My syndicated newspaper column this week talks about a poll conducted by Sen. James Meeks, a potential third-party candidate for governor. Details about MoE, survey size, etc. can be found in the full piece.

According to the survey, Gov. Blagojevich’s “generic” re-election numbers are not that great. When asked whether he deserves re-election, just 36 percent agree, compared to 55 percent who want someone else. Nine percent didn’t know. Blagojevich’s job approval is 35 percent, with 45 percent disapproving and 20 percent not knowing. But even with those lousy numbers, for the first time since the primary Blagojevich is leading Judy Baar Topinka, 47-40.

When Meeks is tossed into the equation, Blagojevich leads with 41, Topinka has 34, Meeks has 12, and 13 percent are undecided. After several “push questions,” which were designed to test Meeks’ message of his religious affiliation, his opposition to gay marriage and abortion and his support of billions more in school funding, Blagojevich drops to 37 percent while Meeks and Topinka are tied at 25 percent each. Undecideds remain at 13 percent.

This last result, with Blagojevich still leading after the “push” questions and Meeks hurting Topinka much more, could help Meeks ward off critics, especially in the black community, who claim that his candidacy would destroy the Democratic governor’s chances.

This is also pretty much exactly where Meeks said he needed to be to even consider a run. Meeks said shortly before the poll was taken that he wanted, at a minimum, to be at 10 percent in the pre-push horse race question, and then have that doubled after the push. He exceeded both of those goals.

Meeks also included a question about the arguments for and against his run. Just 27 percent agreed with the statement that Meeks should not run because “an Independent African-American candidate from Chicago could doom Governor Blagojevich’s chances of winning re-election.” But 56 percent agreed with the statement that Meeks should run “because the Democrats have taken blacks and others for granted and it’s time for a change.”

Meanwhile, a Sun-Times story this week discussed Meeks and the anti gay marriage referendum.

Redfield said the same-sex marriage issue may boost the number of social conservatives at the polls in November, thus helping Downstate conservative candidates, Republicans vying for seats in the Legislature and state Sen. James Meeks if he decides to make a third-party run for governor.

About 4,300 signatures for the referendum were collected at Salem Baptist Church, where Meeks is pastor.

“If Sen. Meeks runs and wants to emphasize the social conservatism as kind of his hook, then it may turn out that Sen. Meeks would help the proposition and the proposition would help Sen. Meeks,” Redfield said.