March 08, 2011 11:28 PM UTC

Well, That's Not How This Was Supposed to Turn Out

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• by: Colorado Pols

The ongoing battle in Wisconsin regarding Republican Gov. Scott Walker and his efforts to dismantle state employee unions hasn’t turned out as well as he might have hoped. As “First Read” reports, Walker may have awakened the old sleeping giant:

But the fight may have aroused a different “sleeping giant” — the activist liberal Wisconsin electorate, which was dormant in the 2010 midterms.

A poll out [yesterday] by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute shows President Obama’s and Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s approval ratings heading in opposite directions.

Obama’s approval rating sits at a comfortable 53%-42%, above the national average, and a nine-point improvement in the poll from November. (In November — after the Democrats’ shellacking in the midterms — the president’s approval in the poll was split at 44%-43%.)

By contrast, Walker’s approval rating is upside down – with 43% approving and 53% disapproving of how he’s handling his job. Walker’s “strongly disapprove” is a sky-high 45%; Obama’s is 26%…

…The fight over unions’ collective-bargaining rights has become national news, and has drawn protestors in the tens of thousands. Views of public employee unions are very favorable – 59% have a favorable opinion of them, just 34% view them negatively. Teachers have a 70%-25% fav-unfav; teachers’ unions have a lower, but still strong 59%-36%.

The poll also finds that by a 65%-33% margin, Wisconsin residents want Walker to compromise on the current standoff.

Walker is still defiantly stating that he won’t compromise on his (ahem) “budget” plan, but national Republicans hoping to take back the White House in 2012 might soon be telling him to tone it down.