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GOP Chair: 'I Certainly Haven't Seen a Free Fall' (Mehlman on Why GOP Keeps Congress)
US News & World Report ^ | 10/10/06 | Will Sullivan

Posted on 10/12/2006 7:50:51 AM PDT by TonyInOhio

On new polls suggesting that the Republicans could be, in the words of some analysts, in free fall

Let me first say I do think that we are in a very challenging environment. I think that the situation with [Rep. Mark] Foley has made it even more challenging, but ... I have not seen a significant impact in most of the races around the country and I certainly haven't seen a free fall.

The three issues that I think we're dealing with [in the polls]: first of all is the partisanship of the electorate. In the last 25 years, the electorate has ranged from plus-4 Democrat to plus-2 Republican in '02. In the most recent poll's partisanship, USA/Gallup is plus-9 Democratic electorate, ABC News is plus-11 Democratic electorate, CBS/New York Times plus-5, Newsweek plus-8, Time plus-8, AP/Ipsos plus-8. So, every one of these polls has an electorate that looks more Democratic than any electorate has looked in 25 years.

Second, the Gallup specifically is the outlier in the change in the generic ballot. The Pew poll that came out recently showed no change in the generic ballot since the Foley scandal; other national polls have shown on average a 2-point dip, the Gallup showed a 23-point dip, which I don't think is convincing.

The third issue of course is the relevance of the national polls in predicting House races and the challenge that Democrats always have is that our voters are more efficiently distributed. You saw that in the recent battleground that came out between [pollsters] Celinda Lake and Ed Goeas, which showed an 8-point Democratic advantage on the generic ballot. But in the Republican districts that the Democrats have to win to win back Congress, it was even. In the Democratic districts, it was a 21-point Democratic advantage.


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: congress; gopcontrol; mehlman; polls
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An excellent analysis by Ken Mehlman. Read the whole thing.
1 posted on 10/12/2006 7:50:52 AM PDT by TonyInOhio
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To: TonyInOhio

Translation: "Every one of these polls is lying because they are oversampling Dems."


2 posted on 10/12/2006 7:54:04 AM PDT by LS
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To: TonyInOhio

If we hold, I would think this would set teh Dems and the media back ....well at least for 20 months or so, until they try it all again.


3 posted on 10/12/2006 7:55:45 AM PDT by ConservativeDude
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To: TonyInOhio
I read somewhere (no source sorry) that Ken Mehlman was going to be either the first or second name mentioned in the next few weeks that the Rogers guy is going to "kick out of the closet". I didn't give it much concern which is why I don't even remember the source.
4 posted on 10/12/2006 8:02:28 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: LS
But in the Republican districts that the Democrats have to win to win back Congress, it was even.

Translation: "Every one of these polls is lying because they are oversampling Dems."

Wonder what the sample rate was on the poll showing a tie in the districts the Dems need to win? Is Mehlman essentially saying we have a 3-5 point lead in the seats we need to win?

5 posted on 10/12/2006 8:02:40 AM PDT by IamConservative (A mans true character is revealed in what he does when no one is watching.)
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To: TonyInOhio

My wife is entertaining a liberal houseguest which means I had to endure listening to CNN News for the first time since I don't know when.

It's everybit as bad as I had feared. They are just stirring and stirring the pot on this Foley business. They just advertised a "CNN Special Report" about how middle class America is DOOMED, I tell you, DOOMED. In short, they're obviously unashamedly pulling out all stops for the DemonRATS.

Lower than whale dreck. I need to go take a shower.


6 posted on 10/12/2006 8:09:25 AM PDT by NaughtiusMaximus (Bush Assassination Flick. Save your liberal friends a few bucks: the black guy in the tux dunnit.)
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To: TonyInOhio
There's still 27 days to investigate Reid.

He bought junk land. Zoning and environment laws stood in the way of the land being utilized.
He sold the land to his own company for $400,000 (but kept the sale secret from the Senate reports).

That got his name off the deed.

He then used his political power to get the zoning and environmental laws changed so the land could be used for contracting. Because the land was not "linked" to Reid, no one complained about the conflict of interest.

Then, he reclaimed the land and put it back in his own name after he got the laws changed for his own personal profit, sold it because his political power was able to clear the way, and made a cool $1.5 million on the scam.

This whole Reid scandal was Reid changing laws and pulling political strings for Reid himself to make millions. It had nothing to do with the American people at all.

7 posted on 10/12/2006 8:18:57 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal.")
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To: NaughtiusMaximus
It's every bit as bad as I had feared. They are just stirring and stirring the pot on this Foley business.

