Cuomo's Poll Numbers Fall In New Marist Poll

I'm on vacation, so I'm missing some news and definitely not getting stuff up onto the blog in a timely fashion, but here's one story I didn't want to skip:

Republican Rob Astorino is struggling to capitalize with voters on the political difficulties faced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo followings reports the governor's staff interfered with a state anticorruption commission, according to a Wall Street Journal/NBC 4 New York/Marist College poll released Monday.

The Democratic governor's favorability rating has plummeted to an all-time low of 53%, the poll said, but Mr. Astorino's also fell, though by only one percentage point and well within the survey's margin of error.

Meanwhile, among registered voters in the poll, Mr. Cuomo led Mr. Astorino, the Westchester County Executive, by 54% to 23%. A month ago, the survey found Mr. Cuomo with the support of 59% and Mr. Astorino, 24%.

...

Voters expressed concern about the Cuomo administration's involvement in the Moreland Commission, with 62% of those polled saying Mr. Cuomo's staff shouldn't have had input into its work, and 52% saying his staff acted unethically by getting involved with its work. 

But it wasn't clear that the summertime disclosures surrounding the commission ultimately would sway voters in November. Of those polled, 23% said the commission controversy would be a major deciding factor for them on Election Day, and 71% said it would be a minor or no factor.

"The bottom line is there are clouds forming and people are unhappy with what went on," said Mr. Miringoff. "But for most New Yorkers this is not a voting issue."

It's not a voting issue yet, but it may become one in time.

It's less than two weeks since the NY Times published their Moreland expose.

It's the middle of the summer and people are on vacation or tied up with other matters.

And Cuomo's still running a ton of anti-Astorino ads (I know, I'm getting them where I am upstate.)

So of course Cuomo's numbers haven't fallen too dramatically yet and Astorino's haven't risen.

Cuomo's unleashing so many anti-Astorino ads and Astorino doesn't have the money to counter them - how could Astorino's numbers go up?

All of that said, more and more Moreland news breaks by the day and the drumbeat of that news is going to take a heavy toll on Cuomo before it's all said and done.

It's clear from stories today that the US attorney is going to call in every member of the Cuomo administration and perhaps even Cuomo himself to talk about potential Moreland Commission meddling both during the time the commission was up and running and afterward when Cuomo was trying to defend himself from allegations of tampering.

The more stories that leak out about Cuomo administration malfeasance around Moreland, the more likely his poll numbers really start to drop and Astorino might close the gap some in general election polling.

Bottom line is, we're still early in the investigation, still early in the scandal.

Cuomo's got a lot more to be worried about - and, as Fred Dicker reported today in the Post, he IS worried about all of that stuff.