Thursday’s political round-up

May 11, 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:

* The Dem establishment entered Virginia’s Senate primary in a big way yesterday, with several major players endorsing former Navy Secretary [tag]James Webb[/tag]’s campaign. Among the party leaders throwing their support behind Webb yesterday were Harry Reid, Tom Daschle, Dick Durbin, Chris Dodd, Ken Salazar, Tim Johnson, and Max Cleland. Webb is facing businessman [tag]Harris Miller[/tag] in a Dem primary, through the pressure is now on Miller to step aside.

* Though some recent polls have shown the race tightening, a new Quinnipiac poll shows state Treasurer [tag]Bob Casey[/tag] (D) with a comfortable lead over Sen. [tag]Rick Santorum[/tag] (R) in Pennsylvania, 49% to 36%. This is slightly larger than Casey’s 48% to 37% lead in a Quinnipiac poll taken last month.

* Speaking of Pennsylvania, Gov. [tag]Ed Rendell[/tag] (D) has extended his lead in the state’s gubernatorial race, according to a poll conducted by Strategic Vision, a Republican firm. According to the poll, Rendell now leads former football player [tag]Lynn Swann[/tag] (R) 49% to 41%. The same firm showed Rendell leading 44% to 42% last month.

* Michigan’s gubernatorial race continues to be one of the most competitive in the country, according to a new EPIC/MRA poll. At this point, Amway heir [tag]Dick DeVos[/tag] (R) has a narrow, 46% to 45% lead over Gov. [tag]Jennifer Granholm[/tag] (D). Pollsters attributed Granholm’s difficulties to the state’s slow economy.

* Businessman John Raese may have won West Virginia’s Republican Senate primary this week, but he still has a long way to go before he catches his Dem opponent, Sen. Robert Byrd (D). According a new Rasmussen poll, Byrd leads Raese, 57% to 34%.

* In Texas, former Republican Rep. [tag]Steve Stockman[/tag], seeking Tom DeLay’s seat as an independent, announced yesterday that he has collected enough voter signatures to appear on the ballot. Stockman will face former Rep. [tag]Nick Lampson[/tag] (D) and whomever a committee of local GOP precinct chairmen picks as the Republican candidate.

* And in New York, Gov. [tag]George Pataki[/tag] (R), who is not running for re-election but it considering a presidential campaign, now has his lowest-ever approval rating. According to a new Marist College poll, just 30% of New Yorkers support Pataki’s job performance. It’s the lowest rating in the 23 years that Marist College has been conducting such polls.

Re Michigan, DeVos has spent $5 million recently on a TV ad blitz, touting himself as a friend of the blue-collar worker and on how he “earned” his money by creating jobs. A bunch of hooey; he inherited every damn cent he has; he personally did not create one damn job in this state; and in fact Alticor (Amway’s parent corp) has sent more than 1,100 jobs out of Michigan to China.

Three very important facts to keep in mind at this rather early stage of the campaign: (1) Granholm inherited a very poisonous situation when she took office in 2003 (over 90% of the jobs lost in this state since 2000 occurred before she took office, and Engler before her put in place tax cuts that are now taking effect and, with the Rethug-dominated legislature, is hampering her efforts at job creation); (2) Granholm is an outstanding campaigner and finisher, and she has not yet begun her real re-election efforts; and (3) in DeVos’ own neck of the woods (Grand Rapids on the West side of the state, a rabidly-Rethug dominated area), DeVos trails Granholm in the polls by 60%-40%…. I guess those who know Junior best think the least of him!!

I fear for liberty and common sense in this state if Granholm is not re-elected this fall. She has some truly innovative and far-thinking ideas and plans on the board to make Michigan the center of personal transportation (the cars of the 21st Century) and for alternative energy research. If she loses, Michigan will be under the sway of all-Rethugs all the time, and we will cut taxes even more (already the thugs want to gut $2 billion in business taxes — the full amount now spent to fund higher education and to pay for the prison system — without any plan or sense of urgency to replace all or even a large portion of those dollars); access to abortion or even contraceptive services and health insurance will be restricted and/or eliminated; and government services for Christ’s “the least of these my brethren” will be cut even more.

I hope that the storm gathering against the Rethugs in the national polls will sweep the bastards down the toiletbowl of history and we can once again regain some sanity in this state. Bush’s disconnect with ordinary Americans is shared by the Rethug leadership here in Michigan…. and DeVos Junior is the epitome of the fake facaded Bush-clone that wants to further agonize our misery here. To Hell with this faker; to Hell with the Rethugs; and to Hell with their corporate masters!!

  • I don’t know or care much whether Virginia Dems nominate Webb or Miller to challenge Confederate wannabe George Allen, but have *NONE* of these political geniuses had *ANY* second thoughts about the wisdom of “clearing the field” for primary candidates after our experience in 2004, when several Senate races were won by Republicans – who had won contentious primaries – and lost by well-regarded Democrats – who had not had to fight for their nominations, but had only been identified as “good candidates” and given the nomination by acclaim?

    Does this bother anyone else? Can we at least *TRY* to make our “good candidates” *prove* they can win by making them win *SOMETHING* – even if it’s only against another Democrat?

  • Steve–

    I notice none of the blogs I frequent are actually keeping a running total of whether it looks like we’ll retake one of the houses and by how much. Maybe because it’s only primary season. Even so. I like your breakdown info, but do you know where I could look for an analysis of the current state of the general picture?

  • Rendell has had TV ads nonstop for the past month. The only TV ads I’ve seen have been either for him or for candidates in the state house primary. I haven’t seen any Swann ads, or any relating to the Senate race at all.

  • Chris,

    Does this bother anyone else? Can we at least *TRY* to make our “good candidates” *prove* they can win by making them win *SOMETHING* – even if it’s only against another Democrat?

    Your sentiment is understandable, but not very pragmatic. Primaries can be costly and damaging. Out here in CA, the two Dem’s vying for the nomination to run against Herr Gropinator are proof positive that primaries aren’t such great things for the eventual winner. They will have damaged each other so much that although partisan Dems will vote for whoever wins, independents won’t. Especially after Ahhhnold starts his advertising blitz leveraging all the nastiness from the Primary.

    Catherine,

    here are a few decent sites:

    http://www.prospect.org/midterm/ (our very own Carpetbagger is a contributor)

    http://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/ (the senate and house sections are quite good, although I think they could be updated more often)

    http://www.swingstateproject.com/ (less of an all-around site, but good info on races in swing states).

    If anyone else has any other sites they recommend, I’d appreciate the URLs!

  • I’m somewhat torn between Chris and Edo. This braintrust handled the forced-exit of Hackett so poorly I hardly trust them to not screw things up worse through intervening. Moreover, in Virginia we seem to have an independently wealthy candidate and a candidate with a “pro-Confederate-comments” problem, and the braintrust knows this early it wants to go with the latter? Just for the “ex-military brass” angle? And isn’t it a little hard to force someone out who is independently wealthy? It isn’t like he needs their support. . .

    That said, in my own state I follow Edo’s position and wish Blouin would get out of Culver’s way so Culver can spend the cash against Nussle instead.

  • It just gives me a nice warm feeling inside when I see a Texas Republikanner running against another Texas Republikanner. I think of two equally matched pit-bulls, fighting over a kitten. In the end, the dogs are just so much bloody goo—and the kitten walks away with a reassuring mew….

  • Hmmmn. Maybe I’m just too lazy. Just looking for something like a list of all the races, which party is currently the projected winner, and projected totals currently for each party in each house.

    • Comments are closed.