(R)asmussen Poll--WVA Senate: Raese (R) 48% Manchin (D) 46%

[WI_DEM]

Republican John Raese has edged ahead of West Virginia’s popular Democratic Governor Joe Manchin for the first time in the state’s special U.S. Senate race.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely West Virginia Voters finds Raese earning 48% support to Manchin’s 46% when leaners are included. Two percent (5%) prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.

www.dailykos.com

Last week PPP also put out a poll showing Raese ahead--WVA is so anti-Obama it seems that they might just vote against the popular governor so that Obama doesn't have another vote in the Senate. Hopefully Manchin can turn this around--this was a seat we were depending on. But then again it was Manchin who engineered having a special election this year--rather than an appointment until 2012.

[msongs]

1. looks like ego got in the way lol nt

[Renew Deal]

2. This is a self inflicted disaster.

Manchins selfish bullshit has brought this on.

[FBaggins]

3. Hopw so? Did he kill Byrd?

There wasn't another candidate in the state that would have won this seat. He remains our best shot.

And no...he did not game the system so that the election would be next month (assuming that's where you're going next).

[Renew Deal]

5. He did "game the system"

There was no need to have the election in November. And if he loses, I will remember apologists like you that brought this on.

[FBaggins]

6. No he didn't. The law was ambiguous, but clear enough.

All the legislature (not the Gov) did was to clarify those existing rules. The law clearly required an election this fall, but some tried to pretend that since the primary filing deadline was past, it was too late. That simply wasn't true. Nothing in the law limited the state to a single primary date.

Had they not done so, there would have been a court challenge that we would have lost. And, in losing, we would have looked like we were trying to game the system to hold the seat... a clear formula for losing it.

[KingFlorez]

7. The special election wasn't necessary at all

The law didn't require it, the seat could have been held by an appointee until 2012. He couldn't wait to run for the seat, though. He should have left well enough alone.

[FBaggins]

8. Repeating a falsehood doesn't make it any less false.

The law did require it.

There were some who thought they saw a loophole... but trying to use it would have been a disaster. Any court would have slapped it down.

[FBaggins]

4. I hadn't consisdered the possibility that people could be happy with him as Gov

but not be as excited to vote for him as senator.

But then again it was Manchin who engineered having a special election this year--rather than an appointment until 2012.

That's a common misperception. The election would have been this year regardless... just after a court battle that would have made retaining the seat more difficult.