New polling on the Irey-Murtha race [It's a Horserace]

Redstate ^ | Oct 3, 2006 | Redstate

[RobFromGa]

New polling on the Irey-Murtha race

PA-12 is shaping up to be something of a horserace.

When the Irey campaign did preliminary polling last spring, the results were not encouraging. The 30-year incumbant in the PA-12 seat, John Murtha, led the little-known Diana Irey by thirty points. Mr. Murtha was emerging as the liberal conscience of the Iraq war, and promised to gain ever more power and influence as part of the House Democratic leadership. He has high-profile influential friends and a bully pulpit provided by a compliant national media that gives him a regular spot on the Sunday shows.

If I were Commissioner Irey I might have considered throwing in the towel and going to the beach for the summer. Fortunately, she did no such thing.

Graphic courtesy of Vets4Irey

Read on...

Ms. Irey rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She has gained some recognition on her own as a staunch supporter of the armed forces, the mission in Iraq, an advocate for rigorous immigration policies and a fiscal conservative. She has also been drawing attention to Mr. Murtha's many failings. And she's producing results. The campaign has just commissioned another poll by Public Opinion Strategies and Ms. Irey has closed the gap to ten points as the race now stands at 55%-45%. She gained ten points and brought Mr. Murtha down ten--and the momentum is all in her favor.

Commissioner Irey's mission over the next five weeks is to keep shining a bright light on Mr. Murtha's disgraceful record while articulating her own platform. The POS poll included some interesting numbers on eleven issues that make voters less likely to vote for Mr. Murtha by as much as 57% (a list is appended below)--and when voters read about these issues, Mr. Murtha's numbers drop into the low 40s. It's incumbant on all of us who want to see Ms. Irey in Mr. Murtha's chair come January to help her spread the word that Mr. Murtha is self-interested and venal, and willingly steps on the backs of his former fellow service members to hoist his substantial bulk up the political ladder. And fortunately, the Irey campaign is no longer a lone voice in the media wilderness. She's getting some assistance from a rather unlikely source--no less than the New York Times, which has in the past held Mr. Murtha up as a moral authority on Iraq, yesterday headlined his political "horsetrading" motivated by the desire to increase his personal prestige and bring more pork (from whatever source) to his district rather than by principle or fiscal responsibility. Major television outlets, such as Fox's Hannity and Colmes show, have picked up the story.

The momentum in this race is with Diana Irey. She is poised to win if we all help, and here are eleven excellent reasons to go to her website and donate some time and money:

[onyx]

Diana is going to win this one for America!

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Sweet!

[RedRover]

Well, let's just quit, Radix has spoken.

Yeah, I guess we better just throw in the towel! Too bad. America would have been a better place but there's just no hope, no how!

[jazusamo]

Your thread has had 1753 views, looks like the word is getting out.

[smoothsailing]

What the hey, I'm selling my house and moving to Bolivia.

[Txsleuth]

Did ya'll see the Boot Murtha thing on Hannity and Colmes just now???

[Exit148]

"I THINK Hannity and Colmes is going to show some footage from last weekends Boot Murtha rally.

Just saw Race Bannon cheering away at the rally footage on H&C?? Go Race Go!

[RedRover]

Missed it. Stuck away from a TV. How was it?

[Txsleuth]

That was GREAT coverage, I thought.

They showed a lot of footage of the speakers at the BootMurtha rally.

[Txsleuth]

Like I posted, I thought they showed quite a bit...for their show...they usually don't show much of those kind of events unless they are at them....LOL

[jazusamo]

Yes!...More good coverage for Diana. Last night H&C had a 7 or 8 minute segment on the Murtha ABSCAM tape. He really looked bad.

[Txsleuth]

LOL...Murtha may call "foul" like Bubba did about the 9/11 movie.

I just pray that the people in that district really think about these things before they vote.

[Marine_Uncle]

District 12 has the final say. Will enough western Pennsylvanians realize the issues are not in what he may have done in the past to revitalize their towns, but in what he has done to harm the efforts this country has made in the GWOT, as well as his many shady past dealings.
The final voting tally will be indicative of what this section of the country really thinks about national security efforts.

[RedRover]

Yes, an informed voter is our friend! Don't forget Bush got 49% there in '04. So it's not like they're all RatBots.

[kattracks]

BTTT

[RobFromGa]

thanks for the bump!

[RobFromGa]

Turnout WILL BE KEY! bears repeating. If the Irey supporters show up for this midterm, Surrender Jack won't know what hit him.

Redeploy Murtha!

[IslandJeff]

Great News, Rob. While everyone else yaps about Instant Messaging, Diana is going to seal the deal.

(now I get to pig-pile on Coop for his former tagline)

-J

[RobFromGa]

Hope the Boot Murtha footage on H&C brings in some more Irey contributions. How aware are the voters in this district of this race???

[RobFromGa]

Thanks! for the Abscam link!