Friday’s political round-up

October 6, 2006

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* USA Today/Gallup released polling data on six of the most closely watched Senate races in the country today — and nearly all offer encouraging news for Dems. In Maryland, Rep. Ben Cardin (D) leads Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R) 54% to 39%; in Missouri, Claire McCaskill (D) leads Sen. Jim Talent (R) 48% to 45%; in Virginia, Sen. George Allen (R) leads Jim Webb (D) 48% to 45%; in New Jersey, Sen. Bob Menendez (D) leads Tom Kean, Jr. (R) 46% to 43%; in Rhode Island, Sheldon Whitehouse (D) leads Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R) 50% to 39%; and in Tennessee, Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D) leads Bob Corker, (R) 50% to 45%

* In Maryland, USA Today/Gallup also found that Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley (D) has opened up a 12-point lead over Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) 53% to 41%. Speaking of the race, Ehrlich raised eyebrows yesterday by questioning the qualifications of his own pick for lieutenant governor, saying he may not have chosen Kristen Cox as his running mate if she were not blind.

* In Michigan, Dems are encouraged by the latest EPIC-MRA polls, which show Dems ahead in both of the state’s major statewide races. In the gubernatorial race, Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) now leads Amway heir Dick DeVos (R), 46% to 40%. In the Senate race, incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D) has expanded on her earlier leads and is now ahead of Mike Bouchard (R), 48% to 35%.

* In Ohio, a new Rasmussen poll shows Rep. Ted Strickland (D) still leading Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R), but not by as much as a month ago. Strickland maintains a double-digit advantage, up 52% to 40%, but the 12-point margin is seven points less than the 54% to 35% margin he had in mid-September.

* And in Wisconsin, a new Research 2000 poll shows incumbent Gov. Jim Doyle (D) ahead of Rep. Mark Green (R), 48% to 42%. Green Party candidate Nelson Eisman drew 1%. A month ago, Doyle was up by nine in the same poll.

Ohio scares me. If it’s within 15 points, Blackwell could find a way to steal it. Strickland has to pour it on and crush this guy.

  • I have to agree with dajafi. Ohio is Diebold saturated. They have no real control over their elections, Blackwell does.

  • It’s good to see Granholm regaining some of her lead coming off of the first debate. It’s definitely still a close race, and Granholm still needs our support, but hopefully the debate made it evident to anyone who watched that DeVos has no real plan for Michigan. And as a side note, I always appreciate when someone refers to him as “Amway heir” Dick DeVos–good to keep that title front and center.

  • Tom, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that… though I think it would be operationally smart for Strickland’s people to publicly ask for FEC regulators or other good-government types to come in and monitor the voting. Both helps keep Dems energized by reminding them of the “irregularities” of 2004 and, hopefully, plants a seed of doubt among Blackwell’s right-wing zombies that their guy isn’t really a moral actor.

    What I find so upsetting about people like Blackwell is that they’re living, breathing examples of the operating principles of pre-Reformation Christianity (or, for that matter, modern-era faith-based terrorism): since God is on our side under all circumstances, we’re justified in every imaginable slimy tactic.

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