Posted on 05/08/2013 9:47:20 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A new NBC/Marist poll on Virginia’s gubernatorial race — a.k.a., the only competitive governor’s race in the country in 2013 — released this morning has some slightly different findings than the WaPo poll from last weekend, which had Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli edging Democrat Terry McAuliffe with a five-point lead among Virginia voters; the NBC poll has McAuliffe beating Cuccinelli by a within-the-margin-of-error 43 to 41 percent among registered voters. Cuccinelli, however, has some very distinct advantages going for him — Virginia voters are more familiar with the state attorney general than they are the former DNC chairman, as well as a 45-42 lead with likely voters.
Part of that slight tilt to Cuccinelli is because the intensity advantage is with the GOP attorney general: 53% of Cuccinellis backers strongly support him, compared with 47% for McAuliffe. Fifty-one percent approve of Cuccinellis performance as attorney general, with 24% disapproving and a quarter unsure.
But theres certainly time, and room, for the former DNC chairman to grow. Of those polled, 44% say theyve never heard of the longtime Democratic fundraiser and businessman, compared to just 32% who said the same about Cuccinelli.
For all Democrats efforts to paint the sitting attorney general as too conservative or outside the mainstream, those ideas havent taken root in voters minds. Just 27% say the Republican is too conservative, with a 39% plurality of voters saying hes just right on issues. For McAuliffe, 28% see him as too liberal, while 33% see him as just right.
Again, though, the biggest takeaway is that this is clearly nothing like the blowout shaping up in Chris Christie’s favor in New Jersey — this is going to be a rough battle for the indie vote and both parties are going to be throwing everything they have at this race, ’cause purplish Virginia is a big win that will set some of the tone for 2014 campaigns all over the place.
Both men also have solidified their base, with 91% of registered voters backing their own partys nominee. The two are deadlocked with independent voters at 36% each, with over a quarter of independents still up for grabs.
Both campaigns have really started rolling in earnest; the sparring over the women’s vote is already well under way, and both candidates are going for tax-cuting plans to define their economic platforms:
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II said Tuesday that if elected governor, he would cut business and individual income taxes by $1.4 billion a year and build on Gov. Robert F. McDonnells Bobs for jobs! slogan.
Cuccinellis plan calls for cutting the corporate income tax rate from 6 percent to 4 percent over four years and reducing the individual income tax rate from 5.75 percent to 5 percent over that period.
As a few details of Cuccinellis plan began to leak out last week, his Democratic opponent, Terry McAuliffe, released a proposal of his own. It calls for eliminating or reducing the business, professional and occupational license tax, the machinery and tool tax, and the merchants capital tax.
Nobody likes McAuliffe.
The “lords” provide jobs.
ping
VA would be voting for the sleazy underside of the barrel to be represented by this crook.
Also, reduced corporate taxes should mean reduced prices for the goods they sell. Plus a chance of bringing in more businesses fleeing the high-tax states.
The Current FReepathon Pays For The Current Quarters Expenses?
Hopefully. I carry no brief for big business but we ought to all be able to see by now that there is a correlation between corporate income taxes and unemployment.
NBC/Marist poll. Consider the source.
nbc/marist lie to us all of the time... and they lie to themselves even more.
LLS
After last November, polls are worth... CRAP!!!!
Is THAT ever true! As Sis Colbert about the value of polls in the SC race.
“Nobody likes McAuliffe.”
The morons around me here in No. Va. Would vote for a steaming pile of cow dung if there’s a big D next to it.
I’m looking forward to the convention this Saturday!
A steaming pile of cow dung would govern better than any Democrat.
None of the grassroots Dems I know like him at all. But they will vote for him. So that “intensity” of GOP voters is important.
Democrats have figured out they don’t need intensity in the base. They just need 3 weeks of voting and lots of buses to get over 100 percent turnout, and then they can win. We need to either do the same, or get back to same day voting. I am in favor of the latter, but until then, better drag some buses through the hollers.
Registered voter polls are worthless.
So long as you think like a peon, you will never be a lord.
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