Civitas polling over the past two months has shown a significant decline in both Gov. Bev Perdue’s job approval and personal favorability ratings.

After beginning the year riding high on the Democratic honeymoon period thanks to President Obama, Perdue’s numbers have taken a sharp nose dive. Her job approval rating is basically even and her personal favorability has fallen into the negative range.

While there has been some bleed off from her Republican and unaffiliated supporters, the largest decline can be attributed to the loss of her Democratic voter base.. This may explain why she traveled on a recent five city tour rallying teachers and state employees to fight to raise taxes and “save” education. Whether this tactic will work to bring back her base or push independent voters away is a fairly substantial risk; and one worth watching over the next few months.

Source: Civitas Institute: Click to View Polling Results

When you are a popular elected official and challenges exist, it is much easier to goto your base of support and ask for sacrafice from them in order to see you through the difficult times.  However, when your popularity is suspect and tough decisions are on the horizon, the last thing one should do is "stick it" to their base of support. 

When I was growing up a wise person once said to me "don't shit where you eat!"  Well, Governor Bev Perdue did just that when she asked her base to sacrafice their pay to rectify bad decisions made by our elected leaders in Raleigh.  This action was not innovative and was done out of political expediency as cutting state employee and teacher pay is popular with the public at large.

We have said many times on this blog that Governor Perdue's problem is her lack of innovation and her inability to appear sincere as a leader.  Her recent "save education" tour of North Carolina is another example of this as people can see through her strategy of using our children as a way to increase taxes in the state.

We need new ideas in these tough economic times and Beverly Perdue is NOT prepared to lead.  People are tired of the same ole, same ole from our new governor and the proof is in the numbers!