Projo Politics Blog

Rhode Island is headed on the wrong course, according to a strong majority of those sampled in a Brown University poll out today. And so are the poll numbers for key politicians at the controls.

Even more wrong than poll results indicated a few months ago: Just 16 percent of people believe Rhode Island is going in the right direction while 74 percent said it is headed on the wrong track.

Republican Governor Carcieri's job approval dropped to 40 percent of those polled saying he was doing a good job from 44 percent in September. Democratic Lt. Gov. Elizabeth Roberts' approval is at 30 percent, down from the 37 percent in September who said she was doing a good job.

At the legislative level, approval ratings fell even lower. House Speaker William J. Murphy drew only 19 percent saying he was doing a good job, down from 21 percent, while Senate President Joseph Montalbano got 15 percent, a drop from 16 percent.

The news was better for the attorney general, treasurer and secretary of state.

Fifty percent felt Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch is doing a good job, up from 48 percent in September.

Twenty-five percent said Secretary of State Ralph Mollis was doing a good job, up from 23 percent.

Forty percent said Treasurer Frank Caprio Jr. is doing a good job, compared to 37 percent in the previous sampling.

The Ocean State's congressional representation, all Democrats, also drew better results -- except for Rep. Patrick Kennedy.

Sixty-two percent said Sen. Jack Reed's performance was good or excellent, up from 61 percent in the previous survey.

Forty-four percent said they belive Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse is doing a good or excellent job, an increase from 41 percent last time.

Fifty-five percent said Rep. James Langevin is doing a good or excellent job, the same as in the previous poll.

Forty-five percent said Kennedy is doing a good or excellent job, a decrease from 51 percent in September's poll.

For Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline, the numbers are also down. 51 percent of those polled said he is doing a good job compared to 64 percent saying so in the previous poll.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

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