Posted on 10/02/2014 6:57:38 AM PDT by centurion316
A new poll out Wednesday from Suffolk University and USA Today confirms something we kind of already knew: Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is in a remarkable amount of trouble. The poll shows independent Greg Orman leading Roberts 46 percent to 41 percent with Democrat Chad Taylor now off the ballot.
It has plenty of bad news for Roberts, but also some reasons to believe his goose isn't cooked just yet. Below, we're recapping three ominous signs for Roberts, and three reasons for hope. (And it all comes with the caveat that one poll shouldn't be taken as gospel.)
First, the storm clouds:
1) He is behind, period.
The only other Senate incumbents who have trailed by as much as five points in a poll are Sens. Mark Pryor , Mary Landrieu and Mark Begich . And there are less than five weeks left in the campaign — i.e. not a ton of time.
2) His favorable rating — 39 percent — is lower than President Obama's — 41 percent.
Ouch. That said, this is where Obama's mother is from, so there might be same nostalgia for that. His approval rating, for example, is five points lower, at 36 percent. And Roberts's unfavorable rating and disapproval ratings are both lower than Obama's. Still, the fact that Roberts is in the same ballpark as Obama in ruby-red Kansas is telling.
Also telling: Roberts's approval rating among Republicans is just 50 percent, with 36 percent disapproving. Clearly, there are lingering effects from his sub-50-percent primary showing.
3) Roberts earns the support of just 61 percent of Republicans
It's 61-30 Roberts among GOPers. If he's going to win, that needs to change — plain and simple. An incumbent, even in a state like Kansas, can't win while ceding that much of his party's vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The primary is over, this silliness needs to end and the Harry Reid fan club needs to sit in the corner and color.
On yesterday’s Topeka newscast, they reported that Chad Taylor claimed he had no outside pressure to quit the race.
Sure, I believe that.
I think the danger with Orman is his status as a Johnson County businessman. A lot of the ‘moderate Republicans’ come from there...and are just that...businessmen.
These Joco businessmen are really liberals, who for their entire lives have been led to believe that the GOP are mean rich people trying to reduce their own taxes...and as soon as they get rich themselves, their liberal mind tells them that they must now be ‘Republican’. That’s where the alleged ‘moderate Republicans’ come from.
I still have hope, though. This race has gone national, and everybody knows it. A vote against Roberts is a vote for Harry Reid...and no matter what, Roberts will get my vote - like him or not. And I think most people will be that way.
This makes no sense to me... what in the hell is it that GOPers aren't liking about Roberts? He has a rock-solid conservative voting record, so they can't blame RINO-ism. So WTF, Kansas?
I voted for Wolfe.
But that part is over now.
My question - Why won’t Wolfe close ranks and support Roberts. Wolfe has to know what is going on here, and what it means if Roberts loses...and his silence is helping him lose.
I don’t know much about the guy but someone who ran as a democrat last time is a pretty risky bet with the nation at stake.
I don’t have a vote there but if I did, I would want Orman to take a few years to prove himself.
And dontcha just LOVE IT that the law is meaningless when it’s inconvenient for DemocRats?
He faced a viable challenge in the primary...and he was successfully painted as an out of touch career politician.
And he is.
Lost in the mix is the fact that he gets fairly high marks, if you look at his voting record.
My disappointment is with his challenger, Wolfe, who needs to come out and tell his supporters that Roberts is the best choice.
Thank goodness the g.o.p.e got their man. Otherwise, where would we be in this deep red state?
I'm no Rove fan but it is still a mystery to me why Senator Roberts, as reliable a conservative vote (at least this year) as Ted Cruz, is in trouble with the Tea Party types.
Something is up. Generally Tea Party Folk are pretty hip. If anyone can explain why they would suddenly be favoring a Democrat masked as an Independent should speak up. To me it looks like a case of Temporary Tea Party Insanity (TTPI).
Get serious. Wolf (for whom I voted) was a flawed candidate. Roberts is more conservative than most of his Senate Republican colleagues. His problem is his indifference to his state, and the people of Kansas need to get over it.
I think it’s the home in Virginia issue.
Kansans are pretty clannish. I say this as a graduate of KSU.
They would find his non-resident residency to be offensive.
I must disagree.
"Pat Roberts" (the phenomenon, not the man) is the greatest threat to republican self-government we face this year. He's not the only one who a) lives in Virginia; b) cares more about the esteem of his peers than about the interests of his State; and c) has grown wealthy by ill-concealed bribery and rent-seeking.
But he IS the one who stands naked before the voters. If he is not defeated, the power that is strangling our nation can never be overcome.
I see that you are misinformed about Kansas. Does the name Kathleen Sebelius mean anything to you?
Wow.
Why should they "get over it"?
It's THEIR state.
"Orman contributed in 2007 to Democratic Senator Harry Reid, in 2008 to Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's campaigns"
It is unbelievable that any conservative would even think of voting for Orman.
I agree. Roberts is a good man and will serve well in a Republican Senate.
ONe poll means nothing. Is this people who intend to vote?
This guy Orman is a sham.
Right now Wolf is being investigated by the Kansas Medical Ethics Board for those Facebook pictures. Forget his political career, his professional career could suffer serious damage. Would you throw your support to the man behind that?
How about all the polls taken since Taylor dropped out? They all have Roberts behind.
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