By Peggy Tartaro,
Executive Editor

I've been polled.

I picked up the phone one evening to be asked by the caller if anyone in the household would participate in a Quinnipiac University poll. I cheerfully offered the services of the dog, but the young man on the other end didn't rise to the bait and instead asked me a series of questions on New York State politics.

Now, a little background is in order. I've been polled before, and, unless there's something burning on the stove, I always try to participate. It's one more layer in the democratic process, and, for better or worse, is akin to voting these days.

Quinnipiac polls are a Northeastern staple. The Quinnipiac University Polling Institute is well known in these parts, and, as I learned when I went on their website recently, has a pretty good track record of forecasting on the state and federal level.

I also learned, according to the site, that, "Student interviewers use a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system to collect data from statewide and national residents. For a typical public opinion survey, a randomly selected sample of about 1000 registered voters age 18 and over is interviewed over five or six days."

So, of all the registered voters in New York State, I was one of 1528, interviewed on an early April evening.

Most of the questions had to do with New York's budget mess and perception of its elected officials and would-be public servants.

Unsurprisingly, I was with the majority on a general distain for the way things are handled in Albany. My fellow pollees and I disapproved of the newly cobbled state budget (60%) and 71% of us felt the state government was "dysfunctional." We also mostly felt that Gov. David Paterson (who became governor when Elliott Spitzer resigned last year amid a sex scandal) was doing a lousy job-66% disapproved of the way he was handling the economy and 53% said he should announce now that he won't run again. (I answered don't know on this one, because, even if you don't like someone, the decision to run should be up to the candidate.)

A couple of match-ups were offered for the 2010 governor's race. Would I vote for Paterson or State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, I was asked. "Oh, God," I replied, "neither." I asked if he could record my "Oh, God," but he didn't reply. I assume I was recorded in the 21% who answered either "Don't Know," Someone Else" or "Wouldn't Vote."

Paterson garnered only 18%, while Cuomo got 61%. Both are anti-gun, but I would give Cuomo, previously Bill Clinton's Housing Secretary, a slight edge in "anti-gunniness." Cuomo benefits from not being Paterson (or whoever is in charge of the state), from an undeserved reputation as a fighter for the little guy, especially against big companies, and from excellent name recognition (his father was a 3-term governor).

I was also asked if the race was between Paterson and former NY City Mayor Rudy Guiliani, who I'd vote for. Again, I answered, "neither," as Guliani, despite some posturing during his badly run presidential bid last year, remains firmly anti-gun.

However, my fellow New Yorkers liked Guliani better than Paterson, by 53-32% margin. If Cuomo and Guliani faced off, the tally was closer, with Cuomo holding the edge, 47-35%.

Besides the budget and related issues, the only question asked directly about other subjects concerned gay marriage.

However, one other series of questions did have a tangential claim on the gun issue.

I was asked if I had a favorable impression of Kristen Gillibrand, the newly appointed US Senator from NY, who filled Hilary Clinton's seat. (Interestingly, it was Paterson who appointed her, passing over Cuomo and Caroline Kennedy.)

Gillibrand was considered a "shocking" choice because she was not very well-known, despite holding a Congressional seat, and because she had been endorsed by the National Rifle Association in her last race.

So enraged were anti-gunners that Rep. Carolyn McCarthy threatened to run against her in a Democratic primary.

Quinnipiac asked about that hypothetical race, and McCarthy held a 33-29% lead, despite the fact that she is not particularly well-known outside of her district and anti-gun circles.

McCarthy's husband was killed, and her son wounded, in the Long Island Railroad shooting, which led her to run for office, making gun control her primary issue.

It's unlikely that of the 1500 or so people interviewed by Quinnipiac, many would have answered "yes" to a question on whether the gun issue was a major factor in shaping their opinions.

But it will be interesting to see if the ugly mood in New York State translates into rascal throwing come election time, both here and across the country.

Peggy Tartaro

Photo © Copyright 1998 Nancy Floyd, used with permission.