Poll: Majority of Ill. Voters Want Blago Out

Illinois voters have overwhelming decided their governor is guilty of the corruption charges being brought against him, and the vast majority want him to resign immediately, according to a new poll.

The Rasmussen Reports poll found that 84 percent of Illinois voters say indicted Governor Rod Blagojevich should resign, and 79 percent say he should end up in jail.

But only 18 percent believe he is very Likely to step down, with another 22 percent say a resignation is “somewhat likely. Just 7 percent say the governor is doing a good or excellent job in office while 83 percent rate his performance as poor.

For the first time in the history of the poll, respondents cited a specific individual — Blagojevich — as less ethical than his peers. Fifty-nine percent said that their Governor is less ethical than most politicians. For example, following the conviction of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, 67 percent of Alaska voters still said Stevens was at least as ethical as his peers.

The poll also found that just 13 percent of Illinois voters say it’s very likely president-elect Barack Obama was involved in the Blagojevich scandal. Another 13 percent say it’s somewhat likely. And 78 percent of Illinois voters approve of the way Obama has handled the role of president-elect so far.