Maurice Carroll, Director

Quinnipiac University Polling Institute

Rubenstein Associates, Inc.,

Public Relations
Pat Smith (212) 843-8026

FOR RELEASE: OCTOBER 7, 2010

CUOMO PULLS AWAY FROM PALADINO IN NEW YORK GOV RACE,

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;
MANY VOTERS ‘ANGRY’ AT STATE GOVERNMENT
Despite his lead among the many New York State likely voters angry with state government,
Republican Carl Paladino is falling behind New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo,
the Democratic candidate for governor, and now trails 55 – 37 percent, according to a
Quinnipiac University poll released today.
This compares to a 49 – 43 percent Cuomo lead in a September 22 survey by the
independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, conducted one week after Paladino’s
landslide Republican primary win.
In today’s survey, Cuomo leads 86 – 11 percent among Democrats and 47 – 42 percent
among independent voters. Republicans back Paladino 69 – 23 percent. The 15 percent of
likely voters who consider themselves part of the Tea Party movement back Paladino 79 – 15
percent.
Describing their feelings about New York State government:
• 45 percent of likely voters say they are angry;
• 42 percent say they are dissatisfied;
• 12 percent say they are satisfied;
• 1 percent say they are enthusiastic.
Paladino leads Cuomo among these angry voters 50 – 41 percent.
“Lots of New Yorkers are fed up with state government. Those who say they are angry
go for Carl Paladino – but not by all that much. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo gets the
votes of 41 percent of the angry people,” said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac
University Polling Institute.
“Since Quinnipiac University’s last poll two weeks ago, it’s been a looney-tunes time
for Paladino in the news media – one time in a face-to-face fight with a reporter – and it shows.”
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Quinnipiac University Poll/October 7, 2010 – page 2
“Cuomo moves into a double-digit lead,” Carroll added. “After the dust settled from
Paladino’s big primary win, the big switch was in the independent vote – a small edge for
Paladino two weeks ago turns into a small edge for Cuomo this time.”
New York State likely voters approve 72 – 22 percent of the job Cuomo is doing as
Attorney General and by a 53 – 34 percent margin have a favorable opinion of him. Voters say
67 – 24 percent that Cuomo has the right personality to be governor.
By a 49 – 33 percent margin, likely voters have an unfavorable opinion of Paladino, with
15 percent who do not know enough about him to form an opinion. This is a big drop from
September 22, when Paladino had a positive 36 – 31 percent favorability, with 31 percent who
did not know enough about him.
Voters also say 54 – 30 percent that he does not have the right personality to be
governor.
“Paladino’s ‘angry man’ style gets a lot of attention, but he comes up negative on the
personality test. Less than a third of New Yorkers think he’s right for the governor’s job. Two-
thirds say Cuomo is ‘Mr. Personality,’” Carroll said.
President Obama, Gov. Paterson Approval
New York State likely voters approve 53 – 45 percent of the job President Barack
Obama is doing, barely above 50 percent but better that the president’s approval rating in
Quinnipiac University likely voter surveys in other states in the last month.
Voters disapprove 55 – 37 percent of the job Gov. David Paterson is doing. Even
Democrats disapprove 50 – 40 percent.
“Just for the record, note that Gov. David Paterson is still in the doghouse with voters.
President Barack Obama, boosted by a 55 percent approval rating among women, holds just about
the halfway mark,” Carroll said.
From October 1 – 5, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,141 New York State likely voters,
with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and
nationwide as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed– http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or follow
us on Twitter.

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1. If the election for governor were being held today, and the candidates were
Andrew Cuomo the Democrat and Carl Paladino the Republican, for whom would you vote?
(If undecided) If you had to choose today, would you vote for Cuomo or Paladino?
(This table includes Leaners)

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Cuomo 55% 23% 86% 47% 47% 63%

Paladino 37 69 11 42 46 28
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 1 4 2 1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) - - - - - -
DK/NA 6 7 3 7 5 8

RATING ECONOMY Q24 PrtOf Angry with

Better Worse Same TeaPt StateGovQ27

Cuomo 81% 33% 67% 15% 41%

Paladino 14 59 26 79 50
SMONE ELSE(VOL) - 1 3 1 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) - - - - -
DK/NA 5 7 5 5 6

TREND: If the election for governor were being held today, and the candidates were
Andrew Cuomo the Democrat and Carl Paladino the Republican, for whom would you vote?
(If undecided) If you had to choose today, would you vote for Cuomo or Paladino?
(This table includes Leaners.)

