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Jun. 13, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

GOVERNING NEVADA: Disregard divorce, poll says

Gibbons' marital woes not part of low approval mark

By ED VOGEL
REVIEW-JOURNAL CAPITAL BUREAU
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Graphics by Mike Johnson.



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CARSON CITY -- Most Nevadans think the media should butt out of Jim Gibbons' messy divorce, which half of them say isn't interfering with his governance of the state.

But that's not to say Nevadans think their governor is doing a good job.

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    • Only 21 percent of likely voters statewide believe the Republican governor is doing an excellent or good job, according to a poll commissioned by the Review-Journal and reviewjournal.com.

    That compares with 41 percent who considered Gibbons' performance excellent or good in December.

    Pollster Brad Coker said Gibbons' rating with voters hasn't dropped because of his pending divorce from first lady Dawn Gibbons, but because of the state's poor economy.

    "When bad economies come along, the popularity of governors fall off," said Coker, managing partner of Washington, D.C.-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. "They either have to cut spending or raise taxes. When they cut spending, they cut out someone's adored program."

    Because of declining tax revenue, Gibbons and legislators have over the past seven months reduced state spending by $914 million for the two-year budget period that ends June 30, 2009.

    Gibbons warned Thursday that additional cuts of $500 million a year might be needed in 2009 and 2010.

    Sixty-three percent of those surveyed said the governor's divorce is a private matter and the media should not report on it, while 33 percent disagreed.

    Half said Gibbons' split with his wife and allegations of his involvement with another woman have not affected his ability to govern. Thirty-eight percent said the split has affected his job performance.

    The results show Gibbons' standing with voters at its nadir.

    Of those polled, only 3 percent think the governor is doing an excellent job; 18 percent view him as doing a good job; 33 percent rated his performance as fair; and 41 percent said it was poor. Five percent were undecided.

    The governor filed for divorce on May 2, citing incompatibility. Since then he has issued denials that the reason for the divorce was his involvement with a married Reno woman, Kathy Karrasch.

    While Gibbons' did not comment on the results, his press secretary, Ben Kieckhefer, said he expects the governor's ratings will improve dramatically once the economy recovers and people realize he balanced the budget without raising taxes.

    Kieckhefer added that people are more concerned about $4-a-gallon gasoline and keeping up with their bills than Gibbons' divorce.

    Coker's company surveyed 625 registered Nevada voters by telephone Monday through Wednesday, making sure the number of Republicans and Democrats surveyed reflect voter registrations. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

    State Democratic Chairman Sam Lieberman said he was not surprised by Gibbons' showing in the poll. Long before the divorce and declining economy, there were questions about Gibbons' lack of leadership, he said.

    "We had a serious hepatitis C problem that was a life-and-death issue for some Nevada families that he played down for the longest time," Lieberman said. "We have a serious home foreclosure issue and he shows a lack of leadership on that. Many Nevadans are looking for jobs and Jim Gibbons and his administration have done nothing to create an economic boost and more jobs. This is not effective leadership."

    Coker said he could not explain why so many people do not want the media to report on the divorce, but the results are what he expected.

    "You can't lay all his problems on his marriage, and you cannot avoid reporting on the divorce," he said. "It is clear he has had a drop-off in support, but it is due to the economy."

    Jim Denton, a Gibbons friend and Southern Nevada political consultant, said polls all over the country show low ratings for "politicians and everything political."

    "The governor's numbers reflect that sentiment," he said. "What you are seeing is the frustration the American people have with politicians, not Democrats or Republicans. This is the most toxic political environmental I have ever seen."

    Denton said he promised the governor and first lady not to talk about their divorce or its effect on the polls.

    "People are far more concerned about keeping their jobs, keeping the salaries they are making and keeping food on the table than anything else," he said.

    The poll also asked voters whether they thought the 1931 Nevada law that permitted Gibbons to keep the records of his divorce sealed from public view was a reasonable law that protects private matters.

    Forty-nine percent agreed, while 25 percent said the law instead allows "the rich and powerful to bilk their spouses in private."

    Dawn Gibbons' attorney has challenged the sealing of the case.

    Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.



