Q-Poll: Blumenthal Up By Six
by Christine Stuart | Sep 14, 2010 6:45am
(11) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: Election 2010
(Updated) The first Quinnipiac University poll of the general election shows Democrat Richard Blumenthal leading Republican Linda McMahon by six points among likely voters in the race for the U.S. Senate.
A Quinnipiac University poll in August showed Blumenthal leading McMahon by 10 points, but Poll Director Doug Schwartz cautioned about comparing the two polls since today’s includes likely voters and previous polls screened for registered voters.
“This is now a 6 point race among likely voters,” Schwartz said. “With seven weeks to go and lots of money to be spent, anything can happen.”
Three percent of voters are undecided and another 11 percent said they could change their minds. While both McMahon and Blumenthal have support from their respective parties, the poll found they are almost evenly split amongst Independent voters.
Independent voters outnumber both Democrats and Republicans in Connecticut, which means they often influence the results of a general election. Tuesday’s poll found Independent voters support Blumenthal 47 percent to McMahon’s 46 percent.
Among those backing McMahon, 42 percent say their vote is mainly against Blumenthal, while 53 percent say they mainly are pro-McMahon. Blumenthal backers are 22 percent anti-McMahon and 73 percent pro-Blumenthal, according to the poll
“For Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, an elected official with a 70 percent approval rating, this race is surprisingly close,” Schwartz said. “It is not that voters are wild about McMahon; her favorability rating is tepid. And many of her supporters are more anti-Blumenthal.”
McMahon’s favorability rating still trails Blumenthal’s. By a 55 – 39 percent margin, voters have a favorable opinion of Blumenthal, compared to a 45 – 41 percent favorability for McMahon.
President Barack Obama’s job approval rating in the latest poll plummets to a negative 45 - 52 percent in the state. Obama will visit Connecticut on Thursday to stump for Blumenthal.
Schwartz said the President may be a drag on Blumenthal. But “the question is whether Linda McMahon can ride the anti-establishment, anti-Democratic wave to victory in blue Connecticut, a state that hasn’t voted for a Republican for Senator since Lowell Weicker in 1982.”
“McMahon would be Connecticut’s first female Senator,“ Schwartz said. “But it is Blumenthal’s advantage among women that is making the difference in the race.“
Women favor Blumenthal by a more than 2-to-1 margin over McMahon.
“It may be because women are less likely than men to be turned off by Blumenthal’s Vietnam misstatements, and more likely to be turned off by McMahon’s wrestling background,” Schwartz said.
McMahon’s campaign attributes her strong showing in the poll to her outsider status and business background.
“Since January, Dick Blumenthal’s 41-point lead in the polls has all but evaporated,” Ed Patru, McMahon’s communications director, said. “While Linda has been focused on economic recovery and job creation, Blumenthal has been waiting out the clock and relying on his political allies to run negative attacks against Linda – attacks that were paid for by tens of thousands of dollars secretly funneled from the Blumenthal estate.”
“This will be an election, not a coronation. And in November, Connecticut voters will have a clear choice between a career politician who doesn’t get it and a proven job creator who does,” Patru said.
Blumenthal has said it’s an election not an auction referring to the $50 million she plans to spend on the campaign.
“We’ve always believed this was going to be a tough election, and, that the people of Connecticut will reject Linda McMahon’s $50 million attack machine and her attempt to whitewash her record of putting profits ahead of people,” Mindy Meyers, Blumenthal’s campaign manager, said. “We’re confident that on Election Day the people of Connecticut will choose Dick Blumenthal, the only candidate in this race with a record of standing up, fighting, and winning for the people of Connecticut and putting their interests first.”
The poll conducted Sept. 8-13 surveyed 875 Connecticut likely voters and has a plus or minus 3.3 percent margin of error.
Tags: McMahon, Blumenthal, U.S. Senate race, election, 2010
(11) Comments
posted by: hawkeye | September 14, 2010 12:47pm
Richard Bliumenthal will continue to drop in the polls, as more people are understanding, that a vote for Blumenthal, is a vote for the continued, disastrous fiscal economic disaster, beset upon us, by Pres. Barack Obama.
Blumenthal even had the nerve, to have Obama come to Connecticut, to Fundraise for him. Although Blumenthal will gain monetarily, his close Obama connection will cost him votes, and gain votes, for Linda McMahon.
