McCrory's true approval ratings?

by Angela High, Civitas Review Online, August 15, 2013.

The N&O reports on contrasting polling results on Gov. McCrory that were released this week:

Pat McCrory's camp released internal poll numbers Wednesday showing his job approval rating at 48 percent — a move designed to counter a different poll that shows the governor's stock declining.

The poll commissioned by Renew North Carolina Foundation, a private nonprofit extended from McCrory's 2012 campaign, gives the Republican governor a 26-point positive approval margin, with just 22 percent disapproving. His favorability rating is essentially the same at 49 favorable to 22 percent unfavorable, according to a portion of the poll released first to Dome. Another 29 percent were unsure. The margin of error for the poll is plus-or-minus 3.5 percent.

Earlier Wednesday, a new survey from Public Policy Polling showed McCrory's job approval rating at 39 percent with 51 percent disapproving — his lowest numbers of his term and part of a sustained decline since he took office at the start of the year. The margin of error is 4 percent.

Much of the difference can likely be attributed to the different methodologies, as the Renew NC poll surveyed likely voters whereas PPP surveyed registered voters.

As most of you know, Civitas has for years conducted the only regular statewide, live-caller opinion polls in North Carolina. Most recently, we conducted a flash poll to gauge opinions of certain legislative leaders.  Our results from July 17-18 showed Gov. McCrory with a 37% favorable versus a 30% unfavorable rating (with the other 33% either neutral or no opinion).

Of course, a lot has happened in the last month, which means the results of our soon-to-be released August poll results should be interesting.