A new Quinnipiac University poll (1,528 RVs, April 1- 5, MOE +/- 2.5%) confirms what otherpolls have found: Gov. David Paterson is remarkably unpopular in New York, would lose a primary to Andrew Cuomo and would lose the general election to Rudy Giuliani.

New York State voters disapprove 60 - 28 percent of the job Gov. David Paterson is doing, the lowest approval ever for a New York Governor, and say 63 - 22 percent that he does not deserve to be elected to a full four-year term, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. [...]

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, with a near-record high 75 - 14 percent approval rating, tops Paterson in a Democratic primary 61 - 18 percent.

In a general election, Republican Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, tops Paterson 53 - 32 percent.

There is one question that Quinnipiac polls but that has not been polled before to my knowledge, which is whether Paterson should step aside and not run for a full term next year. The response is devastating for Team Paterson.

Gov. Paterson's approval is so low that he should announce now that he won't run for election to a four-year term next year, 53 percent of voters tell the independent Quinnipiac University poll, while 39 percent say he can restore his reputation and should run next year. Even Democrats say 49 - 45 percent that he should drop out of the race now.

Paterson's problems have now clearly transcended his mishandling of the appointment of the Senate seat. He is now being judged more on his actual job as governor than anything else but I have to think his negatives are exagerrated by the contrast with the extraordinarily popular Cuomo, whose profile has only risen in the wake of the AIG bonus scandal. Check out Cuomo's numbers:

"This poll has nothing but good news for Cuomo. His job approval is stratospheric, duplicating his 76 percent approval in February. And in election matchups, he leads Paterson more than 3-1 and shows he's the Democrat who can beat Giuliani," Carroll said.

New York State voters give Cuomo a 63 - 17 percent favorability rating, with a 43 - 33 percent positive among Republicans.

Something tells me David Paterson is second guessing his decision not to appoint Cuomo to the Senate seat.