Rick Snyder’s Support Plummets After Signing Right To Work Law

In 2010 it was clear that Republicans would dominate the off-year elections due to the state of the economy and the national pro-Republican wave. Rick Snyder won the Republican nomination due to a combination of more conservative Republicans splitting the far right wing vote and Democrats crossing over to back Snyder as the lesser evil. By positioning himself as a moderate, Snyder had a good chance at getting re-elected in 2014. The problem with a moderate Republican governor is that he is still a Republican, and therefore will not veto extreme acts from the Republican legislature as regularly as a Democrat would. Signing the right to work legislation which the Republican legislature rammed through has cost Snyder a tremendous amount of support. From Public Policy Polling:

Snyder’s popularity plummets

Just last month when we took a first look at the 2014 landscape we talked about how much Rick Snyder had improved his popularity during his second year in office and how he led a generic Democrat for reelection by 6 points, even as Barack Obama won the state comfortably.

Last week he threw all that out the window.

We now find Snyder as one of the most unpopular Governors in the country. Only 38% of voters approve of him to 56% who disapprove. There are only 2 other sitting Governors we’ve polled on who have a worse net approval rating than Snyder’s -18. He’s dropped a net 28 points from our last poll on him, the weekend before the election, when he was at a +10 spread (47/37).

There’s not much doubt that it’s the right to work law and his embrace of other actions by the Republican legislature that are driving this precipitous drop in Snyder’s popularity. Only 41% of voters in the state support the right to work legislation, while 51% are opposed to it. If voters got to decide the issue directly only 40% of them say they would vote to keep the law enacted, while 49% would vote to overturn it. This comes on the heels of voters overturning Snyder’s signature emergency managers law last month. The simple reality is that Michigan voters like unions- 52% have a favorable opinion of them to only 33% with a negative one.

Snyder trails every Democrat we tested against him in a hypothetical match up. He’s down 49/38 to 2010 opponent Virg Bernero, 47/39 to Congressman Gary Peters, 46/38 to State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, and 44/39 to former Congressman Mark Schauer. The Bernero numbers are what’s most striking there. Snyder defeated Bernero by 18 points in 2010, so Bernero’s 11 point advantage represents a 29 point reversal. The Democrats all lead Snyder despite having very little name recognition- only 44% of voters are familiar with Bernero, 36% with Peters, 28% with Schauer, and 27% with Whitmer.

The Republicans in the legislature are even more unpopular than Snyder after their spate of last minute legislation…

Besides objection to the right to work legislation, many Michigan voters are also upset with the manner in which the legislation was pushed through.

Despite Snyder’s mistake in signing the right to work legislation, he is still far preferable to the other Republican choices who were available in 2010 such as Tea Party supporter Pete Hoekstra. At least Snyder will occasionally veto the most extreme Republican-passed legislation. Besides the right to work legislation which received national attention, the Michigan legislature has also pushed through other far right wing legislation.  After the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Snyder reconsidered a bill passed by the legislature to allow concealed weapons in schools and vetoed it. We know that many more extreme Republicans would have praised the idea with a warped view that having more guns in school would make children safer. While less likely, hopefully he will also veto legislation intended to reduce access to abortions.

5 Comments

  1. 1
    JUDI says:

    RT @ronchusid: Rick Snyder's Support Plummets After Signing Right To Work Law #p2 #p21 #topprog http://t.co/YyrS3VFL

  2. 2
    Mom says:

    Rick Snyder's Support Plummets After Signing Right To Work Law #p2 #p21 #topprog http://t.co/X9Cwcp0u

  3. 3
    tim says:

    Rick Snyder’s Support Plummets After Signing Right To Work Law http://t.co/n2WtlVjB via @zite

  4. 4
    John Sonntag says:

    RT @ronchusid: Rick Snyder's Support Plummets After Signing Right To Work Law #p2 #p21 #topprog http://t.co/fnzoI5NH

  5. 5
    William Heino Sr. says:

    Governor Rick Snyder says, …. if workers see no “value” in unions they should not have to pay union dues.
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    Oh! Happy Day for those workers who are attracted, not to those employment opportunities in a low wage job, but they do see this “value” in an employment opportunity making a good living wage, not having to pay their fair share in union representation. Not one penny, in recognition of the livable wage he or she is about to receive, and acknowledging some support for what unions fought for, and who will continue to fight for, health benefits, safe working conditions, retirement benefits, a living wage, worker representation.
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    Realizing the “value” choice these workers made, with good safe working conditions and benefits, they can now feel secure in stable wages, and now, maybe for the first time, or in a long while, being able to feed and care for their families. Being able to purchase those things that a living wage offers. Living the American dream. Perhaps now, being able to put a down payment on a home? Being able to sleep at night. All this because he or she made the right “value” choice and decided to rather than take a job opportunity with lower wages, with no benefits, no value, these workers realize without too much thought, there is “value” in a union environment, and with no union participation whatsoever to support the very environment that choices in what “value” offers. One which fosters good working conditions now, and into the future. The other without.
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    The worker choosing “value“, Governors Snyder’s cryptic observation, one would think the worker be responsive, to play fair. But “right to work” is not about what’s fair.
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    One then wonders, why is the police and fire unions exempt? Why not make this Governor Snyder’s “value” thing fair for everybody while we are destroying unions? Where is this “equal protection” of Article 1 of the Michigan Constitution speaks of?
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    The argument that “right to work” is a solution to unemployment levels, really? Right to work state employment levels have absolutely not a thing to do with a worker’s right to work! How does ones work or “right to work” effect overall employment if either the business or the state is unable to attract new business? A worker has no control of this. What should matter to the worker, given his or her opportunity, responsibility and abilities, is the participation and contribution towards the process of obtaining better working conditions. Letting others contribute and make life easier in order to provide a living wage for you and your family is not “right to work” but is what is now, as some consider the 47% solution.
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    Corporations lobby their political allies in Congress and state legislatures to oppose and destroy unions in order to dictate what’s best for the worker. To make the worker subordinate in order to profit off of worker low wages poor working conditions that this would bring. Is this not the argument rather than the unemployment issue? “Right to work”, is not…workers rights!
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    To subordinate that very same worker who, if not for his labor, his labor down on the factory floor making the product, these companies would not see the profits that they enjoy. There would be no company.
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    You will not see workers rights in “right to work”.
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    Crying, union’s don’t do enough? Workers do not get “their money’s worth.”? That “value” Governor Snyder suggests? No, it’s what others lack and don’t get that is the problem. When was the last time you went in to the boss and fought for anything, just one thing? Never! Is your answer. However, let’s again go over what a union fight’s for in securing benefits on your behalf in an 8 hour workday. Living wages, health care benefits, safe working conditions, job security, worker presentation. What’s missing?
    It’s very simple…. if you don’t lack that courage. Now it’s your turn. Going in to your boss, the elevator takes you to the top floor, he sits behind a huge desk in a big chair. Now, explain to him since “unions don’t do enough” you expect much more that what union representation can offer. Your turn,…..explain exactly what you want?
    My advice to those who this applies to, you make that job choice, but when you go to bed at night, before you fall asleep, think about your “values“ in not supporting those others who sacrificed and made it possible for you to enjoy and benefit in what your choice in “values” has made possible. Have a good sleep.

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