Posted on 05/12/2010 6:41:00 AM PDT by St. Louis Conservative
Mark Critz, a former aide to the late John Murtha and the Democratic nominee to replace him, has pulled out to a 6-point lead in the special election for Pennsylvania's 12th district, according to a new Susquehanna poll. Critz leads Republican Tim Burns 44%-38% with less than a week to go.
The Johnstown-based district in southwestern Pennsylvania has swing potential, despite the overwhelming Democratic registration advantage and Murtha's dominance in the district for the last 36 years. It's the only district that voted for both John Kerry and John McCain.
Critz is running as a continuation of Murtha -- a strategy that could be detrimental to his chances, as we've seen two incumbents in the last several days lose the nomination of their own party. And two more incumbents are in danger next Tuesday, as well, as Sens. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) and Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) go up against formidable challengers.
Both national parties are spending big on this race, as it could provide a boost in momentum for either. That includes Republicans, who haven't won a competitive House special election this cycle.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
ping
Another problem we’re facing is that a lot of these vulnerable Dems are bing knocked out in primaries, rather than hanging on to be taken out in the general.
It would be hard to spin a Dem victory in that District as anything less than a significant Republican setback.
No surprise, these dyed in the wool Democrats districts will vote Democrat no matter what. You could publish pictures of the Demcorat canidate french kissing Bin Laden in every newspaper in the world and these people will still vote for the D.
But if they have to work this hard to win the solidly D districts, how are they going to fare in the red voting districts that 54 Democrats current hold?
Which poll was this? Susquehanna?
I’ll start the “Oh noes” when Gallup, Rassmussen or even Zogby have Burns down 6.
Frankly, I’m not surprised. Only a crooked cesspool of low-character ‘Rats could have kept Murtha in office for so long. The electorate would prefer another Murtha to an honest man.
Total BS. Did you bother to read this?
A Dem victory in this district was always a 80% probability. To cast this as a "significant Republican set back" indicates a total ignorance of the facts on the ground there.
It would only be a set back if this district had voted for McCain and Bush. If they have to spend this much and work this hard to win in their safe districts, they are toast in the 54 red voting congressional disticts currently held by Democrats
Good point.
Is there something wrong with Susquehanna?
The Dems have been carpet-bombing ads accusing Burns of being a “millionaire” and “sending jobs overseas.”
I think the ads were paid for by AFSCME.
But the people here are still of the belief that “The Democrats are for the poor people, the Republicans are for the rich.”
For 80 years that has worked for the Democrats.
I’m not surprised at this at all. Remember the tease PA-12 voters gave to Murtha’s opponent througout ‘08? After all the crap Murtha gave them, he still won on election day by a 19% difference.
Yep. We'll be seeing a lot of push polls from now until November.
WTH???!!!
These damn democrats are destroying the Country one day at a time, and these damn people are voting for them anyway?
What the hell is wrong with these people???
BS. Those voters adored Murtha. They proved it every election.
Usually trend Democratic and they don’t have a stellar reputation. It’s usually a push poll outfit whose results are only trumpeted when the person hiring them gets the results they wanted.
The people in that district chose pork over principles for many years.Do we honestly expect them to change now?
Its a heavily Democrat district isn’t it?
Hell, no.
Why?
A leftist served in it for 36 years and you EXPECT it to lean GOP?
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