Even when polling mostly democrats, the "Foley scandal" is having little affect on people voting in their own districts. Who's going to change their party affiliation because of some gay perv in Florida?
He only matters in his own home district. They have to chose a new guy.

8 posted on 10/12/2006 8:25:17 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal.")
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To: LS
Translation: "Every one of these polls is lying because they are oversampling Dems."

Watch what the politicians do. The democrat politicians are running as Republicans. That tells you they know they're toast.
Democrats are even trying to make Republicans look like low life democrats! "Don't vote for that Republican! He's too much like a democrat! I'm a democrat, but the best Republican to vote for in this election."

9 posted on 10/12/2006 8:29:51 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal.")
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To: napscoordinator

"I read somewhere (no source sorry) that Ken Mehlman was going to be either the first or second name mentioned in the next few weeks that the Rogers guy is going to "kick out of the closet". I didn't give it much concern which is why I don't even remember the source." ~ napscoordinator

Don't doubt it. The twisted sex-obsessed neurotics who post at sites like these two mentioned below are bound and determined to ruin the lives of anyone they perceive to be standing in the way of their agenda.


Huffington Post 9/4/06
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-moore/the-closets-of-karl-and-k_b_28669.html


DailyKos 1-22-06
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/22/1759/64206


10 posted on 10/12/2006 8:48:29 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (To have no voice in the Party that always sides with America's enemies is a badge of honor.)
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To: TonyInOhio

The one poll the MSM won't push is that over 60% are favorable to their own Reps.


11 posted on 10/12/2006 8:55:03 AM PDT by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: LS

I can't be polled. If I detect a computer pause when I answer the phone, I'm gone. Where do I show up? In the margin of error?


12 posted on 10/12/2006 8:55:32 AM PDT by raftguide
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To: concerned about politics

This is not a story. Reid is not a Republican.


13 posted on 10/12/2006 8:57:15 AM PDT by raftguide
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To: concerned about politics
You have to be honest with yourself about a Reid investigation.

There are many crooks in the US Senate, and they all have the goods on each other.

If Reid is investigated, it opens the door to many more investigations.

I simply don't think the US Senate will do anything other than a simple slap on the wrist about this just so the rest can be protected.

That's just how I see it.
14 posted on 10/12/2006 8:58:00 AM PDT by Preachin' (Enoch's testimony was that he pleased God: Why are we still here?)
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To: TonyInOhio

I'm already seeing the images of the anchors on the MSM cable news channels either being elated and unable to contain themselves on election night or ready to run through windows.

I think this is going to be close and will be a long election night.

No way the predictions of a 1994 type overthrow happen here because the media is not looking at a granular level in these races as Mehlman points out here. But Republicans are going to be in a dire fight to keep both houses.

I just hope those smug smiles on the anchors faces disappear by the end of the night. I'm still holding out hope for McCarville again wearing a trash can over his head but that's a long shot.


15 posted on 10/12/2006 9:04:30 AM PDT by BigTime
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To: TonyInOhio

Conservatives have demonstrated they "DON'T ASK" and they "DON'T TELL". Ah, but to OFFEND the "morals voters" with intent of swaying an election, a whole lot of liberals sure have been asking and telling to protect the children.

Imagine that, a segment of the population has been identified as 'MORAL'.


16 posted on 10/12/2006 9:07:04 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: raftguide
Heck no.

They put you down as a Dem and mark all the appropriate boxes.

17 posted on 10/12/2006 9:10:59 AM PDT by LS
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To: TonyInOhio

I'm already seeing the images of the anchors on the MSM cable news channels either being elated and unable to contain themselves on election night or ready to run through windows.

I think this is going to be close and will be a long election night.

No way the predictions of a 1994 type overthrow happen here because the media is not looking at a granular level in these races as Mehlman points out here. But Republicans are going to be in a dire fight to keep both houses.

I just hope those smug smiles on the anchors faces disappear by the end of the night. I'm still holding out hope for McCarville again wearing a trash can over his head but that's a long shot.


18 posted on 10/12/2006 9:13:22 AM PDT by BigTime
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To: TonyInOhio
Mitigating against the Foley mania and these polls are some other factors:

The Senate is probably more vulnerable to party affiliation swings and now seems more volatile in turnover than the House. The exact opposite of what the Framers intended.

19 posted on 10/12/2006 9:16:48 AM PDT by Dilbert56
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To: ConservativeDude
If we hold, I would think this would set the Dems and the media back ....well at least for 20 months or so, until they try it all again.

20 minutes...

20 posted on 10/12/2006 9:31:04 AM PDT by Christian4Bush ("Ma'am, you don't have to thank us. You just go beat him for us." Soldier to Irey re: Murtha)
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