Pennsylvania is a cheerier place, at least for now, when residents think about their new governor, according to Quinnipiac polling:

Pennsylvania voters say 59 – 27 percent they are optimistic about the next four years with Governor-elect Tom Corbett at the helm, and 66 – 26 percent back the idea of selling the state’s liquor stores to help balance the state budget, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Voters oppose 52 – 36 percent leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike to a private firm, the independent Quinnipiac University survey finds. And by a 51 – 41 percent margin, voters are okay with laying off state workers to reduce the red ink.
Corbett has pledged he will not raise taxes or fees to balance the budget. Voters say 47 – 44 percent they think the pledge is a good idea, but they say 53 – 33 percent he will not be able to keep his pledge. Pennsylvania voters oppose 65 – 32 percent raising taxes to balance the budget.
“Pennsylvanians are optimistic that newly-elected governor Tom Corbett will be able to make things better by more than two-to-one, yet they are skeptical that he can deal with the state’s budget problems without raising taxes or fees, as he has promised,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “Even Democrats are optimistic, 45 – 40 percent, about the future under Corbett.”

Then again, the numbers might be skewed by all of the Pittsburgh Steelers fans, optimistic about their chance to play the Jets on Sunday . . .