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"I like you, just not like that."

A Washington Post poll released today had lots of good news for Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich. Fifty-six percent of registered Maryland voters approve of the ...

A Washington Post poll released today had lots of good news for Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich. Fifty-six percent of registered Maryland voters approve of the job he's doing, 77% say he's a likeable person and 75% call him honest. Oh, and only 40% plan to vote for him, compared to the 51% who support his Democratic opponent, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley.

Those numbers show a jarring disconnect between how Ehrlich's constituents feel about him and how they feel about reelecting him. Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is in a similar boat. She's also far more popular personally than she is politically. These two will have to find a way to translate the good feelings they engender into broader political support because otherwise voters will be dumping both of them in November.

Josh Goodman is a former staff writer for GOVERNING.