Posted on 06/27/2002 9:56:56 PM PDT by KQQL
Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk (D) led state Attorney General JohnCornyn (R) in a survey sponsored by the Democratic SenatorialCampaignCommittee in the race to replace retiring Sen. Phil Gramm (R).
Kirk received 46 percent to 42 percent for Cornyn and also held a narrow name identification advantage over Cornyn. Sixty-three percent of voters recognized Kirk; 52 percent knew of Cornyn.
In the pricey Dallas media market, where Kirk served as mayor for six and a half years, the Democrat enjoyed a much greater name-identification advantage - 87 percent to 55 percent.
The poll was conducted by Bennett PettsBlumenthal from June 9 to 16 of 800 registered voters. It had a 3.5 percent margin of error.
Democrats believe Kirk's runoff win in early April over schoolteacherVictor Morales has solidified the Democratic base and propelled this race into a dead heat. Republicans argue that once Cornyn becomes better known, the demographics of the state will carry him to victory.
Gramm is stepping down after three terms in office.
Democratic Poll Shows Sanders in Contention
Former College of Charleston President Alex Sanders (D) has cut into Rep. Lindsey Graham's (R) lead in their battle to replace retiring Sen.Strom Thurmond (R), according to a poll conducted for Sanders' campaign.
Graham took 45 percent to 33 percent for Sanders in the poll done by Garin-Hart-Yang from May 20-22. The survey tested 600 likely voters and had a 4.1 percent margin of error.
Graham recently drew press for involving himself in Tuesday's gubernatorial runoff backing former Rep.MarkSanford (R), which the former Member won handily. Democrats have tried to paint Graham's decision as evidence of a fissure within the Republican Party that will affect his race for Senate in November.
Polling in the race has consistently shown Graham in the lead.Sanders has surprised with his strong fundraising, but Graham still held a financial lead in pre-primary reports covering contributions and expenditures through May 22. Graham had $2.4 million in reserve at that time; Sanders had $1.2 million. Graham's campaign war chest has bulged in recent months with fundraising visits byPresident Bush and Vice President Cheney that have raised an estimated $1.5 million.
George W. Bush won a 16-point victory in the Palmetto State in 2000.
I think an average partisan Senate poll is off by 5 points. So that would give Cornyn a 1 point lead. I think this partisan poll is off by more than 5 points because: a. another Democratic poll shows Cornyn up by 2 and b. an independent poll shows Cornyn up by 5.
I think I would say that there is at a minimum a 60% chance that Cornyn wins.
RATs will lose the senate race, and Sanford has a good chance to defeat HODGES.................
New Senate Polls The Hotline reports a couple of interesting polls.
In Arkansas, Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R) leads challenger Mark Pryor (D) 51 to 43 percent with 6 percent undecided, according to a Tarrance Group poll. But a Cooper and Secrest poll shows Pryor leading Hutchinson 47 to 41 percent with 12 percent undecided.
In the New Hampshire GOP Senate primary, Rep. John Sununu (R) leads Sen. Bob Smith (R) 48 to 41 percent with 11 percent undecided (American Research Group).
FACT: Ron Kirk's campaign recently employed Steven Hyland, an anti-Israel activist and islamic terrorist sympathizer who is a close friend and former classmate of John Walker Lindh
FACT: Ron Kirk's mayoral campaign account recieved donations from Ishan Elashi, who was arrested and charged this February for illegally exporting computer equipment to Libya, Syria, and suspicious recipients throughout the middle east.
FACT: Kirk donor Ishan Elashi is the brother of Ghassan Elashi. Ghassan Elashi is a leader of the terrorist sympathizing CAIR organization in Texas and a principle in InfoCom corporation. InfoCom's assets were recently frozen by government investigators following the company's reciept of a $250,000 investment from Elashi's cousin, who is married to a top level commander in Hamas. Elashi is also a leader in the Holy Land Foundation, which had been funnelling non-profit donations from the United States to terrorist groups in the middle east. The government seized the assets of HLF last december during post September 11th investigations for its support of terrorism.
FACT: Kirk donor Mohammed Suleman serves on CAIR's Dallas board. Suleman is known recently for issueing calls of support for Ghassan Dahduli, a Holy Land Foundation official who was deported for his terrorist ties in the wake of September 11th.
FACT: Ghulam Warriach, another CAIR official with ties to Ghassam Elashi and InfoCom, hosted a dinner in 1995 honoring Kirk and former Dem. Congressman John Bryant.
Ron Kirk is thoroughly tied to islamic extremists and terrorist sympathizers. If he were a republican, this would be a front page story. But since Kirk is a democrat it has only appeared in conservative publications. It's all here and more. See for yourself at http://www.houstonreview.com/jun2002/kirkterrorism.html
I've been saying for weeks he's got a serious race on his hands. This is the fifth poll I've seen since Kirk won the primary, with Kirk leading in three of them and none with more than a 5-point margin.
Cornyn has received high marks for his job as AG, and there's nothing controversial to bring down his approval among voters.
There is no track record to indicate that we elect liberal black mayors as US Senators. Texas hardly seems likely to be the first state to do so.
There's no doubt that Kirk enjoys higher name recognition in the city of Dallas and will carry that city. The city is landlocked and is surrounded by conservative suburbs, and they are going to vote for Cornyn. I don't think this race is going to be close.
There is no way that the mayor of Dallas has a higher name recognition in Texas than the current Attorney General. That is absurd on the face of it.
I completely disagree with this statement. I can name the mayor of New York City, but not NY's attorney general. Same for L.A. and CA's AG.
John Cornyn has been elected statewide, both as Attorney General and as a judge on the Texas Supreme Court. Anyone who has ever voted in a statewide election has at least seen his name in the past. I don't see how a mayor has that kind of name recognition.
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