Reading through MPR’s piece on the latest MPR/Humphrey Institute poll:

Both Dayton and Emmer are seeing the effects of voter backlashes as both President Obama and Gov. Tim Pawlenty appear to be hurting their party’s chances. Of likely voters in Minnesota, 64 percent say the U.S. is on the wrong track, while 53 percent say the state is on the wrong track. Likely voters who disapprove of each executive’s performance are decidely breaking for the opposing party.

Read literally, that means Minnesotans are about 20% more likely to disapprove of Obama’s job than Pawlenty’s (and it’d be interesting to find out how much of that 53% disapproves of Pawlenty or of the DFL-controlled Legislature).

Nearly 40 percent of likely voters said an endorsement by Pawlenty for Emmer would weaken their support for Emmer. A quarter said they would be more likely to support Emmer. Similarly, 44 percent of likely voters said an Obama endorsement for Dayton would mean they would be less likely to support Dayton. Thirty percent said it would increase their likelihood of support.

This is an interesting stat.  After eight years in office, some form of Pawlenty fatigue is inevitable.

Obama’s been in office a year and a half, though.  It’s interesting that the DFL booth has absolutely no reference to the sitting President at the State Fair.

More on the poll as we go.