Thursday Open Thread [10.2.14]
“With a strong possibility that Democrats could lose control of the Senate in the midterm elections, they are investing heavily in voter turnout efforts,” the New York Times reports.
“In states too close to call like Alaska, Colorado, Iowa and North Carolina, Democrats are making much greater investments in the ground game than Republicans.”
The goal is to turn out a more representative electorate that we seen in presidential years. If we can make progress on that, then the Democrats will win in the states that tend to favor them in presidential years, namely North Carolina, Iowa, Colorado and more and more Georgia.
A new Gallup poll finds more Louisianans identify themselves as or lean Democratic (45%) than Republican (41%), a shift from the slight edge Republicans have held for past three years. The shift is likely a welcome indicator for Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) as runs for reelection. Of course, most of the self identified Democrats in Louisiana are also conservatives. Strangely, Gallup polled Louisiana but did not poll the actual Senate race itself. Odd.
KANSAS–SENATOR–USA Today/Suffolk University: Greg Orman (I) 46, Sen. Pat Roberts (R) 41.
KANSAS–GOVERNOR–USA Today/Suffolk University: Paul Davis (D) 46, Gov. Sam Brownback (R) 42.
MICHIGAN–GOVERNOR–Target Insyght Poll: Gov. Rick Snyder (R) 41, Mark Schauer (D) 40.
MICHIGAN–SENATOR–Target Insyght Poll: Gary Peters (D) 48, Terri Lynn Land (R) 38.
LOUISIANA–SENATOR–Public Policy Polling: Bill Cassidy (R) 48, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) 45.
“Neither candidate is very popular with voters. 37% of voters have a favorable opinion of Cassidy to 41% with an unfavorable opinion, numbers that while poor are actually slightly improved from a -8 net favorability rating on the previous poll at 28/36. Landrieu’s approval numbers are worse though- 42% give her good marks to 52% who disapprove.”
WISCONSIN–GOVERNOR–Gravis Marketing: Mary Burke (D) 50, Gov. Scott Walker (R) 45.
This is huge.
WISCONSIN–GOVERNOR–Marquette University Law School: Gov. Scott Walker (R) 50, Mary Burke (D) 45.
But then again…
FLORIDA–GOVERNOR–SurveyUSA: Charlie Crist (D) 46, Gov. Rick Scott (R) 40.
IOWA–SENATOR–Public Policy Polling: Joni Ernst (R) 44, Bruce Braley (R) 42.
NEW HAMPSHIRE–SENATOR–American Research Group: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) 53, Scott Brown (R) 43.
NORTH CAROLINA–SENATOR–Civitas: Sen. Kay Hagan (D) 46, Thom Tillis (R) 41
ILLINOIS–GOVERNOR–Rasmussen: Gov. Pat Quinn (D) 44, Bruce Rauner (R) 42.
Looks like Illinois is going to grudgingly give Quinn another term. In the summer I was sure his goose was cooked.
OHIO–GOVERNOR–Quinnipiac: Gov. John Kasich (R) 57, Ed FitzGerald (D) 35.
If Scott Walker goes down, watch for Kasich to become a big name in the 2016 GOP sweepstakes. He is basically their only viable governor that can run.
SOUTH CAROLINA–GOVERNOR–Winthrop University: Gov. Nikki Haley (R) 44, Vincent Sheheen (D) 34.
TEXAS–GOVERNOR–Texas Lyceum: Greg Abbott (R) 49, Wendy Davis (D) 40.
This is closer that I thought it would be.
KENTUCKY–SENATOR–Mellman Group: Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) 42, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R) 40.
McConnell has a 58% negative job approval rating compared to 37% who approve. McConnell’s net is one of the lowest in the country at (-21).
Grimes gets more of her support from Democrats (75%) than McConnell gets from Republicans (73%). Alison Grimes also leads McConnell with Independents (38%-29%), and moderates (49%-27%). Grimes has a net 25 point lead on the question of who will work to create good jobs, a net 24 point lead on who will work to protect Social Security and Medicare, a 20 point lead on the important question of who cares about people like you, and a 10 point lead on the question of who shares your values.
I’m not optimistic about the Senate. Trying to get Democrats to vote is a mug’s game. And it always will be as long as the Democratic Party stands for nothing except not (officially) being the Republican Party.
BTW – anybody downstate watching WRDE?
https://www.facebook.com/wrdetv
The beaches were already getting good local TV coverage out of Salisbury – I can only imagine that it is better now. (Also – the Cape Gazette is a great local newspaper) You Sussex Countians are lucky ducks.
Just added WRDE to the News links.
Extremely bad news:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/appeals-court-ruling-closes-13-abortion-clinics-in-texas.html
Would be interested in views of Kittila, Simpler and Daddy Wags on women’s reproductive freedom.
That is bad, John. Question… would this rule apply to dentist/oral surgeons and certain cosmetic procedures? Would they need to implement hospital level upgrades? If not, why not?
“Would be interested in views of Kittila, Simpler and Daddy Wags on women’s reproductive freedom.”
Aside from Kittila, seems a bit of a smugfocker fishing trip for offices unrelated to abortion policy, dontcha tink?
Wagner obviously is trying to extend his record of Newtonian inertia to 30 years, so yes, one hardly cares what he thinks, if at all, about anything.
Simpler, on the other hand, is being primed as the next Pete du Pont – the polite Princeton guy who can read without moving his lips, and won’t junket on us. He’s not running for Treasurer so he can sign paychecks and ride in the Felton Firefighters Parade. He’s runnerish for Governor or Congress. It wouldn’t hurt if we know whether he supports women’s constitutional rights, or if he’s a global warming denialist.
Well, when he runs for something where that matters, be sure to ask him.
Otherwise, you just sound like a douchenozzle.
Metromucil returns to troll.
Just one name, please.