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    zorro wrote on June 13, 2008 07:57 PM: I would like to think that I have no pre-existing bias toward the Governor. That being said, I honestly don't have any confidence in his ability to lead this state and solve our economic problems. All I hear is cut, cut, cut. As a state employee, I would have willingly given up my 4% raise if we could keep our social services programs intact. I will say this as a state employee: if I had been caught using my state cell phone for personal texting I would be in deep crapola.


    Jack wrote on June 13, 2008 05:48 PM: The RJ has had an ongoing vendetta with Gibbons for years. It is really a shame that you people are allowed to wield the power you do without any of the responsibility that would make you a real newspaper instead of a rag.
    We have a senator who makes money out of dirty land deals on our backs, we have his son telling building inspectors to pass buildings that are not up to code, we have 4 dollar + a gallon gas, I could name a dozen other things that concern "we the citizens of Clark County". Obviously rather than right wrongs, you choose to continue your personal war with the governor you tried so hard to keep out of office. This is more proof that the media is nothing but a whore to the left. Keep on pimping boys you just keep proving my point.


    You have to be kidding wrote on June 13, 2008 12:39 PM: 63% say it is a private matter having nothing to do with governing the state? The poll must have been taken in the good ole boy counties...Anyone else with a little sense understands that he is CHEATING ON HIS WIFE and lying about it. And he represents our state. Pathetic..


    wildbill wrote on June 13, 2008 11:23 AM: Just tryin' to get a laugh of of yet ANOTHER idiot politician. I don't care which party anyone is from, just love seeing them squirm like the worms they all are. Laughter is the best medicine nowadays the way this state and country are being run.


    lc wrote on June 13, 2008 10:56 AM: "This is the whole problem, the uneducated elect the public officials."

    Yes! All those Hillary supporters (uneducated, low-income, white "trash") that are such whiny, sore losers, they're going to vote for McCain. They don't have ability to comprehend what Hillary or McCain really stand for.

    Three-year-olds that didn't get their way... so who cares if Roe v. Wade gets overturned, who cares if we're in Iraq for 100 years...



    Typical uneducated wrote on June 13, 2008 10:23 AM: This is the whole problem, the uneducated elect the public officials.

    "When Gibbins was running for goveror the RJ ran hunderd's maybe thousands of negative articals about Gibbins.thay hate the guy.he must be doing a job when all you can talk about is divorce. i'll bet 85% of the people in Nevada know whats really know what's going on Gibbins.all we know is the trash you print about him.do me a favor go back 50 years to see if you can find something positave about Gibbin's and print it.that would be a first."


    Play down wrote on June 13, 2008 10:19 AM: "People are far more concerned about keeping their jobs, keeping the salaries they are making and keeping food on the table than anything else," he said.

    What table would be? Perhaps one in the park?

    As far as Jimbo's DIVORCE. You have to love the high moral family value repugnicans.


    lc wrote on June 13, 2008 09:50 AM: Let's see... in 1992, Clinton was suspected of having an affair - but, that was his own private business, it was a he said/she said, and so we elected him anyway. So what happened? The media threw our whole country into a 24/7 frenzy over his sexual escapades. For two years, all we heard was "Monica" as our country was sliding into a recession and Osama Bin Laden was planning his horrific event...

    Then, in 2007, another candidate - for Governor of Nevada - is accused of something sleezy. Again, it's he said/she said. We go ahead and elect him... Now we're going to hear about his affairs ad nauseam. Our state is sliding into a recession (if not worse), and the media is hopping up and down about this.

    Maybe it's time we stop electing officials with possible sleezy pasts, until we know for sure that it won't interfere with their job???


    Logical wrote on June 13, 2008 09:50 AM: OF COURSE his philandering has impacted his job. He's always texting and never governing. This state deserves much better than a lovestruck 13 year old mentality! All the writing was on the wall before the election. Remember folks?


    bruce wrote on June 13, 2008 09:41 AM: When Gibbins was running for goveror the RJ ran hunderd's maybe thousands of negative articals about Gibbins.thay hate the guy.he must be doing a job when all you can talk about is divorce. i'll bet 85% of the people in Nevada know whats really know what's going on Gibbins.all we know is the trash you print about him.do me a favor go back 50 years to see if you can find something positave about Gibbin's and print it.that would be a first.


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