Ted Strickland’s lackluster term as Ohio’s governor appears to be headed for a screeching halt according to Scott Rasmussen’s latest polling:

Unemployment in Ohio has jumped to 10.5%, the state is wrestling with an $851 million budget shortfall, and Governor Ted Strickland has proposed delaying a tax cut approved in 2005. Add it all together, and it’s a tough environment for the incumbent Democratic governor who now trails his expected general election opponent by nine percentage points in an early look at the 2010 race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in Ohio shows Republican John Kasich getting 48% of the vote while Strickland picks up just 39%. Three percent (3%) say they’d prefer a third-party candidate, and 11% are not sure who they would vote for. In September, the two men were essentially even.

In Septermber, Gov. Strickland and Rep. Kasich were tied. Since then, the economy has continued tanking both in Ohio and nationwide. Independents have abandoned Denmocrats in dramatic totals, as evidenced by the Virginia and New Kersey governors races.

Meanwhile, Rep. Kasich has been working the state hard, preeching the gospel of limited government, tax cuts and responsible priorities. That message is just what the people want from government. A poll about a month ago said that, for the first time in recent history, a majority of people wanted government to just get out of the way, rejecting government taking care of their needs.

John Kasich’s history of balancing the federal budget 5 straight years while working with Bill Clinton in creating 22,000,000 jobs must look like manna from Heaven in these uncertain economic times. John Kasich’s common sense conservatism and his ability to connect with people are dramatically different than Ted Strickland.

These statistics won’t help Gov. Strickland:

Strickland currently wins support from just 69% of the state’s Democratic voters and trails by 25 percentage points among voters not affiliated with either major party.

OUCH!!! If you aren’t winning 85+ percent of your party’s vote as an incumbent, you’d better pray that you’ve got strong support with independents. Nothing says “Gov. Strickland’s in trouble” more than those statistics.

Obviously, there’s several political lifetimes between today and Election Day, 2010, but if I had to pick between whether I’d rather be in Kasich’s shoes or Gov. Strickland’s right now, I’d pick Kasich’s position.

Technorati: Ohio, Ted Strickland, Tax Increases, Democrats, John Kasich, Tax Cuts, Balanced Budgets, Job Growth, Economy, Conservatism, Republicans, Election 2010

Cross-posted at California Conservative