Posted on 07/12/2010 2:04:48 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Democrats in Indiana have tried to paint Dan Coats as a lobbyist interloper while Brad Ellsworth has campaigned on the hope that Indiana voters have a case of collective amnesia. The latest Rasmussen survey of likely voters shows that strategy succeeding as well as anyone could have predicted. Coats has a 21-point lead over Ellsworth, who barely makes out of the twenties:
Indiana still has the look of a likely Republican Senate pickup, with former Senator Dan Coats remaining comfortably ahead of his Democratic opponent Brad Ellsworth
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the state finds Coats with 51% support, while Ellsworth earns 30% of the vote, his poorest showing to date. Six percent (6%) favor some other candidate in the race, while 12% remain undecided.
Last month, Coats dropped below 50% but still led Ellsworth 47% to 33%.
The Democratic pushback against Coats has had its results — and all bad. The changes to each candidate are within the margin of error, but the next change is seven points in Coats’ favor. That’s not exactly Bradmentum.
Despite their attempts to paint Coats as an eeeeeeevil lobbyist, voters have a strong favorable impression of Coats, 56/25, for a +31. Ellsworth is above water in favorability but with weaker numbers, 47/33, for a +14. Among independents it’s only 36/32, with only 7% saying “very favorable.” Indies like Coats somewhat better, 47/31, with nine percent “very favorable.” That only gives Coats a 2-point advantage in the head-to-head among indies, though, 34/32.
Coats will get help on the issues. Sixty percent favor repeal of ObamaCare, as do 56% of independents. Fifty-nine percent favor passage of an immigration-enforcement law in Indiana modeled on Arizona’s, and half of independents agree (while only 31% disagree).
Most problematic for Ellsworth, voters in Indiana dislike Barack Obama, who has a 41/58 job approval rating, with 45% strongly disapproving. Independents are only slightly less unhappy, with a 42/57 and 40% strongly disapproving. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, on the other hand, has a 58/38 approval rating, although that splits 51/49 among indies.
Ellsworth has a long way to go to catch up to Coats, and so far, he’s going in the wrong direction. That’s because the Democrat is going against the grain of Indiana’s consensus, and as long as that remains true, he will continue to lag far behind Coats.
To any Indiana Freepers - is Coates a RINO or a solid conservative?
I think he is a RINO retread from what I heard.
An Indiana RINO is not a Massachusetts RINO.
Dan is less of a RINO than many claim.
However, he is unfortunately a solid part of the Wash DC establishment having become a lobbyist after retiring from the senate the first time. He’s also 67 yrs old (I’m on Soc Sec myself but would like to see some new blood in the ranks).
Unfortunately his opponent, brought in to replace Evan Bayh who retired at the last minute, is Brad Ellsworth an Evansville Baraqqi. So this one’s a no brainer. Any Tea party candidate in this race undoubtedly brings a Dem win.
Daniel Coats on Abortion
Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
Daniel Coats on Budget & Economy
Voted NO on 1998 GOP budget. (May 1997)
Voted YES on Balanced-budget constitutional amendment. (Mar 1997)
Daniel Coats on Civil Rights
Voted YES on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business. (Oct 1997)
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
Voted NO on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation. (Sep 1996)
Voted YES on Amendment to prohibit flag burning. (Dec 1995)
Voted YES on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds. (Jul 1995)
Daniel Coats on Corporations
NO record
Daniel Coats on Crime
Voted YES on limiting death penalty appeals. (Apr 1996)
Voted YES on limiting product liability punitive damage awards. (Mar 1996)
Voted YES on restricting class-action lawsuits. (Dec 1995)
Voted YES on repealing federal speed limits. (Jun 1995)
Voted NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms. (May 1994)
Voted YES on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals. (May 1994)
Daniel Coats on Drugs
Voted YES on spending international development funds on drug control. (Jul 1996)
Daniel Coats on Education
Voted YES on education savings accounts. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on school vouchers in DC. (Sep 1997)
Voted YES on $75M for abstinence education. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer. (Jul 1994)
Voted NO on national education standards. (Feb 1994)
Daniel Coats on Energy & Oil
Voted NO on approving a nuclear waste repository. (Apr 1997)
Voted YES on do not require ethanol in gasoline. (Aug 1994)
Daniel Coats on Environment
Voted YES on transportation demo projects. (Mar 1998)
Voted NO on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests. (Sep 1997)
Voted NO on continuing desert protection in California. (Oct 1994)
Voted YES on requiring EPA risk assessments. (May 1994)
Daniel Coats on Families & Children
No issue stance yet recorded by OnTheIssues.org.
Daniel Coats on Foreign Policy
Voted NO on limiting the President’s power to impose economic sanctions. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on limiting NATO expansion to only Poland, Hungary & Czech. (Apr 1998)
Voted YES on $17.9 billion to IMF. (Mar 1998)
Voted YES on Strengthening of the trade embargo against Cuba. (Mar 1996)
Voted NO on ending Vietnam embargo. (Jan 1994)
Daniel Coats on Free Trade
Voted YES on renewing ‘fast track’ presidential trade authority. (Nov 1997)
Voted YES on imposing trade sanctions on Japan for closed market. (May 1995)
Daniel Coats on Government Reform
Voted NO on favoring 1997 McCain-Feingold overhaul of campaign finance. (Oct 1997)
Voted YES on Approving the presidential line-item veto. (Mar 1996)
Voted YES on banning more types of Congressional gifts. (Jul 1995)
Daniel Coats on Gun Control
Voted YES on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks. (Jul 1998)
Daniel Coats on Health Care
Voted NO on increasing tobacco restrictions. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on Medicare means-testing. (Jun 1997)
Voted NO on blocking medical savings acounts. (Apr 1996)
Daniel Coats on Homeland Security
Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex basic training. (Jun 1998)
Voted YES on banning chemical weapons. (Apr 1997)
Voted YES on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty. (Jun 1996)
Voted YES on 1996 Defense Appropriations. (Sep 1995)
Daniel Coats on Immigration
Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work. (Jul 1998)
Voted YES on visas for skilled workers. (May 1998)
Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants. (Jun 1997)
Daniel Coats on Jobs
Voted YES on allowing workers to choose between overtime & comp-time. (May 1997)
Voted YES on replacing farm price supports. (Feb 1996)
Daniel Coats on Principles & Values
No issue stance yet recorded by OnTheIssues.org.
Daniel Coats on Social Security
Voted YES on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees. (May 1998)
Voted NO on allowing personal retirement accounts. (Apr 1998)
Voted YES on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes. (May 1996)
Daniel Coats on Tax Reform
Voted YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes. (Apr 1998)
Daniel Coats on Technology
Voted YES on Internet sales tax moratorium. (Oct 1998)
Voted YES on telecomm deregulation. (Feb 1996)
Daniel Coats on War & Peace
Voted YES on ending the Bosnian arms embargo. (Jul 1995)
Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. (Nov 1995)
Daniel Coats on Welfare & Poverty
Voted YES on welfare block grants. (Aug 1996)
Voted NO on eliminating block grants for food stamps. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on allowing state welfare waivers. (Jul 1996)
Voted YES on welfare overhaul. (Sep 1995)
Can’t argue with 21 points. Yay.
Does anyone know his thoughts on the Ground-Zero mosque?
Ok, now we are playing "my RINO is better than your RINO"!
Reap the Whirlwind, Rats..
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