Pa. Gov. Rendell Leads Challenger Swann

[brooklynite]

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell holds a double-digit lead over his only GOP challenger, former Pittsburgh Steelers star Lynn Swann, and Republicans are split over whether Swann has the experience to be governor, according to a poll released Wednesday.

The poll was conducted Feb 8-13, a stretch during which Swann was constantly in the news: His last two GOP opponents dropped out, the Steelers won the Super Bowl, and the Republican State Committee endorsed him for the nomination.

The Quinnipiac University poll showed Rendell leading Swann 48 percent to 36 percent. The poll numbers are consistent with recent polling by the Connecticut-based university: Rendell led in February 2005 by 50 percent to 34 percent, and in December by 48 percent to 35 percent.

Independent voters preferred Rendell over Swann, 49 percent to 31 percent. Rendell was more popular among Democrats, 74 percent of whom supported him, than Swann was among Republicans, who had 64 percent support. Rendell also scored higher with Republicans, at 22 percent, than Swann did with Democrats, at 15 percent.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060215/ap_on_el_gu/pennsylvania_governor_poll

[hadrons]

1. note this happened AFTER Swann opened his mouth

[AlCzervik]

15. what did he say?

[brooklynite]

24. Amongst other things...

he said that if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, that would mean abortion was illegal, so he wouldn't have to sign a bill as Governor to outlaw it.

[AlCzervik]

25. thank you for the info---what a tool he is.

[tabasco]

2. I loved ya' as a Steeler, Swannie.

But you got your head lodged square up your ass to be a republican in these days and times. :dunce:

Swann must like the republicans because of his tax cuts. Either that or he's a fundie. :shrug:

Just another rich celebrity republican with no military service or any real qualifications. But qualifications don't really matter to republican voters. If you have an "R" next to your name, the zombies will vote for you. They are loyal to their party like a bunch of brownshirts.

Swann won't get elected, but, in the off chance he does, he will embarrass himself.

[newscott]

3. Two scenarios

1.) There will be a blitz of biased polls that show Swann closing to within a couple before the election just to make it look close when Swann "wins" or...

2.) It will be a miraculous victory by Swann.

[SaveElmer]

5. One thing is for sure...

There will be an endless number of "Hail Mary " references near the end of the campaign.

Like

"Behind in the Polls, Swann aims for Hail Mary comeback"

[Kolesar]

10. "the immaculate deception" ... eom

[VegasWolf]

14. Do their voting machines have the new Diebold Pentium 5 chip in them?

:sarcasm:

[Josh]

18. Oh for goodness sake - what will you guys say when Rendell wins?

nt.

[Cha]

26. "you guys"? And who are

we?

There's no reason not to talk about the diebold voting machines and NO PAPER TRAIL!!

[LynneSin]

36. Some of those machines have been decertified in the state

PA should be fine in that department. That's why they want a patsy like Swann to run so they can tell him who to appoint for Secretary of State

[PittPoliSci]

34. last week the tribune review reported a dead heat.

i had doubts about it how authentic it's polling was.

[maxrandb]

4. Swann may get some Pittsburgh votes

but he'll lose just as many in Philadelphia.

Why does the Repuke Party keep throwing out these celebrities? What does it say about their party that they have to rely on washed-up "beef-cake" actors, and former NFL stars?

Granted, they were successful with the Gropenhater in CA, but look at what a disaster he's turned out to be.

And I thought it was the Democratic Party that was "beholden" to "Hollywood elites"??

Lynn Swan has about as much business being a Governor as Arnold Schwarzenager does, or Jessie "the body" Ventura does.

Of course, since they sell us our government that same way they sell beer and Chryslers, I would not write Lynn Swan off just yet.

We need a "Dallas Cowboy's Veterans for Truth" group to come out and "swiftvet" Swan. Some of those catches in the Super Bowl were "suspect"

[underpants]

12. Didn't he do ballet? or something?

ballet?

I think that was him.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

22. "Dallas Cowboy's Veterans for Truth"...LOL! (n/t)

[mitchum]

29. Because they actually hold their supporters in contempt

"Let's throw some flash at the rubes"

[kskiska]

6. Swann didn't come off too well on Sunday

He refused to say what he thought about stem cell research. Said he didn't know enough about it.

[adriennui]

8. he doesn't know enough about anything

what is there about football players? why do they insist on going into politics (bill bradley was an exception).

[central scrutinizer]

9. Bradley played basketball

A lot fewer hard knocks on the old noggin. I wonder just how many concussions old Swannie suffered during his playing days.

[Jack from Charlotte]

20. Pssst. Bradley was basketballer. (And a Princeton grad.) *

*

[WinkyDink]

33. And a Rhodes Scholar.

[gasperc]

7. funny that the national press only reports

obscure minor polls that show Rendell neck and neck with Swann, funny

[against all enemies]

11. Chris Matthews brother is running for Lieutenant Governor, or

at least that's what Tweety said. Is he running with Swann or do the LGs run on a separate ticket. If Matthews brother does run it will certainly explain Tweety's glowing reports on all things Republican, especially in PA.

