A new Quinnipiac Poll spells trouble for David Paterson in the 2010 gubernatorial primary against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. It's a long ways away, of course, but this poll makes clear that New Yorkers just can't seem to let go of the bad taste the Caroline Kennedy debacle left in their mouths.

The Caroline Kennedy caper continues to bedevil New York Gov. David Paterson as he trails Attorney General Andrew Cuomo 55 - 23 in an early look at a 2010 Democratic primary for Governor, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. [...]

New York State voters approve 45 - 41 percent of the job Paterson is doing, his lowest approval rating in 11 months as Governor and down from 50 - 30 percent January 26.

Voters disapprove 52 - 35 percent of the way Paterson handled the appointment of a U.S. Senator to fill Hillary Clinton's seat. Disapproval is similar across the political spectrum.

These numbers represent a decline for Paterson since a Sierra Research Institute poll taken in late January.

Quinnipiac also finds that Paterson performs far more weakly against Rudy Giuliani in a hypothetical match-up (43-43) than Cuomo does (51-37,) numbers that, if they persist, should compel Cuomo to get in the race next year. Of course, if Paterson had done the thing that was both in his own interest politically and that the people of New York wanted, which was to name Cuomo, his biggest primary threat, to the Senate seat, this would be a moot point. Ironically, in what turned out to be an overly arduous attempt to make the safest choice possible and to "first do no harm", Paterson ended up endangering his own career.