ALBANY – Is Andrew Cuomo too tough? Maybe he’s not tough enough.
An overwhelming 64 percent of registered voters believe the state’s hard-driving attorney general has just the right attitude to get the job done, according to the latest Siena poll released this morning.
Another 16 percent feel the Democrats’ likely gubernatorial nominee is “not aggressive enough.” Only eight percent say he’s “too aggressive.”
The results follow a series of media reports about Cuomo’s forceful behind-the-scenes politicking as he reportedly prepares for a late April campaign kick-off.
“While political insiders may see Andrew Cuomo as Mr. Aggressive, voters certainly don’t see it that way,” Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said, noting that a similar majority – 63 percent to 23 percent – see Cuomo as a solution to Albany’s problems as opposed to part of the mess.
Meanwhile, the eldest son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo continues to lead all three of his potential Republican opponents – former Rep. Rick Lazio, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino – by 35-point margins in hypothetical match-ups.
Among the GOP hopefuls, Lazio boasts the highest favorable rating with 29 percent, but remains unknown to 46 percent.