[0rganism]

13. That's pretty amazing, but remember this is only the beginning

I expect the election margin to be much closer than this poll suggests.

If you're a republican campaign manager for Swann, your job is summed up thusly:
1) smear Rendell as an elite bureacratic status-quo tax&spend communist
2) get lots of Swann's highlight tapes and mix them with memorable vagueries about how Swann will lead Pennsylvania into an era of reform and prosperity
3) keep Swann away from any actual press as much as possible

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

16. Game: Name ONE Anti-choice Republican Governor in Pennsylvania

Ridge, nope, pro-choice. Thornburgh, nope, pro-choice. See that relatively low 64% Republican support for Swann in that poll, that's 2 factors: The moderate Republicans in PA who know the even greater dangers today of an anti-choice Gov and the racist T-voters in the rural counties who will probably just stay home in November.

Swann is so embarrassingly uninformed that it is mind-boggling that the GOP pressured the actually intelligent, pro-choice candidate, Scranton, to leave the race.

Rendell would have to really eff up to lose this race in November.

[Divernan]

17. You are right about the racist Repub. voters in the "T" part of the state

For non Pennsylvanians, think of the state as urban/Blue in the southeast (Phillie) and southwest (Pittsburgh) corners of the state, with rural conservative Republicans in the center and across the top half of the state.

Swann is clueless about how government operates and would be a sockpuppet for whoever his big money handlers are. When he announced his candidacy, he promised to get rid of property taxes and without switching to other taxes (income/business). Now he did not elucidate on how the state would then pay for little things like highways, schools, etc. The more he opens his mouth the more he will reveal his incompetency. He is a man who craves the limelight - the only job he's held since his football days is as a talking head/sports commentator.

[modrepub]

19. This will never work

It probably won't be a cake walk for Rendel. I technically work for him since I'm a state worker. The unions will support Swann (mark my word the last state contract sucked, not that Swann would do any better). How in the hell will a football player from the west side of the state get any Repubs in the Philly suburbs to vote for him? The first Steeler reference will kill him (I'm an Eagles fan and didn't give a rat's ass if the Steelers won, I'll be nice with my comments). Besides it's a well known fact that the rest of the state hates anything to do with Philly and the burbs (screw the rest of you, you know who you are). Without the Philly suburbs and to a lesser extent the Allentown area, there aren't enough votes left to carry the state. I expect defections from Pittsburgh but Rendel will make up for them in the republican counties of Chester, Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware. And finally I do believe the people in the conservative "T" in the state will have a really hard time pulling the lever for Swann. I'd like to believe this isn't true in this day and age but I have a feeling race still matters to these people.

PS I don't like either choice. Predict a Rendel victory 47% - 43%

[fujiyama]

21. Will the Santorum/Casey race

have any affect on this?

Will Rendell or Casey ride coattails from the other? Or will Santorum be able to ride Swann's? Because it looks like both Santorum and Swann are both doing about as bad as each other.

It'd be great if PA keeps the governor's seat and knocks out Santorum at the same time.

[LynneSin]

37. That'll be funny - Santorum and Swann running together

If Casey gets the nomination he'll help retain votes from the Western part of the state for Rendell (and vice versa). However, if anything, Santorum will drag Swann down since Santorum is extremely unpopular with the African-American community. If Swann & Santorum try to work in tandem in the state, Swann will alienate Santorum "T-Section" conservatives who are too bigotted to vote for an African-American and Santorum will alienate urban african-american voters who might consider have considered Swann until they realize that Swann is a part of the Santorum/Bush party

[Born Free]

23. Right wingers don't get it

They are now saying they will get the black votes because of his race, they believe most blacks will vote for another black just because he is black ( you know the right wingers will vote for a white because of his race) . They just don't get it, they believe all their own myths. The only scary part is the increase in Diebold machines in the state, can't ever trust the paperless machines. There was a bill, might have been SB977 to force a paper trail but I never hear anything on it theses days.

[RDANGELO]

27. Mr. Swann is going to get a lesson about Republicans and race.

They don't talk about it much, but they think about it all the time.

[mitchum]

28. So much for your star power, bonehead

[dolstein]

30. Actually, it's not a good sign when an incumbent is below 50%

NT

[mvd]

31. That's good news, because

I had been hearing that they are tied. Just wait until the debates - Rendell will clobber Swann.

[WinkyDink]

32. Dog bites man.

News at eleven!
People! This is NO CONTEST!! Ed is Mr. Popularity here! The Repubs think Swannie has the same star power, but they are hilariously mistaken!

[LynneSin]

35. Every one of these pictures should be plastered everywhere in PA

especially in Pittsburgh and especially in communities with large population of African-Americans.

This is what you'll get if you elected Lynn Swann