Byrd Favored over Capito for Senate (West Virginia: Byrd, 55; Capito, 39)

State Journal ^ | 9/8/2005 | Beth Gorczyca

[nj26]

If the 2006 United States Senate election were held right now, incumbent Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., likely would win in a race against potential opponent U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. according to a poll recently released by Charleston-based RMS Strategies.

Byrd, 87, was expected to announce his plans this week to run for a record ninth consecutive term, but he decided to delay his announcement because of recovery efforts from Hurricane Katrina, as well as the funeral for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, which was scheduled for Sept. 7.

According to the poll, about 55 percent of registered voters in West Virginia said they would support Byrd in the election. Only 39 percent said they would support Capito.

Poll respondents also had a higher opinion of Byrd than Capito and gave the senior senator higher job approval ratings than the congresswoman. According to the poll, 72 percent of residents have a favorable opinion of Byrd, while 58 percent have a favorable opinion of Capito.

In a separate question, 63 percent of residents said they approve of the job Capito is going in Congress as opposed to Byrd, who had a 75 percent approval rating.

The elected leader with the highest job approval rating was West Virginia's junior senator, Jay Rockefeller. About 81 percent of residents said they strongly approved of the job the Democrat was doing in Washington, and 80 percent said they had a favorable opinion of him.

[satchmodog9]

What Byrd story would be complete without posting a few facts.

[model 1894]

America's oldest band "Byrd Flu and the Blameocrats"

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Capito should simply sit this one out. Byrd will not live forever.His health is declining. His mind has been gone for years. For such a scholar of the Constitution as Byrd is, does he not realize the US SENATE is not a life time appointment, he is allowed to step down and NOT run?

[johnny7]

87?!

I'm hoping that nature... and the law-of-averages intervenes.

[ken5050]

Excellent analysis...people don't realzie that when old people go downhill, it happens very, vey fast..actuarially, it's at best even money that he is alive next November..

BTW...do you know what the WV election law says abotu substituting candidates...makign a ballot change..remember what the Dems did in NJ..

[squirt-gun]

FYI, Byrd is a native of North Carolina. His adoptive parents were from WV, and moved him here as a child. So much for the inbreeding.

The point we are all discussing is this: Why do people elect Byrd?

My answer referred to the competence (lack thereof) of the people...not as you infer, the competence of Mr. Byrd....He has proven himself very competent..yet devious.

And, like Maine, there has been a considerable amount of inbreeding in them thar hills.....Hence my comment referring to the lack of intelligence of the people as clearly demonstrated by whom they vote for.

[jmaroneps37]

I'd have to see the internals of this poll before I gave it any weight. It is very odd that with no particular triggering event, the spread went from 3 points to 16. It is an established pattern that the ratmedia over compensates in their lies. When they don't provide a party break down be suspicious.

[HoosierIsolationist]

West Virginia has had Republican Senators in the past. In 1958 W. Virginia had two GOP Senators, but both lost that year and ever since then W. Virginia has had all Dems.

[hgro]

Only in W.Virginia would a Klan Kleagle get elected. Keep them ignorant and poor Bob.

[pageonetoo]

I was born in NC in the late 40's. It was a different era. Back then, we had Democrats almost all the time. But, they were Jesse Helms Democrats.

As time passed, the Democrat party has gone further and further left, and most conservatives bailed out.

My mother, 82 yo, will vote Dem until she dies. She has a party loyalty, like so many folk do. She is not politically aware, she's just doing what her father said to do...

The same plagues the Republican party in WV. Sheets is a hero to many of them. With his KKK leanings, and his ability to move massive amounts of fedrool money into the state, he has made himself bulletproof from attack.

The Democrat Party in WV is the Good Ole Boy network personified... they just don't call black folks "boy" to their faces!

Go Shelley, go...