Just to take a stab in the dark here: did David Paterson's people do a poll recently showing that people like the governor, but lack clarity on what he's doing? It might be interesting to know the answer - and I certainly do not - because it's striking how out-front the governor has been recently.

On September 8th, Paterson mocked Albany legislators as bloodsuckers, leading to much howling and rumored garlic and crucifix shortages caused by enthusiastic citizen buying.

On Tuesday, September 16th, Paterson gave authority to AIG to move $20 billion in assets from subsidiaries to its central holding, long before any Federal action was taken.

On September 19th, the governor requested that Treasury headquarter its relief efforts for Wall Street in New York City itself.

Today, the governor refused to rule out tax increases to get the state through the Wall Street crisis, authorized the attorney general to investigate the LIRR pension/disability scandal, hinted at a special session of the legislature, called rebuilding at Ground Zero "a mess", announced that the state will begin regulating some of the bizarre credit derivatives, slapped down John McCain, and for good measure, yesterday let everyone know that he won't be endorsing in the 2009 mayoral race.

Whatever the root cause of this pleasing activity is, more, please.

The New Yotk Times released a new poll of the state today with some mixed and worrying messages for the state's governing class.

Forty-nine percent of respondents approved of his job performance, and only 16 percent disapproved. Still, Mr. Paterson is largely unknown to New Yorkers, and more than a third of those polled did not express an opinion. And nearly 60 percent of those polled said the state was on the wrong track, expressing a view less bleak than Americans have shown in nationwide polls concerning the country’s direction, but still indicating widespread pessimism.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton's approval rating among New Yorkers of color has crashed from just under 90% (in 2006) to 55%. Barack Obama leads John McCain by landslide margins among all New Yorkers, 51% to 32%.

The state legislature, never popular as a body, has tanked in the public's mind: 29% approve, 47% disapprove, and 23% don't know enough about it to even have the luxury of an opinion. Of course, because legislators draw their own districts for the Assembly, there's not much to be done about that, other than by electing a Democratic Senate. Unfortunately, New Yorkers also reject control of both houses of the legislature by one party, 60% opposed, 34% in favor.