Burr finds low approval

Approve 27%
Disapprove 26%
Not sure 46%

Republican Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina has just a 27% approval rating, according to a PPP survey conducted last month.

It's not that the voters dislike Burr- there are slightly more who approve of the job he's doing than disapprove. But a remarkably high 46% of them are ambiguous toward him.

That fact makes Burr pretty vulnerable for reelection in two years. Incumbency is a huge advantage, but much less so when the voters don't even really know who you are. And a 46% 'not sure' rating for a US Senator shows he's not doing much to attract the voters' attention.

Predictably for a Republican, Burr is most popular with voters whose top concerns are taxes, immigration, and moral and family values. His lowest levels of popularity are with voters concerned about health care, the war, and the economy.

How vulnerable Burr is for 2010 will depend on who steps up to challenge him. Democrats' prospects will be improved if viable candidates get into the race much earlier in 2009 than the October date when Kay Hagan entered the contest to replace Elizabeth Dole.

Although Hagan is now relatively competitive in fundraising, she has a significant cash on hand deficit because of all the money Dole was accruing when she had no opposition. The earlier candidates start running, the more time they will have to stay competitive with Burr in the money race.

Full results here.