Another poll shows Manchin taking lead in West Virginia Senate race

[WI_DEM]

Coming on the heel of the PPP poll yesterday which had Manchin moving out front by 3:

WEST VIRGINIA SIREN – FIRST IN SCORE: Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin has seized a five-point advantage in the battle for the late Sen. Robert Byrd’s seat, opening up a 49 percent to 44 percent lead over Republican John Raese in a poll conducted for the DSCC. It’s the second survey in two days to show Manchin rebounding, after Public Policy Polling put him three points up on Raese. The fundamentals of Manchin’s political profile are strong: Sixty-three percent of likely voters said they had a favorable impression of him and only 28 percent said the opposite. For Raese, those numbers were closely divided at 40 percent favorable, 38 percent unfavorable. Sixty-four percent of voters said Manchin’s job performance was good or excellent, while only 30 percent said it was fair or poor. The GQR poll tested 612 likely voters from Oct. 7-11 – at the height of the controversy over the so-called “hick” ad.” PPP numbers here: http://bit.ly/atpphN

http://www.politico.com/morningscore/

[FBaggins]

1. Looks like distancing himself from the rest of the party was a net positive.

Can't imagine it making him too popular here, but I'd rather have that Senate seat right now.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. If he's distancing himself from the Dems

why doesn't he just run as an Indy? I want him to win the seat because, face it, he'll probably be better than a Repub (particularly a Sarah Palin-endorsed one) but how does he expect to both run on and away from his political party? :shrug:

[FBaggins]

7. Democrats in WV are a different genus under the species "democrat"

He's distancing himself from the Washington genus.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. Yeah, I suppose you're right

It still just seems wrong but, as I've said before, having a numerical majority is still always better than not having any kind of majority- even if it makes getting progressive legislation through the Senate more difficult.

[tularetom]

2. Yay, I guess

From what I've read in the past few days, Manchin sounds like sort of a coal company whore. Maybe he has to be in order get elected in WV but he made some sorta snide remarks about health care reform too. I'm not impressed with him.

Still, he's better than having a republican in this seat.

[dkf]

3. I thought the ad where he says his opponent brought in Philly actors and asked them to dress in

"hick" clothes to represent West Virginians was hilarious. I LOLed at that.

[DCBob]

4. That ad may have backfired.

I suspect WVirginians do not like being portrayed as clueless rednecks.

[dkf]

5. Someone on Manchin's team is smart.

[PopSixSquish]

10. I Can Assure You That They Do Not

My boss at a company I worked for a few years back is from Charleston and she most certainly isn't a hick or clueless redneck. I'm sure she would be apoplectic at that ad...

[FirstTimeVoterAt37]

8. I'm in Montana rather than West Virginia, but...

Let's be frank - there are a lot of hicks up here. And I can attest that if you want to get yourself hospitalized, just say "hick" or "hillbilly" in public. People are SERIOUSLY touchy about that.

[pkz]

9. Damn straight touchy....

I am a 52 year old college grad and I worked as an auditor for a hotel chain, worked in New Jersey for 2 years....the most common remark I heard?

"OMG youse wear shoes?"

Second is a tie between "wahs so special bout Virginia baked ham?"
and "why are you sooo nice?"

Each region has it's "touchy" comments, but seriously WV will never ditch the redneck status, try as we might.

btw~ love NJ