Democrats WITHIN REACH of CONTROL of the SENATE ?!!
Despite the Senate Democrat's FAILURE to stand up for much of anything in these past 6 years, the American public is so dismayed by Republican leadership that the Democrats are within striking distance of control of the US Senate.
<< WASHINGTON — Democrats are within striking distance of winning control of the Senate in the Nov. 7 elections, USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in six key states show as the campaigns head into their final month. <<
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Race for Control of Senate Tightens
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
October 6, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-05-state-races_x.htm?csp=1
WASHINGTON — Democrats are within striking distance of winning control of the Senate in the Nov. 7 elections, USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in six key states show as the campaigns head into their final month.
The number of Republican-held seats with competitive Democratic challengers has expanded to include Virginia and Tennessee, where Democrat Harold Ford Jr. now holds a 5-percentage-point lead over Republican Bob Corker among likely voters.
In Missouri, GOP Sen. Jim Talent narrowly trails Democrat Claire McCaskill, and in Rhode Island, Sen. Lincoln Chafee faces a double-digit deficit against Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. The surveys, taken Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, have error margins of +/—5 percentage points for the likely-voter samples.
The landscape has improved for Democrats since the USA TODAY/Gallup state polls taken just before Labor Day. "You'd have to say they have at least a 50-50 shot at winning control," says political scientist Alan Abramowitz of Emory University. "That's certainly better than anybody expected a few weeks ago."
Democrats must gain six seats to win control.
Reports of more deadly violence in Iraq and the scandal involving a GOP lawmaker and congressional pages are factors, says Charlie Cook of the non-partisan Cook Political Report: "Clearly, we've seen momentum shift away from the Republicans and toward the Democrats."
President Bush is a liability in the six states polled. In mostly Democratic Rhode Island, likely voters say by more than 3-to-1 that they are more likely to back a candidate who opposes Bush than one who supports him. Even in Republican-leaning Virginia, voters by 3-2 favor a candidate who would challenge Bush.
One trouble spot for Democrats: New Jersey. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, appointed in December, holds only a three-point lead over Republican Tom Kean Jr.
But in Maryland, another Democratic seat targeted by the GOP, Ben Cardin leads Republican Michael Steele by a wide 15 points. Among other findings:
• In Missouri, McCaskill, who trailed Talent by 6 points in late August, now leads by 3.
• In Virginia, GOP Sen. George Allen, hit by allegations of racism, has a narrow three-point lead over Democrat James Webb.
Democrats also are hopeful of ousting GOP incumbents in Ohio, Montana and Pennsylvania. Fewer than half of the 33 Senate seats on the ballot are considered competitive.
In the new polls, voters in all six states combined who said they would vote largely out of party loyalty supported Democrats by 2-1 — a sign that Democratic partisans are more energized than Republican ones.
Contributing: Evan Perkiss
<< WASHINGTON — Democrats are within striking distance of winning control of the Senate in the Nov. 7 elections, USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in six key states show as the campaigns head into their final month. <<
-----------------------------
Race for Control of Senate Tightens
By Susan Page, USA TODAY
October 6, 2006
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-10-05-state-races_x.htm?csp=1
WASHINGTON — Democrats are within striking distance of winning control of the Senate in the Nov. 7 elections, USA TODAY/Gallup Polls in six key states show as the campaigns head into their final month.
The number of Republican-held seats with competitive Democratic challengers has expanded to include Virginia and Tennessee, where Democrat Harold Ford Jr. now holds a 5-percentage-point lead over Republican Bob Corker among likely voters.
In Missouri, GOP Sen. Jim Talent narrowly trails Democrat Claire McCaskill, and in Rhode Island, Sen. Lincoln Chafee faces a double-digit deficit against Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. The surveys, taken Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, have error margins of +/—5 percentage points for the likely-voter samples.
The landscape has improved for Democrats since the USA TODAY/Gallup state polls taken just before Labor Day. "You'd have to say they have at least a 50-50 shot at winning control," says political scientist Alan Abramowitz of Emory University. "That's certainly better than anybody expected a few weeks ago."
Democrats must gain six seats to win control.
Reports of more deadly violence in Iraq and the scandal involving a GOP lawmaker and congressional pages are factors, says Charlie Cook of the non-partisan Cook Political Report: "Clearly, we've seen momentum shift away from the Republicans and toward the Democrats."
President Bush is a liability in the six states polled. In mostly Democratic Rhode Island, likely voters say by more than 3-to-1 that they are more likely to back a candidate who opposes Bush than one who supports him. Even in Republican-leaning Virginia, voters by 3-2 favor a candidate who would challenge Bush.
One trouble spot for Democrats: New Jersey. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, appointed in December, holds only a three-point lead over Republican Tom Kean Jr.
But in Maryland, another Democratic seat targeted by the GOP, Ben Cardin leads Republican Michael Steele by a wide 15 points. Among other findings:
• In Missouri, McCaskill, who trailed Talent by 6 points in late August, now leads by 3.
• In Virginia, GOP Sen. George Allen, hit by allegations of racism, has a narrow three-point lead over Democrat James Webb.
Democrats also are hopeful of ousting GOP incumbents in Ohio, Montana and Pennsylvania. Fewer than half of the 33 Senate seats on the ballot are considered competitive.
In the new polls, voters in all six states combined who said they would vote largely out of party loyalty supported Democrats by 2-1 — a sign that Democratic partisans are more energized than Republican ones.
Contributing: Evan Perkiss
posted by verifi at 11:30 AM
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