Monday’s political round-up

November 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:

* In the final statewide poll before voters head to the polls in Connecticut, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I) appears to be poised to win another term. A new Quinnipiac poll shows the incumbent leading Democrat Ned Lamont, 50% to 38%. Republican Alan Schlesinger is a distant third with 8% support. “For Connecticut voters, Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s experience and record outweighed challenger Ned Lamont’s position on the war in Iraq,” said Quinnipiac University Poll Director Douglas Schwartz.

* In New Jersey, a new Quinnipiac poll shows Sen. Bob Menendez (D) hanging on to his lead over state Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R), 48% to 43%. “It looks like Sen. Robert Menendez has survived the ethics questions blocking his quest for a full term in the Senate, but in New Jersey you never count out a Republican named Tom Kean until the votes are tallied,” said Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

* Nevada’s gubernatorial race, made far more interesting by Republican Jim Gibbons’ recent scandals, took another unexpected turn yesterday when Green Party candidate Craig Bergland publicly announced that he is throwing his support to Democrat Dina Titus, citing Gibbons’ opposition to alternative energy. In an e-mail message to fellow party members, Bergland praised Titus’ pledge to hold a renewable energy summit within the first 100 days of office and to increase use of Nevada’s geothermal, solar, wind and biomass power. “A Washington insider becoming our governor may well spell the end of alternative energy in Nevada,” Bergland said.

* In Florida, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Crist was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally with President Bush today, but decided to back out, preferring to campaign elsewhere in the state. In an apparent sign of the president’s struggling popularity, Crist arranged an appearance with John McCain instead.

* USA Today/Gallup conducted polls in six key Senate races. In Missouri, McCaskill (D) is +4; in Montana, Tester (D) is +9; in New Jersey, Menendez (D) is +10; in Rhode Island, Whitehouse (D) is +3; in Tennessee, Corker (R) is +3; and in Virginia, Allen (R) is +3.

* Similarly, Mason-Dixon conducted polls in 12 key Senate races. In Arizona, Kyl (R) is +8; in Maryland, Cardin is +3; in Michigan, Stabenow is +16; in Missouri, McCaskill is +1; in Montana, Burns and Tester are tied; in New Jersey, Menendez is +7; in Ohio, Brown is +6; in Pennsylvania, Casey is +13; in Rhode Island, Chafee (R) is +1; in Tennessee, Corker is +12; in Virginia, Webb is +3; and in Washington, Cantwell is +16.

The USA/Gallup Poll looks good for McCaskill until you find out the margin of error is +/- 5 points. So it’s essentially still a tie.

There have been allegations of voter intimidation in St. Louis by a Republican elections commissioner, and four people were indicted for turning in false voter registration forms in Kansas City. Everyone is anticipating problems at the polls in the state of Missouri.

If this race is even the slightest bit close, I expect a battle in court.

  • Here’s a new poll that has Webb up by 8 points: link

    If there’s one Senate race I want to win, it’s this one. I think I’d be even more excited to see Macacawitz go down than Man-on-Dog… though perhaps I write this because I’m reasonably confident in the PA result.

  • 8% for Schlesinger? Republicans are nearly an irrelevant third party in Connecticut. Neocons seem to be doing well, though. The blood of every dead soldier is on Joe’s head.

  • “Here’s a new poll that has Webb up by 8 points.” – dajafi

    And the sampling error means that Webb might have just 0.6% of a lead.

    Still and all, that is good news. And I imagine Allen’s “supporters” really don’t want to come out tomorrow. We’ll see.

    LIEberman is so depressing. I can only hope that the Republican’ts have been lying to the pollsters and will either decide “they” can safely vote for Schlesinger because of JoeMentum or they just decide to stay home.

    “The blood of every dead soldier is on Joe’s head.” – doubtful

    Let’s not be implying that a Jew has a blood guilt, okay?

  • How in the holy hell can Allen even be anywhere close to Webb?!?!? Are people in the commonwealth that freakin’ nuts? Seriously …

    As far as the Missouri race, McCaskill was nowhere near my first choice due to her political baggage (hubby’s nursing homes and $$), but she’s put forth a helluva campaign with little money (well, compared to what Talent had). And, as brainiac noted, there have been dirty tricks on all sides.

    And I, too, expect a court battle if the race is as tight as we all expect it to be.

    I’m sssoooooooooo going to have to drink heavily tomorrow night.

  • I can’t believe that there are that many people in CT who are taken in by the sniveling syncophant.

  • I like your attitude, Unholy Moses. I’ll drink to that!!!

    I’m still pissed at the Florida press, which has (for the most part) ignored the new revelations about Charlie Crist in the last few days. The only paper carrying it is in Palm Beach County. Most of the press so far has been in the gay rags.

    Gay Rights Group Confronts Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Crist About His Sexuality

    Just days ago the Broward-Palm Beach New Times released a story about Jason Wetherington, a young up-and-coming Republican star who boasted at two separate parties that he had sex with Crist. According to a reliable source, Wetherington, who recently worked as the field director for Katherine Harris’ campaign, had spoken to several people at a party in Broward County this August about his sexual relationship with Crist. Wetherington also named Crist’s long-term partner: Bruce Jordan.

    …

    However, Bruce Jordan’s father Albert Jordan says that Crist and Jordan are friends. “He talks about (Crist), but I don’t think he’s seen Charlie in a while,” said Albert Jordan. In addition, the sworn testimony in the video released yesterday seems to indicate that Crist and Jordan have had a romantic relationship for some time.

    This could seriously affect the race for governer, but no one seems to want to touch it.

  • I don’t know about the rest of you folks, but here in Ohio, we’re getting ready to put out the brooms. Statewide offices (Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, treasurer, Attorney General) may all be going Democratic tomorrow. Then there’s a US Senator (R) and a handful of US House seats (again, R—at least 4 or 5) look to be going the same way—all Dem.

    Can you spell “sweep?”

  • Well, if Lieberman does win tomorrow, I sincerely hope that he transfers directly over to the Republican Party. It would serve the CT voters right. Plus, the Dems could use a wake-up call on him. If they had stepped up to the plate right after the primary, he wouldn’t be an issue now.

  • What’s going on in Rhode Island?

    While Chaffee is not the worst he still will vote for Rethug leadership. Thought we were up by 10%.

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