Minnesotans think Gov. Tim Pawlenty and President Obama are doing OK in their current jobs, but if they went head to head in a 2012 presidential race, Obama would win the state, according to a new St. Cloud State University survey.
Half of the 550 people in the poll gave Obama a positive job approval and 49 percent gave Pawlenty a positive job review. If Republican Pawlenty ran against Democrat Obama in 2012, however, those polled said Obama would win Minnesota -- 49 percent to 40 percent.
The pollsters also took a "thermometer" reading to gauge politicians' likability. Obama scored highest, with a reading of 58. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., came next with 56, while Pawlenty scored a still warm 53. The state's other U.S. senator, Democrat Al Franken, has some work to do, with a score of 43, according to St. Cloud State Prof. Steve Frank.
About 44 percent in the poll said the state has gone off on the wrong track and 43 percent said it was headed in the right direction.
The poll, conducted Oct. 26- Nov. 4, had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.
RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
