It looks like Pat McCrory will become a one-term governor after all—and utter humiliation couldn’t happen to a more deserving fellow.





The latest Monmouth University Poll released Wednesday shows Attorney General Roy Cooper, the Democratic candidate, nine points ahead of McCrory. Especially good for Cooper? He’s running a good seven points better than Hillary Clinton, who is up two (44–42) in North Carolina over Donald Trump. Even better for Cooper: he’s pulling a majority, 52 percent, compared to McCrory’s 43 percent.



Part of the reason, it seems, is that Cooper is backed by 93 percent of Democrats, while only 89 percent of Republicans support McCrory. The governor has a middling 45 percent approval rating, too. (And for the U.S. Senate contest, Republican incumbent Richard Burr has a two-point lead over Deborah Ross—45–43, which is, of course, within the margin of error, but nonetheless seems like good news for Burr, considering how poorly the other Republicans are performing.)





Monmouth's poll falls in line with other recent ones. Another poll today, from CNN/ORC, had Cooper up six (with Clinton up one). The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll had Cooper up seven in early August. Overall, Real Clear Politics average has Cooper up three.



And here is McCrory’s response:





“Momentum.”



Anyway, especially telling in this Monmouth survey: McCrory is the face of HB 2, and HB 2 isn’t popular at all. The majority of voters—55 percent—disapprove of the new law, while only 36 percent like it. When your signature legislation is nineteen points underwater, you’re in trouble.