Bombshell: PPP puts Raese ahead of Manchin

Hot Air ^ | 9/21/10 | Ed Morrissey

[Lou Budvis]

These days, it’s hard to get shocked by polling results that show Republicans surging in once-safe Democratic constituencies, but the latest survey from PPP in West Virginia manages to do it. Republican John Raese, given virtually no chance at all to win the Senate race against popular Governor Joe Manchin when he declared his candidacy this summer. Raese has now just jumped into a lead, albeit within the margin of error, as Manchin collapses:

[Lou Budvis]

It's PPP, so who knows.

[milwguy]

Just saw the poll at PPP site. Am waiting for their Feingold/Johnson polls which Markos the Kos kid said will show Feingold down DOUBLE digits to Johnson.

[Freddd]

They may also be reacting to an expanding federal probe into a highway project involving Manchin’s home town of Fairmont.

His office is under investigation...of course don’t expect to hear that in the news.

[milwguy]

http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/

[ZULU]

PRAY for Raese, PRAY for O’Donnell, PRAY for Scott, PRAY for Rubio, PRAY for Palladino, PRAY for all the brave Tea Party people running in general elections against Professional Liars.

(Just DON’T pray for John McCain!!!)

[GoCards]

11 points my friend, 11 points

[keyesguy]

If he wins I believe he would be immediately seated since its a mid term replacement for Byrd. Would be nice to have if Dims try to force thru cap and tax, immigration , card check etc.

[apillar]

John Raese is running a devastating ad campaign against Manchin. For those that don't know WV politics Manchin has painted himself as a conservative democrat who is pro 2nd amendment and against cap and trade & Obamacare. Raese got ahold of some audio where Manchin was telling a left wing group that he fully supported healthcare reform. In the commercial, Raese play the audio over and over, while asking if Manchin supported the 500 Billion cuts to medicare, the individual mandate, etc. He ends by saying that we don't need another rubber stamp for Barack Obama in Washington.

On the other hand, Manchin seems to be in cruise mode hoping to ride his high approval numbers as Governor into the senate. He is only running "feel good" commercials and ignoring Raese's ads, saying he will not respond to "attack ads".

[VeniVidiVici]

Raese should be a shoe-in. Given the Obama EPA’s war on coal, West Virginians would be stupid to elect Manchin. Raese would be even dumber not to raise this fact several times a day.

[chippewaman]

John Raese is running a very effective ad campaign against Manchin, tying Manchin to the radical leftist policies (anti-coal) of Obama, Pelosi and Reid. WV is a very strange state politically. Registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans, yet it is a very socially conservative state. Most West Virginians who align themselves with the Democrats see themselves as the “Old South Democrat” and not the Democrat of Obama, Pelosi and Reid. WV went overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton (2 to 1 margin) over Obama in 2008. There were some counties in which Obama didn’t even get 10%. Obama only has a 29% approval rating in WV and Raese is running against Obama as much as he’s running against Manchin. Many West Virginians fear a Senator Manchin will be a “rubber stamp” for Obama. That would be devastating to the coal industry. People are waking up in WV. This will be a very close race, a race in which Manchin thought he’d win by 20-30 points.