Friday’s political round-up

June 16, 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:

* Texas’ bizarre, four-way gubernatorial race is still wide open, with the incumbent in the lead but below the 40% threshold, and three candidates bunched together in second. According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Gov. [tag]Rick Perry[/tag] (R) is ahead with 38% support, which is down slightly from last month. Entertainer [tag]Kinky Friedman[/tag] (I) is second with 20%, followed by State Comptroller [tag]Carole Keeton Strayhorn[/tag] (I) at 19%, and former Rep. [tag]Chris Bell[/tag] (D) at 14%.

* The latest SurveyUSA poll in Ohio offers encouraging news for Dems in the state’s two big statewide races. The results show Rep. [tag]Ted Strickland[/tag] (D) with a big lead over Ohio Secretary of State [tag]Ken Blackwell[/tag] (R) in the gubernatorial race, 53% to 37%, and Rep. [tag]Sherrod Brown[/tag] (D) ahead of incumbent Sen. [tag]Mike DeWine[/tag] (R), 48% to 39%.

* In Rhode Island, Gov. [tag]Donald Carcieri[/tag] (R) has fallen behind his Dem challenger, Lt. Gov. [tag]Charles Fogarty[/tag] (D), in the latest Rasmussen poll. With five months to go, Fogarty now leads Carcieri, 41% to 40%.

* For nearly a decade, Republicans have targeted Rep. [tag]Dennis Moore[/tag] (D-Kan.), who represents a district Bush won by 10 points in 2004, and every year they come up short. In 2006, it looks the GOP won’t even try very hard. Roll Call noted this week that the NRCC is tired of failing in Kansas’ 3rd, so the committee will likely save resources for more competitive districts. As Roll Call reported, “A national GOP operative said unless a strong challenger emerges, the party has higher priorities. The ball is in the court of the local Republican Party to bolster the Republicans who are running, the operative said.”

* And in Connecticut’s always-fascinating Dem Senate primary, [tag]Joe Lieberman[/tag] has a new TV ad out today. Atrios called it “hilariously awful,” but after having seen it, I think it may be even worse than that. (Keep in mind, if you watch it, that former Gov. [tag]Lowell Weicker[/tag] recently had knee replacement surgery.)

Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) ahead of incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine (R), 48% to 39%.

Now that is some excellent news. Any analysis on the historical reliability/accuracy of SurveyUSA polls?

  • Joe Lieberman has a new TV ad out today. Atrios called it “hilariously awful,” but after having seen it, I think it may be even worse than that.

    I thought for sure you were being melodramatic. Then I watched the ad. That is astonishingly bad. And the line about how Lamont votes GOP 80% of the time is astounding. This coming from Lieberman? Wow. I’m sooo close to sending money to Lamont.

  • Speaking of Lieberman, Mr. Carpetbagger has their been any follow-up by Senator Schumer regarding his recent remarks regarding support for Lieberman even if he doesn’t win the CT Dem primary?

  • Yay! Kinky’s numbers are climbing.

    Hell, we already know that *anybody* can be Governor of Texas. It takes fewer qualifications than a poop-scooper at the Dallas zoo.

  • OK, I used to live in Conn, but it was close to 50 years ago, so I don’t remember much…do they put something REALLY wierd in the water, or did Joe and Co find a secret stash of magic mushrooms in some woods somewhere? Someone needs to be slapped upside the head. Atrios and ‘bagger are being way too nice. This thing sucks wild wombat poo (the best kind…the domestic has no flavor).

  • Perhaps the TX Gov’s office is only a springboard into the Oval for Kinky…a Texas Governor at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave…what could possibly go wrong?

  • In no particular order:

    Looks like Joe L is going after the all important younger vote. I have to say the cartoon format is a little disturbing.

    Vote Kinky!

    If ever two guys had to be retired from public service it is DeWine and Blackwell. I hope Strickland increases that lead to at least 75% to 25%. Anything close and Diebold SOS and wannabe Gov. Blackwell could use some fuzzy math and pull and W.

  • Speaking of Lieberman, Mr. Carpetbagger has their been any follow-up by Senator Schumer regarding his recent remarks regarding support for Lieberman even if he doesn’t win the CT Dem primary?

    Not yet. I know for certain that he’s very much aware of the concerns from the party’s netroots, but there’s been no formal response. I’ll keep everyone posted.

  • I had to laugh at that commercial. It is as bad as you guys here describe it. It sounds like Lieberman is running against Weicker!

  • Not yet. I know for certain that he’s very much aware of the concerns from the party’s netroots, but there’s been no formal response. I’ll keep everyone posted.

    thanks for the response. I look forward to the update (and am optimistic that his formal response will “clarify” (i.e. contradict) his original off-the-cuff comments)

  • Obviously Joementum’s ad agency is supporting Lamont. That’s the only possible explanation.

  • Slightly OT, but these tidbits tend to be more about state and local races, and I’ve been looking for some decent Illinois blogs. If anyone knows of any, please let me know. I’m trying hard to follow the Blagojevich/Topinka race for Governor.

    Obviously I have high standards for the blogs I read. Thanks to CB, I’m spoiled! 🙂

  • Edo writes of the Jomentum commercial: “I thought for sure you were being melodramatic. Then I watched the ad. That is astonishingly bad. And the line about how Lamont votes GOP 80% of the time is astounding.”

    So where is the Lamont commercial saying Lieberman votes Rethug 95% of the time? The statistics are on his side. What’s the slogan–We Can Do Better…?

  • In re Lieberman: I stopped watching TV years ago. Are all political ads that clever these days?

  • You might be interested in the post on 20TB today about the NRCC, they sent out a press release attacking Democratic Candidate Kirsten Gillibrand for not raising enough money from within her district… except whoops, their candidate had raised less than Gillibrand did in the last quarter from within the district.

    He also raised much more of his $ from outside of the state.

    What ninnies they are, huh?

    So they plan to send the message that Gillibrand is an outsider and they don’t check the numbers, they are like Bush, they just presume that whatever they think is reality. And presto out goes the release.

    The fact that they can’t accept is that Gillibrand has more support inside the district than Sweeney does and that their candidate is funded mostly by DC lobbyists and Texas Tom Delay huggers.

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