Posted on 10/17/2005 4:52:23 PM PDT by Gopher Broke
WSLS/SurveyUSA poll shows Kaine leading for the first time
Jay Warren / WSLS NewsChannel 10
Oct 17, 2005
Three weeks from Election Day and a turn in the polls as Democrat Tim Kaine for the first time takes the lead in our exclusive SurveyUSA tracking poll. The statewide poll, taken of 750 Virginians over the weekend, shows Kaine leading with 47% of the vote. Republican Jerry Kilgore has 45%. Trailing far behind is independent candidate Russ Potts with 4%. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.7%, meaning the race is a statistical dead heat.
But our tracking does show a steady climb for Kaine. In March and June Kilgore was ahead by 10 points. By August the lead was smaller, Kilgore at 48% to Kaine's 43%. And last month Kilgore was leading by three points.
A Kaine spokesperson says Virginians are fed up with what they call Kilgore's negative campaign. Mo Elleithee, Kaine's communications director said, "People want someone with a positive agenda and someone who will keep Virginia moving forward. The voters are not responding well to Jerry Kilgore."
That Kilgore campaign of late has included a series verbal jabs made during last week's only statewide televised debate and a series of hard-hitting attack ads focusing primarily on Kaine's position on the death penalty and taxes. In almost all their attack ads, the Kilgore campaign has labeled Tim Kaine too liberal to lead the Commonwealth.
Newschannel 10 Political Analyst Dr. Bob Denton says the tone of Kilgore's campaign could be the problem.
When campaigns get to intense and too much attack and too negative... that we may start seeing a backlash from the general electorate," Dr. Denton said.
Denton believes this is basically an issue-less, personality driven campaign, with the voters asking, "Are they nice? Are they mean? Are they like me? And I think the campaign of Kilgore is being painted as someone who is indeed mean-spirited and going too negative."
Kilgore's press secretary, Tim Murtaugh, says, "We have always known this would be a close race. We take nothing for granted and will campaign as if we were 10 points down."
But with a race this tight, it is unlikely that either side is going to let up.
I don't doubt that this poll is legit.
WSLS and WDBJ are both screaming liberal... I'm not surprised they're "making" the news.
Neal
...Are there any other candidates besides these two guys???
There is at least one more, but the winner will be one of the two major party candidates.
...What a shame, sham. I was going to waste my vote on Russ Potts...
What can one person do?
...One person(PC), one vote. On principle...
I will go to vote; and will probably vote for Kilgore. But I am personally turned off by his ads. I think they are condescending; there have been a couple of them that I find a bit insulting...turnoffs. The death penalty commercials are very hard-hitting and effective, assuming they are accurate. Kaine would probably do okay; given that VA has a Republican controlled state house. We'll see.
I vote on a combination of my values, principles, and practicality.
That Republican controlled state house and current Democratic Governor gave you the largest single tax increase in Virginia history.
You may think that's okay. I sure as heck don't.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.