A poll released Wednesday showed that in a hypothetical match-up for the presidency, President Barack Obama would defeat Texas Gov. Rick Perry among Texas voters by a margin of 45-47 percent. The findings put an exclamation point on the Republican governor's bizarre claim that he is a "prophet" because he's "not generally loved in his hometown."
Texas is dominated by Republicans, who hold a super majority in the legislature.
According to data from the Democrat-affiliated group Public Policy Polling, a large majority (59 percent) of Texans do not want their governor to seek the presidency, and only 33 percent would support him if he did.
Overall, the poll found that 55 percent of Texans rate Perry's job performance negatively, compared to 42 percent who say he's done a good job.
Perry, who took the office after the Supreme Court named George W. Bush President of the United States in 2000, is the nation's longest serving governor, having won three terms.
Since 2008, Texas has seen unemployment nearly double, alongside a doubling of the number of workers who are paid minimum wage or less.
In that same time, the state's budget deficit also widened to over $25 billion, forcing the legislature to pass dramatic cuts in their most recent session, including $4 billion in reductions for public education.
