Posted on 10/11/2014 4:48:57 AM PDT by Din Maker
Despite being an extremely popular two-term governor, Republican Mike Rounds has lost steam in the race for a U.S. Senate seat, according to the latest SurveyUSA poll.
With just four weeks until the Nov. 4 general election, Rounds appears to have 35 percent of the vote, down 4 percent from a month ago.
Independent Larry Pressler, a former Republican, is within the margin of error with 32 percent, gaining 7 perent from the last SurveyUSA poll. He is followed by Democrat Rick Weiland with 28 percent and the self-proclaimed "conservative" candidate Gordon Howie with just 3 percent.
Democrats and their supporters continue to hammer away at Rounds over EB-5 (the program that rewarded foreign investment in South Dakota). There are accusations that the program was mishandled.
That could have helped erode some of Rounds' lead.
When asked if the former governor has said enough about the investment program, a whopping 56 percent said they need to hear more from him. Only 32 percent are okay with how Rounds is handling questions.
Even though Rounds can't manage to distance himself from the pack, he might pull off a win because Weiland and Pressler continue to hurt each other.
When Weiland voters are asked what they would do if Weiland were not on the ballot, 71 percent say they would vote for Pressler; 9 percent say they would vote for Rounds. That means, if Weiland were not on the ballot, Pressler would defeat Rounds today 54 to 39 percent.
When Pressler voters are asked what they would do if Pressler were not on the ballot, 52 percent say they would vote for Weiland, 31 percent say they would vote for Rounds. That means, if Pressler were not on the ballot today, Rounds and Weiland would tie, 47 to 47 percent.
Also released today were poll numbers for the South Dakota Representative to the U.S. House race.
Incumbent Republican Kristi Noem today defeats Democratic challenger Corinna Robinson 55 percent to 37 percent. A month ago, Noem led by 13 points, today by 18 points.
As for the issues that voters are most concerned about when deciding on who to vote for:
27 percent - Economy 19 percent - Health Care 14 percent - Minimum Wage 12 percent - Immigration 11 percent - National Security 7 percent - Other 4 percent - Foreign Policy 3 percent - Campaign Finance 3 percent - Not Sure The SurveyUSA poll was conducted for KOTA-TV, KSFY-TV and the Aberdeen American.
I wonder when Claire McCaskill will call the Dem candidate (Weiland) and tell him to drop out so the Indy can win? This is nutso! This seat was supposed to be like taking candy from a baby.
With the bad mood of voters across the spectrum, there’s one thing the pols should be learning. That is that voters are learning to identify candidates who don’t actually represent their constituency, and are not supporting them. If Independents win some races against candidates who run lousy campaigns and/or don’t represent their constituency, is that a bad thing? If we get a few like Ms Ernst elected, it sends the right message (pun intended) much more than a majority polluted with RINO backstabbing scum does.
—I am wondering how much of Pressler’s financing is coming under the table from the Demos?
IIRC, Survey USA is a left leaning pollster, fwiw.
I’m sure someone posted earlier in the week that the Indy from SD will caucus with the Repubs. if he wins.
I don’t recall Pressler being a huge RINO....maybe Rounds should drop out?
Pressler has disowned the GOP. He endorsed Obama in 2008 and 2012.
I beg all my FReeper friends, even with McDaniel mess, please vote. Maybe there will be enough of us in my own BLUE state, to make a difference. I honestly pray for a wave election, Boehner or not, GOP interference or not, I just want Harry Reid stopped. And hence hopefully, Obama slowed!
“I don’t recall Pressler being a huge RINO....maybe Rounds should drop out?”
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Pressler endorsed Obama in both 2008 and 2012. He’s “evolved” toward progressive political thinking.
I hope that Round wins but I was disappointed that Kristi Noem didn’t pursue the nomination since I believe she would have easily won both the nomination and the general election. Kristi Noem is, I believe, somewhat more conservative than Rounds (who is in the “most electable” mold of the GOPe).
We definitely don’t want Pressler to win in conservative SD.
Mike Rounds will easily win this seat!!! Pubbies will pickup between 7 to 12 Senate seats and 12 to 35 seats in the House!!! If Iraq/Syria falls to Obama’s ISIS Muslim Brotherhood buddies, as it now appears....Pubbies will win even more seats in both houses!!! Obama is not one us...he is with our enemies!!! Folks, if ya have any brains and smarts, at all, you will, all of you, vote against any Democrat running for any office in the country. If we destroy the current Democrat Party, politcally, on Tuesday, November 4, 2014....we instantly make POTUS Obama, a full blown ineffective, useless, POTUS “Lame Duck”!!! Do it!!!
The democrats have done a good job of accusing Rounds of wrongdoing.
It’s all they talk about here.
The democrat created EB 5 so called scandal.
Rounds was cleared of any wrong doing but now the democrats are accusing him of lying about the info he provided.
Could that with the media blitz surrounding that and it is taking its toll on Rounds.
As a South Dakota voter I’m stuck. I don’t want to vote for a guy that might be prosecuted. Weiland is a tommy daschle clone. Pressler is a tool of the democrats.
Rounds has my vote regardless
Probably every senate race is illustrative of why the people have no business electing senators.
BS, this seat was long term in the hands of a far left democrat Tim Johnson. The State’s number one industry is Ag, and Ag votes democrat, while thinking Republican. There is only one Conservative candidate so far down in the polls it will be a miracle if he makes it.
Larry Pressler is a used to be mainstream Republican taking the worst of that party and the worst of the Democrat party for his senior independent remake. His voters are tired of the appearance of inaction in Washington, and are literally willing to burn the country to the ground in an effort to FIX Washington.
Remember also Tim Johnson and Tommy “two tongues” Daschle served together in the Senate from the “taking candy from a baby” State.
He’s a very weird guy.
I think he also ran for mayor of DC a while back.
There are two indy’s from SD. The only one for sure that will caucus with the Republican’s is Gordon Howie who is so far down in the polls as to be the miracle candidate hoping the voters get tired of the other candidates picking on one another by running endless TV ads.
Bless you for recognizing a very serious issue, that pesky seventeenth amendment.
What I consider the more serious part of the same issue, was the failure of those writing the amendment to refer back to the Constitution.
The term limits for Representatives of the people, is two years according to Article I Section 2. The writers failed big time when they did not change the term from six years to two.
Yes, yes it could. I think they stand a real chance of losing this one.
Another bad GOP candidate.
I live in SD and Pressler is not a Rino he is a liberal. Our popular local am radio host had him on to answer questions and he is MORE liberal than the democrat that is running.
It is widely suspected and assumed here in SD that if he wins he will caucus with the Dems and just Thursday he came out saying that should he be elected he will “be a friend of Obama”
I will be voting for Rounds.
Pressler would at best be a RINO and at worst a stealth liberal Democrat. I thought South Dakotans had finally wised up after electing George McGovern and Tom Daschle. Pressler is a Washington insider and hasn’t lived in South Dakota for decades. Wake up people.
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