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Bev Perdue needs to get her groove back. And she can, if she makes the right moves.

The governor's approval rating has fallen steadily to a dismal 25 percent, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released last week. Democrats, Republicans, independents, men, women and people living in every part of the state think she's doing a poor job after just six months in office.

This isn't good for North Carolina. While it's natural for the public to hold divided opinions about elected leaders, a widespread lack of confidence in the governor reveals poor attitudes about state government in general and its ability to provide effective services and meet people's needs.

Not that it's so surprising right now. North Carolina's unemployment rate is higher than the national average. State government's budget crisis hasn't been resolved, even though the new fiscal year began nearly three weeks ago. The previous administration wasted vast amounts of money through mismanagement, scandals sent several elected officials to prison and the former governor is under investigation for possible malfeasance in office.

Better than Mike Easley

Perdue isn't responsible for all that, which is a point she hasn't emphasized. While President Barack Obama often reminds Americans about the "mess" he inherited from George W. Bush, Perdue never mentions Mike Easley. Maybe she ought to. Proclaiming "I'm not like Mike" once in a while could make the public more aware of the improvements she's made, especially in visibility, openness and accountability. Easley was the state's most secretive and reclusive governor in modern times, while Perdue makes many more public appearances and has ordered government agencies to operate with greater transparency. She deserves credit for that.

Only 6 percent of respondents blame Perdue for the poor economy, Public Policy Polling found, so her problems lie elsewhere.

Some missteps

Perdue showed a sunny disposition on the campaign trail last year, rarely speaking frankly about the gathering clouds. She promised new state programs and, even after taking office in January, still pledged to increase school funding.

Reality hit hard, forcing the governor to order emergency spending cuts and a "furlough" day without pay for teachers and other state employees. When they reacted as if she had betrayed them, she embarked on a series of rallies aimed at mending fences but viewed by many taxpayers as appeasement. Perdue proposed large tax increases but also vowed to make them temporary. When asked why anyone should believe that, she replied, "Because I'm the governor." Maybe she was trying to convince herself.

Missed opportunities

While balancing a budget risks angering everyone, the governor has missed opportunities to win favor with the electorate. Public Policy Polling's Tom Jensen said she could have vocally supported smoking-ban legislation, which was popular but fell short of its original goal of making all workplaces smoke-free. A more recent example was the report that the Administrative Office of the Courts regularly shortchanges crime victims due restitution. Attorney General Roy Cooper immediately called for the state to pay up; Perdue should have beat him to it but instead was silent. She needs to get out front on initiatives that make ordinary people believe she's working for them.

Plenty of potential

Political guru Gary Pearce, once a top aide to former Gov. Jim Hunt, wrote last week that Perdue has "a tendency to hesitate and vacillate." She's taken a stand for higher taxes but hasn't seemed resolute or dealt strongly enough with the legislature to press her agenda, Pearce said.

He's right. The governor complained when legislators failed to approve a budget on time, but gently. She ought to stand at their front door and demand they finish their work, then get out of town and stop wasting money.

Perdue didn't win election in a landslide last November despite a powerful Democratic tide. But she can be charming, down-to-earth and funny. She also has a side that's tough and politically courageous. She just needs to identify issues that resonate with the public and deliver some results, even if they're not always big issues.

Considering the examples of Eliot Spitzer, Rod Blagojevich, Mark Sanford and Easley, North Carolinians should see their new governor as a jewel by comparison -- or at least not an embarrassment. Perdue should be doing much better than a 25 percent favorable rating, and with a smarter effort, she will improve. It won't happen overnight, but in time the governor can get her groove back.