LIKELY VOTERS..
Oct 07 Sep 22
2010 2010

Cuomo 55 49
Paladino 37 43
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) - -
DK/NA 6 7

1a. Is your mind made up, or do you think you might change your mind before the election?

LIKELY VOTERS.........
CAND CHOICE Q1
Tot AC CP

Made up 84% 85% 81%

Might change 15 13 18
DK/NA 1 1 1

2. Is your opinion of Andrew Cuomo favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough
about him?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Favorable 53% 24% 80% 44% 47% 59%

Unfavorable 34 63 12 36 41 27
Hvn't hrd enough 10 11 7 14 10 10
REFUSED 3 2 1 6 2 4

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TREND: Is your opinion of - Andrew Cuomo favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard
enough about him?

LIKELY VOTERS..
Oct 07 Sep 22
2010 2010

Favorable 53 51
Unfavorable 34 34
Hvn't hrd enough 10 13
REFUSED 3 2

3. Is your opinion of Carl Paladino favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough
about him?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Favorable 33% 59% 12% 36% 44% 23%

Unfavorable 49 21 73 43 44 54
Hvn't hrd enough 15 18 13 16 10 20
REFUSED 3 1 2 5 2 3

TREND: Is your opinion of - Carl Paladino favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard
enough about him?

LIKELY VOTERS..
Oct 07 Sep 22
2010 2010

Favorable 33 36
Unfavorable 49 31
Hvn't hrd enough 15 31
REFUSED 3 2

10. Do you think Carl Paladino has the right personality to be governor or not?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Yes 30% 52% 11% 35% 39% 22%

No 54 29 77 49 49 59
DK/NA 15 19 12 17 12 18

11. Do you think Andrew Cuomo has the right personality to be governor or not?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Yes 67% 50% 85% 63% 64% 69%

No 24 37 9 27 29 19
DK/NA 9 13 6 10 7 11

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18. Do you approve or disapprove of the way David Paterson is handling his job as
Governor?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Approve 37% 36% 40% 36% 40% 33%

Disapprove 55 59 50 57 53 56

21. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Andrew Cuomo is handling his job as State
Attorney General?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Approve 72% 52% 89% 70% 66% 78%

Disapprove 22 41 7 24 30 15
DK/NA 6 8 4 6 5 7

22. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as President?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Approve 53% 17% 86% 43% 50% 55%

Disapprove 45 82 11 53 48 41
DK/NA 3 1 3 4 2 4

RATING ECONOMY Q24

Better Worse Same

Approve 88% 27% 64%

Disapprove 10 70 32
DK/NA 2 2 4

23. Would you describe the state of New York State's economy these days as; excellent,
good, not so good, or poor?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Excellent 0% - 1% - 0% 1%
Good 9 1 15 7 7 11
Not so good 37 32 46 33 40 35
Poor 52 67 36 59 53 52
DK/NA 1 - 1 1 1 1

24. Do you think New York State's economy is getting better, getting worse, or staying
about the same?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Better 13% 4% 20% 9% 13% 12%

Worse 39 55 23 44 40 39
The same 46 41 53 43 46 46
DK/NA 2 - 3 4 2 3

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25. Do you consider yourself part of the Tea party movement or not?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Yes 15% 28% 4% 19% 17% 14%

No 80 68 92 76 79 81
DK/NA 5 5 4 5 4 5

27. I am going to mention four phrases and ask you which one best describes how you feel
about the way the state government works. Do you feel enthusiastic, satisfied but not
enthusiastic, dissatisfied but not angry, or angry?

LIKELY VOTERS.........................
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom

Enthusiastic, 1% - 1% - - 1%
Sat/Not enthusiastic 12 6 21 6 10 13
Dis/Not angry 42 40 46 38 41 42
Angry 45 52 30 56 48 42
DK/NA 1 2 1 - 1 1