http://ostroyreport.blogspot.com/2006/09/countdown-to-november-new-polls.html
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Countdown to November: New Polls Indicate Democrats Gaining Momentum
in Bid to Recapture Senate.
This is Winnable
Less than seven weeks from now Americans will go to the polls to vote
in the midterm elections which are shaping up as a referendum on
President Bush, the Iraq war and the threat from terrorism.
Democrats need six seats to regain control of the Senate, and if
current polls are any indication of things to come, there's a very
strong chance they just might prevail.
Races in key battleground states are getting tighter, with Democrats
holding their own in leads over Republican incumbents, while staving
off Republican challengers to open seats and seats the Dems currently
hold.
A new SurveyUSA poll shows Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate nominee
Harold Ford Jr. leading Republican candidate Bob Corker, 48%-45%.
This race was earlier predicted as a toss-up by pundits, but Ford has
been gaining steadily. Rasmussen Reports show that in Montana, Jon
Tester leads Sen. Conrad Burns 52%-43%.
Additionally, in one of the tightest races, Missouri Democratic
challenger Claire McCaskill now leads Sen. Jim Talent 45%-42%.
In Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse has widened his lead to 51%-43%
over incumbent Lincoln Chafee, up from a 6% advantage in August.
In Ohio, Rep. Sherrod Brown, who's challenging Sen. Mike DeWine for
his Ohio seat, leads 47%-41%.
Over in Pennsylvania, the 3rd highest-ranking Republican Rick Santorum
trails challenger Bob Casey Jr. by 14 points, up from 11 points last
month, according to The Hill.
Last but not least is the brewing battle in Virginia, with Sen. George
"Macaca" Allen unexpectedly fighting for his political life against
tough-as-nails war hero Jim Webb.
Survey USA has Allen ahead of Webb just 48% to 45%, a statistical dead
heat.
In their bid to hold onto seats, the Democrats are faring extremely
well.
In Washington, incumbent Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell now leads
Republican challenger Mike McGavick 52%-35%, up from 6% in the August
poll.
In the fight for outgoing Sen. Mark Dayton's seat in Minnesota,
StarTribune shows DFL U.S. candidate Amy Klobuchar maintaining her
commanding lead over GOP rival Mark Kennedy, 56%-32%.
Lastly in Michigan, a Detroit News poll has Democratic U.S. Senator
Debbie Stabenow with a solid 54%-34% lead over GOP challenger Mike
Bouchard.
On the national spectrum, Democrats lead by a 12-point margin
(53%-41%) over Republicans in a generic ballot.
There's been much recent talk that the Democrats' best shot at power
is in retaking the House of Representatives.
But the Senate is more in play than ever before, and the above polls
show that both chambers of Congress are now within reach of Democrats.
On a trip to D.C. last week the mood on The Hill among Republicans was
gloom with a touch of doom thrown in for good measure.
It's almost as if the GOP's already conceding the House, preparing to
fight a bloody war to the death over the Senate.
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Kinda gloomy day for Republicans, ain't it.
Harry
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