Andrew Cuomo's Job Performance Rating Plummets

New Yorkers not so happy with Sheriff Andy these days:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's job performance rating has dropped to its lowest level since he took office in January 2011, having tumbled by 10 points since November, according to an NBC 4 New York/Wall Street Journal/Marist College poll.

Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat facing re-election this year, saw his job approval among voters statewide fall to 42%, according to the poll, from 52% in the fall, with the governor suffering steep declines among Latino and African-American voters. 

Among Latino registered voters, Mr. Cuomo's rating fell by 21 points—to 41% from 62% in November. And among African-American voters, the governor registered a 42% job approval rating, down from 57%.

His overall job-performance rating of 42% was six points lower than his previous lowest-ever rating of 48%, the month he took office.

Cuomo wants to make as if re-election is inevitable, but it's not:

Despite taking a hit in certain areas, Mr. Cuomo's re-election prospects so far appear secure. He easily trounces GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino, who announced his bid for the state's top office in an online video Wednesday. The governor would beat Mr. Astorino by 65% to 25%, the poll found, and would rack up similar wins against two other potential Republican candidates. 

He would win against 2010 GOP nominee Carl Paladino by 68% to 25% and against businessman Donald Trump by 70% to 26%. 

But while Messrs. Paladino and Trump are disliked by many voters—with unfavorability marks of 40% and 61%, respectively—Mr. Astorino is largely unknown to most. Forty-six percent of those polled said they have never heard of him or are unsure how to rate him.

Expect Cuomo's henchmen to do a quick hatchet job on Astorino soon, depicting the pro-life, pro-gun Republican as too out of the mainstream for New Yorkers.

Astorino has managed to win twice in Westchester, so it remains to be seen if he can't navigate that issue statewide - we'll see.

One thing I know - Fred Dicker reported a while back that Cuomo was trying to get other Repubs to talk Astorino out of running.

That tells me Astorino scares Cuomo.

And he should - Sheriff Andy ran against Crazy Carl Paladino last time around, so he hasn't faced a professional opponent for governor yet.

Cuomo was hoping to face Paladino again, or Trump, but he's got Astorino instead.

Unless Cuomo and his henchmen are successful at their character assassination of Astorino, he's got a real race on his hands, despite the Marist poll showing Cuomo beating Astorino by 40 points.

I still think it's a steep uphill climb for Astorino to beat Cuomo, but it's not un-doable.

More on this story later.

NOTE: Title changed - it's Cuomo's job performance rating, not his approval rating, that has plummeted.