Posted on 09/23/2006 8:37:46 AM PDT by nj26
In August, the Rasmussen Reports election poll showed Democratic candidate Bob Casey, Jr. leading Republican Senator Rick Santorum by just 48% to 40%. It was the closest the candidates had been all year and many wondered if it marked the beginning of a surge that would enable Santorum to draw even closer.
So far the answer is No. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows very similar results; with Casey leading 49% to 39%.
Green Party candidate Carl Romanelli continues to attract 5% support and it's unlikely his slice of the electorate will grow much larger.
The two major-party candidates recently debated for the first time, clashing over the war in Iraq, pay raises for politicians in Pennsylvania and DC, and abortion. Many independent observers say Casey, not exactly renowned as a speaker, surpassed low expectations and was at least on a par with the more fiery incumbent. Some argue that Casey won the debate.
Twenty-seven percent (27%) view Santorum "very favorably," 30% "very unfavorably." For Casey it's 19% very favorable, 18% very unfavorable; only 4% are still "unsure."
Voters here are more likely to trust the GOP on national security, more likely to trust the Democrats on the economy and taxes. On immigration, the split is 37% to 38%, with 25% unsure.
For a plurality of 28%, the top electoral issue is the economy. But national security (21%) and Iraq (18%) aren't far behind, and if they are considered as one issue then they are the top priority for 39%.
Nother indication he oversampled Democrats. Trust Democrats on Economy and Taxes?
Fool me once(i.e the 2000 election)shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.
Hopefully, It will be curious if the Party starts to pull money out of this race if he doesnt approve soon. HE ill raise Holy hell if they do but he needs to be showing some improvement soon.
I believe he called it perfectly in 2004, including ALL the Congressional elections.
Pollsters have to vary party id somewhat. Otherwise pollsters would have totally missed the 2004 election (when there was a significant increase in GOP identification.)
This race worries me. There were quite a few negative comments about Santorum over the past year here in the Forum. I just hope that conservatives grow up before election day and vote for him.
Sure, he helped Specter get re-elected, but I think that was more the fault of Bush and Rove, who twisted his arm, than Santorum. Other than that one big mistake, and no doubt a few minor ones, he is a great senator.
If Casey once gets into office, he will probably be a Democratic incumbent for the rest of his life. Do we really need that? I hope decent people in Ohio will get out and vote for Santorum.
Santorum has been abandoned not by the conservative base but by the RINOs who think he is too far to the right for them. I was talking to someone yesterday who is a Republican who told me his friends (also Republicans) will vote for Casey because he is more middle of the road than Santorum. What BS!!!!
Well it is good that the base has come back to him. I know there was silly talk of punishing him. This race is strange because I never see anything about Casey on the National news. IT is almost like he is trying to advoid the cameras and cruise to this election on his daddy's name
Me too, cuz those of us in PA need all the help we can get. And if the folks from Ohio are going to vote for Santorum, throw pne in for Swann.
The RNC will pour everything into this race that it has. Santorum will never be abandoned.
Rick has said publicly that he will be behind in every poll up until Election Day.
Praying Santorum wins!!! Casey is useless, he is running on his father's name.
Duh, of cource! We democtats lrned in publik skool all the things nesessary to suckseed in life - democrats good, republikins bad; Korporations are evil. taxes are good. /s
"If I had answered the phone I would have told them we were going to vote Democrap."
Just curious.. why?
That wouldn't make sense because 40-40-20 doesn't reflect the actual partisan makeup of PA, there actually are more Democrats than Republicans there.
Oops. Sorry. Only Ohio Democrats vote in Pennsylvania.
Just to throw a monkey wrench into the information super highway. I hate doing polls!!
To toss out a two-term U.S. Senator with such seniority in the Senate for a feckless, squishy, non-entity candidate is unbelievable. I hope the RNC does everything it can to help Rick.
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