Poll shows Bush holds hefty lead in Indiana

[democraticinsurgent]

President Bush has a huge lead in Indiana, according to a new poll, reflecting a strength that Republicans say is sure to help them win not just the Oval Office but the governor's office, too.

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The latest Indianapolis Star/WTHR (Channel 13) poll shows Republican Bush thrashing his Democratic challenger, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, 61 percent to 33 percent in Indiana.

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Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Kip Tew said he doesn't believe Kerry is doing as badly in Indiana as the poll shows, arguing that the sample included too many Republicans. In Indiana, voters do not register by party; of those polled, 45 percent identified themselves as Republicans, 27 percent as Democrats and 26 percent as independents.

Officials of both parties agree there are more Republicans than Democrats in Indiana, but how many more is subject to debate.

http://www.indystar.com/articles/2/184193-3402-170.html

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My two cents: I agree that the sample size is all outta whack. No way is is representative of the state. I'd estimate maybe 5% more R's than D's. Still, this shows Shrub getting over 50% of independent voters even though most of the polling was done after the first debate. Not a hopeful sign.

I expect the final margin on 11/2 to be in single digits for Shrub.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. What about the Governorship?

[democraticinsurgent]

4. Daniels 46, Kernan 43

Should have mentioned this, thanks.

Race has tightened since Kernan began running ads on Daniels' role in the IPALCO (Indianapolis Power and Light) sale on which management and board made a killing but stockholders saw their holdings become virtually worthless.

Observers here still think Daniels is ahead but the race is definitely winnable for Kernan. That's one reason I'm watching the national ticket so closely. A strong performance by Kerry here will help Kernan.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

15. Should Kerry/Edwards make a stopby and visit?

[democraticinsurgent]

17. it would really really help Kernan

Not that he can't do it alone...but it's sad to see umpteen visits to Ohio and and not one here. I spend every other weekend in Columbus Ohio and it's so different there. As if there's an actual election on!

Won't happen, though, unless things completely collapse for Shrub. Sadly the Kerry forces can't afford even a single afternoon away from the swing states...

[lancdem]

2. Indiana is as red a state as there is

Clinton never even came close to winning there. I don't care if Bush is ahead 99-1. (No offense to you, but I'm paying attention to swing states. :) )

[Skarbrowe]

3. I'm an ex-Hoosier and I can't remember the state

ever going for a Democratic President. They've had Democratic Governor's, but the state is mostly Republicans. I was from Northwest Indiana originally and we were DEMOCRATS! YO! Lots of steel mills and union people. The whole rest of the state, except for a few pockets here and there, is Republican. I don't think Indiana will ever be in play for the Democrats in a presidential election. But, I could be wrong. Nah.

[prolesunited]

13. Where at in NWI were you from?

How long? Where are you at now?

[democraticinsurgent]

5. as am I

but it's also worth noting what's happening in the red states. I don't think this poll means much but I posted it because some people want to know what's happening in every state.

[TahitiNut]

6. Indiana is a Klan state. No other state was as controlled by the Klan.

Reading the history of the Klan in Indiana politics is about as frightening as hell.

[NinetySix]

8. Indiana is the BIRTHPLACE of the Ku Klux Klan.

n/t

[Kong]

11. Stone Mountain Georgia

Is the place that I seem to recall being called the 'birthplace' of the KKK. I am not their historian of course ... I could be dead wrong on this.

[NinetySix]

12. We're BOTH wrong.

I just Googled it. It was Pulaski, Tennessee. Here's a photo:

[Tafiti]

7. I don't think the disparity will be that big Nov. 2nd...

...If you look at the 2000 election, Bush beat Gore in Indiana 57% to 41%. And that was with Bush making rosy promises and acting like he's a Washington outsider who was going to change the political "tone" in Washington. Well, exactly the opposite happened. So, I'm predicting Bush 54% Kerry 46%. But, the fact remains. Like many others, Indiana is full of people who have no busienss voting Republican, but do so emphatically. Chock-full of middle class, blue-collar people with no clue.

[maxsolomon]

9. guns 'n' jesus

i told my sister to get out of there.

watch the migration patterns in the next 50 years - it WILL be 2 americas - the coasts vs. the middle. poor chicago.

[Nlighten1]

10. Not surprising...

Indiana had a larger Klan population than Mississippi did at one time. It is a red state and will be a red state for a long time.

[Jack_Dawson]

14. I knew there was a reason I dumped that Indiana chick

back in college...

[noonwitch]

16. Let's face it, Indiana is a backwards state in some ways

1. They don't put floride in the water, which leads to serious dental problems with it's residents.

2. They don't recognize daylight savings time. As much as I hate the whole clock changing thing, especially in the spring, it doesn't make sense for a state to not do it when all the other states do. Hence, half the year they are in the Eastern Time Zone, and half in the Central Time Zone.

3. Bobby Knight should have been put in jail for assualting his own players a long time ago.

My sister lived in Elkhart for a few years. She hated it, and was grateful to be just over the line from Michigan.

Whenever I went to visit her, we went to South Bend or Mishawaka, because there is nothing to do in Elkhart. Notre Dame is cool, though. They have a really nice campus.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Indiana? Isn't that AKA North Texas?

Isn't Evan Dubya Bayh a senator there?

[Snotcicles]

19. Indiana where the KKK got it's start. Change is slow coming n/t

[The Chronicler]

20. Indiana AKA the time before Christ (nm)

[karlrschneider]

21. I don't really hate any state, but Indiana is damn close to being on my

list if I were to make one. I used to have to go to South Bend often when I was Coburn Industries' pilot (yep, the same Coburn as Tom, running for the senate here in OK and whom I flew all over the country when he was a high-school/college student) to take the bigshots there on bidness. I was physically assualted there...sitting in the bar of some hotel, some redneck asshole came up behind me and hit me on the head with a beer bottle. I absolutely DESPISE that fucking city.