Poll news and notes – BIG news in the Maryland Senate race
SurveyUSA has Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele now tied with Ben Cardin. Cardin has been running at least 6 points ahead or more in most polls taken in the last couple of months, but perhaps we’re now seeing the fallout from House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer’s recent comments to a group of black businessmen that Steele had a “slavish” devotion to the Republican party?
Update I: The WaPo endorsed Cardin today. (Hat tip: K-Lo)
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Embattled House Rep and Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Tom Reynolds (R-NY) has something to smile about today, as the latest SurveyUSA poll has him up 3 points over his demagoguing challenger Jack Davis. This has to be welcomed news for Reynolds, considering the last SurveyUSA poll taken just as Foleygate was heating up – with Reynolds taking some significant heat for his alleged ‘role’ in an alleged ‘coverup’ – had him 5 points behind Davis. Reynolds has also polled as much as 16 points behind Davis in the last couple of weeks.
Even with the news of this poll that shows him ahead, as RCP points out Reynolds is fighting for his political life in New York’s 26th Congressional district. This was once considered a safe seat, but since Foleygate broke, and with polling numbers showing Reynolds behind as much as 16 points, and now up by a small 3, Reynolds is going to be giving it all he’s got from now to election day to prove to voters of his district that he should still be the one representing them in Washington, DC.
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Montana Senator Conrad Burns, who had been behind Democratic challenger John Tester by as much as 11 points, is now only down by 3 according to the latest Rasmussen poll dated 10/18.
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Joe Lieberman has taken an even more comfortable 17 point poll lead over Nutroots candidate Ned Lamont. Ian asks “where are all nutroots now?” and notes the desperation being shown by fervent Lamont supporter and far left blogger Jane Hamsher, of the Lieberman blackface Photoshop infamy.
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Have we lost the Santorum seat? Rasmussen has Democrat Bob Casey leading the PA Senator by 13 points. Casey has consistently polled well in PA.
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Make sure to check out John Hawkins’ interview with Bob Corker. Corker is the Republican who hopes Tennessee voters elect him over Rep. Harold Ford for Bill Frist’s Senate seat. That race, by the way, is in a dead heat.
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Here’s an illustrated guide to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who could be Speaker Pelosi if Republicans lose next month. More via Don Surber, who speculates on the possibility of a Pelosi presidency. Yikes.
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Update II: New Jersey’s Thomas Kean and Democratic incumbent Senator Bob Menendez are still battling it out for control of Menendez’s Senate seat. While most polls have shown Menendez ahead by a few points, that could change of New Jersey Jewish voters find out how Menendez tried to, as Kean puts it, “hoodwink” them at a recent campaign stop.
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Update III: Virginia Senator George Allen is still polling slightly ahead of challenger Jim Webb, but I wonder if Allen will pull ahead a little more in the polls once voters find out about Webb’s Bill Clinton flip flop. Read about it here.
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Update IV: Scott at Election Projection: “The Outcome is in Our Hands”
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Update V: Betsy Newmark looks at what House Democrats have proposed in the last year or are proposing in Congress.
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Hat tip for some of these links: Hugh Hewitt, who is showing his usual and contagious optimism today towards Republican prospects for hanging on to the House and Senate this year.