2010?

I ran with scissors while smoking. No one can say I don't live on the edge.

Isn't Doyle's new slogan "Spend like you mean it"?

According to that link, the people surveyed tend to approve with policies. Just not the way that it is paid for.
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I would like to see a better survey in the future. Say of 1000 residents. (I would say that approval would be about 42%.) Also ask questions of potential matchups for 2010 and for whom the surveyed people voted for in 2006 and 2008 so a little bit of background and validity of whom the surveyed people are.

Here is the actual survey summary from WPR, with questions asked:

http://wpr.org/announce/survey0904/sp09-...

My question is, who are these 45% and why in the world are they so satisfied?

As much as I like places that are smoke-free and that I wear my seat belt, I still don't think there should be laws to enforce these things.
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Why shouldn't someone be given the choice not to wear a seatbelt or a restaurant owner not be allowed to decide whether his/her place is smoke-free. Let the market dictate-not government.
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Please let there be viable candidates to run against Doyle-I can't believe there are 45% of Wisconsinites that actually approve with what he is doing-obviously not paying attention. Did anyone hear about his little trip to the Masters? http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/42905...
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Hey he just paid for it out of his campaingn fund - sounds legit.

I ran with scissors last night. My guess is the next time I buy a pair of scissors they will be $23.95 mostly in taxes to discourage me from running with them.
By the way, did you ever wonder why they call them a pair of scissors. I mean there is really only one scissor. (Sorry, a little Seinfeld type humor)

Diamond Jim still holds a 45% approval rating? Didn't they poll any place outside of the Democratic caucus room? There are obviously a lot of pot smokers in Wisconsin, legal or not. Considering the dismal showing previous opponents have made on election day, let's not get too picky about a replacement.
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It won't matter so much if the new Governor is liberal or conservative, as long as he or she doesn't steal from segregated tax funds and give out no-bid contracts in exchange for totally unrelated campaign donations. There is SO much room for improvement in the Governor's office and the legislature in Madison that merely kicking out ALL the incumbents would double the honesty, integrity, and efficiency of our state government.
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I wonder if there are enough mature voters in the state to set aside the petty political party squabbling and become single-issue voters this time around - the issue being TERM LIMITS!

oh my god, smoking bans and seat belt laws!! Good thing no one is losing their job or our economy is going sour otherwise these comments might seem petty and childish.

The problem with this survey is that there is no one to compare Doyle to which is how an election that actually counts works.

Doyle knows what's best for us. No one likes to be told to shape up, but its about time the Governor started doing something to protect me from myself.

Hey, what about the fact that I am still allowed to buy fast food and candy at ridiculously low prices? How about a candy bar tax, soda tax and other disincentives to get me to stay in shape?

(yep it's sarcasm, Walker in 2010)

To be truthful, I want there to be a state wide smoking ban and I want the police to pull over people that aren't wearing their seat belts. Doesn't mean that I care for Doyle though. Basically I want a competent person to run for governor that is somewhat fiscally conservative and socially moderate-to-liberal.

http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article...
http://wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article...

Has anyone read the proposals in the budget?
You have heard about the smoking ban that was snuck into the bill, but what about the seat belt law? Making it legal for the police to pull you over, just to check if you have a seat belt on. You can add that to the list of excuses they already use, like "the lights for your license plate didn't look bright enough.

I'm amazed its that high. It just shows you how naive the people in Wisconsin are when it comes to his pay to play tactics, raiding the transportation fund to "balance" the budget and massive overspending.

That's the thing though. There hasn't been decent opponents run against Doyle. I feel the same would happen if Walker turns out to be the GOP nominee. Two terms is long enough for any governor. Time for new ideas. Heck, there should be terms limits for governors as well as Congressmen and Senators.
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That being said, if the GOP is smart, they will run a moderate candidate. Doyle beat Green by 7.5% in 2006 and Obama beat McCain by 13% in 2008.

I'm also surprised it was that high.
Term limits, schmerm limits. Just run a decent opponent against him.
Come back, Lee Dreyfus, we need you.

I'm surprised it is at 45%. The survey people did not call our area for sure. I don't think the Goveror had any friends at the Madison Tea Party on Wed. It is time to get some support for term limits.