A pair of polls today suggest that incumbent Ohio Democratic Governor Ted Strickland finds himself in deep trouble.

This morning, Rasmussen Reports released a survey finding former Republican Congressman John Kasich leading Strickland 52 percent to 40 percent. A 53 percent majority disapprove of the way Strickland is handling his job as governor, and an even more stark 59 percent of Ohioans disapprove of the job President Obama is doing while only 39 percent approve.

Also today, the Democratic polling firm PPP released a survey of Ohio voters showing nearly identical numbers. Kasich leads Strickland by 10 points, 50 percent to 40 percent, representing a noticeable shift in Kasich's favor from PPP's last survey in late June which had him leading Strickland by just three points, 45 to 42. PPP shows 52 percent of Ohioans disapprove of the job Strickland is doing as governor.

While PPP didn't ask what President Obama's job approval was, it asked a variant that produced a particularly jarring result. When asked whether they would rather have George W. Bush or Barack Obama as president, Ohio voters preferred President Bush over Obama by an eight point margin, 50 percent to 42 percent.

Needless to say, this finding undercuts what was going to be a major line of attack for Democrats in Ohio and around the country: tying Republican candidate to President Bush.

Overall, Kasich now leads Strickland by 10.3 percent in the RCP Average.