The Most Unpopular Governor in the U.S. is...

If Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez is in as bad shape as some reports claim, will Connecticut's governor order flags to flown at half mast? Presumably the ailing Chavez is Governor Dannel (a.k.a. Dan) Malloy's role model, given the heavy-handed way Malloy has been behaving in office. But Malloy's tactics have come at a price.

According to Public Policy Polling, a Democrat outfit, Malloy is the most unpopular Democrat governor in America.

52% of Connecticut voters say that if they could do it all over they'd vote for Republican Tom Foley, compared to only 41% who would stick with incumbent Dan Malloy.

That desire to elect someone else is a product of Malloy's continuing unpopularity. Only 36% of voters approve of him to 52% disapproving. That makes him the most unpopular Democratic Governor in the country that PPP has polled on this year. His numbers with independents are bad at a 36/55 approval spread but the biggest problem for him is the party base- even with Democrats just 49% think he's doing a good job to 37% who disapprove. It's rare to find a major politician under 50% approval within their own party.

Malloy was narrowly "elected" in the first place only after some shady ballot counting in the city of Bridgeport.