Ohioans Feeling Less Crappy About Their Lives

It's been a tough four years for folks in Ohio. Jim Tressel went down, Casey Anthony may or may not have made the Buckeye state her home, jobs have been hard to come by, and Ohio is neck-and-neck with Florida in everyone's favorite game, Ohio or Florida?

For the first time since 2007, more than half of surveyed Ohioans said they were somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with their lives, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll. The number four years ago, a record, was 54%. The number is at 51.

But John Kasich isn't getting much of the credit. Via the PD:

"Gov. Kasich's numbers have come up somewhat along with the optimism, but he still has a ways to go," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Voters say 49-to-41 percent that he is unfair in the way he handles the budget but they do see him as a strong leader, 54-to-36 percent, which is a characteristic voters seek in their executives."

Brown attributed the voter satisfaction to the improving economy and the state's lower unemployment rate. The job numbers, however, are a mixed bag. Part of the lower unemployment rate is attributed to more out-of-work people giving up on their job searches.

Brown also couldn't say for sure whether or not the increased number of Sonics around the state had any bearing on the numbers, but our hunch is that it does.