Poll: McCain leads Obama By 3% in Michigan (46% - 43%)

MRG ^ | September 23, 2008

[notes2005]

Poll: McCain leads Obama By 3% in Michigan McCain’s Strong Support Among Independents and Male voters gives him a slight 46% - 43% lead in a Toss-Up State LANSING – A poll released today by Inside Michigan Politics shows that Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain has a slim three (3) point lead over Barack Obama in Michigan’s latest poll. The poll shows that both candidates have strong support with their base voters, but McCain’s support among Independent voters 45%- 37% (+8%) puts him on top in this toss-up state “John McCain has a track record with Michigan Independent voters,” said Bill Ballenger, Editor of Inside Michigan Politics. “The current polling shows that they still like him and they like and support Sarah Palin as his running mate.” The poll showed that Obama continues to show strong support among women (+2%), young voters (+16%), African Americans (+89%), voters living in the Detroit Metro area (+9%) along with his traditional Democratic base. John McCain is showing strength among blue–collar voters (+10%), men (+9%), white males (+29%), conservatives (+62%) and voters living in West Michigan (+12%) and the Flint/Saginaw/Bay City Area (+8%).

[GoSarah]

That does seem the pattern this year... The elite support Obama...

It’s hard to compare because I’ve since moved to another state—but it does seem like all the cars sporting Obama stickers are recent-models costing over 30K (usually SUVs, oddly enough)—not a lot of love from cheaper, non-yuppie cars, and this is a blue place—

In 2004 it was the typical VWs and other beaters that supported Kerry... actually now that I recall, I moved here after the election... Seemed like every other car still sported a Kerry sticker... these are gone, and Obama stickers are few and far between and are on expensive cars, usually gas guzzlers...

Weird. How does it compare to 2004 in Michigan with you?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Michigan elected a Black Dem to statewide office before Colorado. Richard Austin from Detroit who had lost — by only 108 votes (!) — to John Conyers in the ‘64 Dem primary for the newly-created Black 1st district, and then tried to become the first Black Mayor of Detroit in ‘69 (losing to Roman Gribbs, the last White Mayor, by only 7,000 votes, 1%), and then managed to win the Secretary of State’s office in 1970 (at that point, the office had been controlled by the Dems for some time). He was reelected in ‘74, tried to move up to the Senate in ‘76, but lost the Dem primary to the ex-RINO Congressman Don Riegle, and continued to win the Sec of State’s office for the next 18 years. 81, and well past his prime, he got swept out of office by now-Congresswoman Candice Miller in ‘94. Austin is nearly forgotten today, but one wonders how much different he would’ve been had he either beaten Conyers in ‘64 or stopped the monstrous Coleman Young before he laid Detroit to waste.

[Impy]

Didn’t Candice Miller win every county in 1998 including Wayne? Was her opponent an avowed child molester or something? Even Dr. Death’s lawyer did better in the Gov’s race.

[Darren McCarty]

The dems just conceded that race and put all their eggs in Granholm’s AG basket and some congressional districts who were worried about coattails of Engler in then competitive districts before redistricting, like Bonior’s and Stabenow’s (which Rogers won). Stupak, Levin, Kildee’s, Rivers, and even Dingell’s districts then were not easy either, outside of the fact that they were strong personal candidates.

[Darren McCarty]

Austin was Secretary of State before I was born (I'm in my early 30's) but during my lifetime, he wasn't seen a typical Michigan style of "black candidate." He was just there, and he won everywhere. He always seemed to win largely since the GOP didn't contest the race. In 1994, they finally went after everybody, and took almost all of them except the "eternal general" Frank Kelley. Austin was the old guy who was past his prime and did not do anything about long lines. Candice Miller won. She won re-election easily because people wern't waiting in line for as long as they did for Austin.

Looking back, too bad Austin didn't beat Gribbs in 69. Irony is that I think Obama's biggest problem in Michigan stems from the 1973 mayoral election (along with bussing rulings).

[Impy]

I see her opponent was named Marty Parks, he must have been a total nobody, there is nothing on him.

Hmm Boiner only won 52-45 in 98. It would have been sweet to have beaten him.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I was glancing through this book online: http://books.google.com/books?id=oVJJPfdZyhwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=who+killed+detroit%3F&sig=ACfU3U1RjjSjFd967pRXT9PjCiET-fnL1g

Seemed interesting detailing the late ‘60s decline of Detroit. Gribbs was seen as a reactionary to Cavanagh, and tried to crack down on crime, but ended up splitting the city in the process. The authors speculate that Austin might’ve been able to steer a more moderate course, not driving out Whites, and not enflaming Blacks (a la Tom Bradley in L.A., though eventually his last term was a disaster culminating with the Rodney King mess). We’ll never know for sure, though Young was such an exploitive race baiter, he still might’ve run out Austin after a single term in ‘73, anyhow, and still exacerbated the already bad situation in the city. Truly a shame.