This is not the time to be in Obama’s pocket, and even Democratic Congressman Chris Murphy, today announced that he is working with Republicans, to pass legislation in Congress.
posted by: CT Bill | September 14, 2010 3:42pm
How does Mr. Scwhartz determine who is a “likely voter?” Crystal ball? Cartomancy? Sheep entrails?
Can he tell by my typewriting here if *I* am a likely voter?
Does he know tomorrow’s Powerball number? Does he care?
posted by: hawkeye | September 14, 2010 8:00pm
Blumenthal’s slim lead in the polls, will disappear, once Pres. Barack Obama, comes to State to stump for him next week.. Every Democratic candidate that Obama has stumped for, to date, has LOST!
Blumenthal was greedy, when he took on Obama, to raise campaign funding, for him in Fairfield County. By associating himself, with an unpopular Pres. Obama, he will be the next in line, to suffer the “Curse of Obama!”
posted by: lothar | September 17, 2010 8:12pm
Obama is the first honorable president we’ve had in decades and he’s doing a fantastic job under extraordinary circumstances, thanks to people like hawkeye. Fortunately, cooler heads will prevail - the system is still a good one despite all the damage done to it by Republicans over the years.
posted by: hawkeye | September 18, 2010 9:38am
LOW STANDARDS FOR OBAMA! LOTHAR:
How can the complete failures of Pres. Barack Obama, equate to making him our first honorable President?
Your standards of performance, are very low, when you still have to blame Republicans, for his dismal incompetence.
Give blind allegiance to a President who is “burying America,” a break, Lothar!
posted by: and 1 | September 18, 2010 3:46pm
While I agree with lothar that Obama is a great president- I do not believe having Richard Blumenthal as a US Senator will help Democrats. We need good Democrats who lead by example and not those who use issues which are either fashionable or which act to cya. Blumenthal has proven to be a master of both while at the same time forgetting about things like principals, ethics and the law.
posted by: lothar | September 18, 2010 9:49pm
my standards are fine hawkeye. yours are certainly questionable based on your pattern of posting the same message on multiple stories day after day. it’s transparent and pathetic.
posted by: hawkeye | September 19, 2010 9:05am
Lothar:
Sound like I have reached your PANIC BUTTON. Settle down, Lothar. “Obama, your great President, makes you happy, but you don’t say how that is possible?”
We have different standards, Lothar!
Peace!
posted by: hawkeye | September 19, 2010 9:15am
and I:
I agree with your opinion about Richard Blumenthal, and thanks to the present low esteem, “of your Great President Obama,” Blumenthal will lose to to Linda McMahon!
Unlike Lothar, at least, you are half-right, “and I”
posted by: lothar | September 19, 2010 2:18pm
Hi again Hawkeye,
With respect to panic buttons, I’m not the one showing up in public wearing the ridiculous outfits and claiming the sky is falling. You are. You and the rest of your tea party pals clearly and obviously are panicking. Get a grip.
Further, even if I were to explain to you why I think the president is doing a great job, you wouldn’t hear it or see it. Suffice to say that he’s working on everything he said he would work on and that’s why a large majority voted for the guy and would do so again. Tough luck if you don’t like it.
And clearly you are hanging around online commenting on every story with the same tired anti-Obama, anti-Democratic message, even if your comments are unrelated to the story. That sounds fairly desperate and panicky to me. You feel like you’re controlling the debate but you’re not convincing anyone of anything here. Maybe it makes you feel good. You’d be better served by clicking over and over on the McMahon ad… or spell-checking some of the signs your pals are carrying. Maybe you should launch your own website - you clearly have a lot to say to someone.
And you can go ahead and “settle down” yourself… Are there any other self-important, dismissive cliches you’d like to share? How about this one:
Buh-bye, hawkeye!
And yet you’re still here.
posted by: gmd | September 28, 2010 3:46pm
This is a very sad time for our country. I am a Republican and am appalled at our choice of candidate. This is truly the dumbing of America. First Sarah Palin and now Ms. McMahon. Both are basically “Glitzy Preachers” raking in the money with no substance. Does anyone even read newspapers anymore?? Please read the New York Times Magazine this past week. It say’s it all. Who’s our next candidate??? Jerry Springer or maybe Lady Gaga? This is the USA where money is the true winner.