Posted on 02/14/2006 8:59:28 AM PST by Neville72
Florida Senate: Republicans Supporting Harris
Survey of 500 Likely Voters
February 6, 2006
Election 2006
Florida Senator
Bill Nelson (D) 49% Katherine Harris (R) 40% RasmussenReports.com
February 14, 2006--In recent weeks, several Republican political leaders in Florida have stopped trying to push Katherine Harris out of the U.S. Senate campaign and decided to support her efforts. Governor Jeb Bush, Lt. Governor Toni Jennings, and members of the state's Congressional delegation have indicated that they will campaign for Harris.
Rank-and-file Republicans have made the adjustment as well. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of GOP voters now plan to vote for Harris in November. That's up from 59% in early January and matches Senator Bill Nelson's support among Democrats.
Overall, however, Harris still trails Nelson by nine percentage points, 49% to 40% (see crosstabs). Among voters not affiliated with either the Republicans or Democrats, Harris trails badly, 64% to 18%.
Forty-four percent (44%) of Florida voters now have a favorable opinion of Harris, up from 34% a month ago. Forty percent (40%) have an unfavorable opinion.
Nelson is viewed favorably by 53% and unfavorably by 27%.
Visit the Rasmussen Reports Election Polls page to see a summary of our latest state-by state polling.
CrossTabs for this survey are available for Premium Forty-seven percent (47%) of Florida voters say economic issues are more important than the War in Iraq. Forty percent (40%) say Iraq is more important.
Visit our Election Polls page to see a summary of our latest state-by state polling. Rasmussen Reports is polling every Senate and Governors' race at least once a month this year.
CrossTabs for this survey are available for Premium Members.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports ElectionEdgeTM Premium Service for Election 2006 offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a mid-term election. We are polling every Senate and Governor's race at least once a month. We also update the President's Job Approval on a daily basis.
Rasmussen Reports was the nation's most accurate polling firm during the Presidential election and the only one to project both Bush and Kerry's vote total within half a percentage point of the actual outcome.
During Election 2004, RasmussenReports.com was also the top-ranked public opinion research site on the web. We had twice as many visitors as our nearest competitor and nearly as many as all competitors combined.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
The telephone survey of 500 Likely Voters was conducted by Rasmussen Reports February 6, 2006. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4.5 percentage points at the midpoint with a 95% level of confidence (see Methodology).
Looks like 60% is her absolute cieling. Go Katherine Go.
Florida Republicans have collectively shrugged and said, "She's in the race to stay, she'll be our nominee whether we like it or not, so we might as well make the best of it."
It says much about Bill Nelson's weakness as a candidate that Harris actually has a chance.
She's within striking distance. A well run campaign and she can win.
Nelson is well liked by most everyone in the state. His efforts to protect and even add to military installations has won favor in Jacksonville and the Panhandle.
B.S. He is a liberal as you get them. Same was this our lame former Governor and ex. Senator Bob Graham!!!
Thanks, that's a great looking horse!
The Republican "leadership" and activists need to stop griping and start supporting Harris 100 percent. This race is difficult, but not impossible.
Thanks to the FReeper who posted the hot shot of this beautifully shaped lady on a horse. Sheesh ...
Opposition within the GOP to Katherine Harris has ended. Republicans are going through the motions of supporting her now.
Now that's the spirit.
Nelson voted no on Alito and gave the thumbs up to Farenheit 9/11. Bill Nelson delenda est.
The race is starting to tighten up and the poll numbers are looking a bit more realistic. The 25% lead that Nelson had in some earlier polls was ludicrous. I still believe that it will probably be a 55%-45% win for Nelson, unless our side can absolutely demolish Nelson's faux "moderate" persona that the voters seem to believe he has. We have little choice but to go major-league negative if Harris is to have a shot at all.
ROTFLMAO!! I love these pronouncements in February. I imagine many objective observers would say that an incumbent polling under 50% is vulnerable. But apparently not in this case.
I agree -- if Nelson's 49% above is actually supposed to be 69%.
So who's stopping you?
I didn't expect that from you. She's a challenger pulling 40% in February, against an incumbent who can't break 50%. She's got nothing to worry about, except the folks around here who keep trying to bury her.
Well, well, you've certainly changed your tune. John Kerry, 's dat you? But you can't even credit her, can you? [shaking head]
At no point did I say that Katherine Harris is a good candidate, or that she should be the nominee. And all of my previous FL postings had mentioned that Bill Nelson was a bland, unspiring candidate who had made little impression. So I haven't pulled a John Kerry.
But I admit, the race has tightened more than I had expected.
Sanity-check ping.
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