Posted on 07/16/2008 9:19:03 PM PDT by Impy
Democratic Senate candidate Jeff Merkley is excited by a new poll that for the first time shows him ahead of Republican Sen. Gordon Smith - even if the two-point lead is well within the survey's margin of error. Jeff Merkley
"The fact that we're in the lead is tremendous," said Merkley spokesman Matt Canter, saying he thinks that's probably the first time Smith has found himself in such a position in his nearly 12 years in the Senate.
However, Smith's own pollster, Bob Moore, said he didn't trust the methodology of the poll by Rasmussen Reports. It uses an automated voice system to question respondents, which he called a "flawed methodology."
Still, Rasmussen and the other big automated polltaker, SurveyUSA, have had a pretty decent track record in predicting races and are becoming increasingly accepted in political circles. If nothing else, the survey will undoubtedly get passed around political circles as evidence of the strength of Merkley's challenge against Smith.
The July 15 telephone survey of 500 respondents found 43 percent for Merkley and 41 percent for Smith, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points. If voters leaning to one
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
Gordon Smith (a disgusting ACU rating of 48 in 2007 and a pitiful 72 lifetime) is running ads touting how well he has worked with Obama and his desire to “reach across the aisle” to “get things done”.
Instead of standing up for winning conservative ideas and principles, he’s running from the Democrat newsrooms like a coward. He’s portraying himself as “liberal lite”. I have never seen that embarrassing campaign tactic work, not once. Liberals figure they may as well just vote for the liberal, and conservatives stay home.
Personally, I won’t be sorry to see Smith go.
I think he will pull it out, too.
I still don’t like him, though.
If they vote in more Demwits, they should get used to it. ;’)
In what context do you mean?
As an Oregonian, I'm all for drilling.
There are others who disagree...
You’re right.
I just wish they would let me pump my own gas like 48 of the other states.
Or, in Obama’s world, that would be 55 of the other states. ;o)
As a patron of his during his first run, I’m embarrassed with him, too.
I will never support him again.
He’s not even Dem Lite...he’s the real deal, now.
Smith is the Rhino. He used to be a conservative republican, but he has been spending too much time with his Socialist colleague Ron Wyden. I’ve voted for him every time, but in the primary I voted for some kook (that had no chance) as a protest vote. Like McCain, I will likely plug my nose and vote for Smith because Merkley is just part of the festering democratic establishment that is turning Oregon into a Socialist POS state.
You think the Senate elections will go well?
Darn. A RINO is going down. You have to hate that. He should have voted to drill in ANWR but he stuck with McFlap, that’ll get you in trouble.
Yes no matter his possible replacement is 20 times worse and could get entrenched and be there 30 years.....
Not sure.
I tell ya one thing though the Gorden Smith tv ad where he invokes Obama as a guy he can work well with just does not feel right in my gut.
When it came out Merkley got irked and made a media announcement to let everyone know that Obama is backing him not Gordon.
Gordon didnt claim Obama was backing him but the add did come acrowss that way.
Speaking of on tv right now Gordon has a new ad anti Merkley flashing passed legislation votes (too fast to see what it is) claiming Merkley increased tax hikes 44%.
Oh how I wonder where the Gordon Smith we use to know as a hard core Christian Conservative went.
The guy is still gotta there but had to come to the middle or he would not have gotten elected.
I thought it already was a Socialist POS state
Demwits, and the rain forest republicans (I just made that up, but it sounds like a cool pejorative), will oppose any possibility of offshore drilling off Oregon.
I’ll have to see some other polls before I’m convinved of this.
Sorry, I beg to differ. I am from Oregon. Smith is toast unless he is endorsed by his friend Ron Wyden!!
We shall see. It’s interesting that sometimes Senators get along better when they’re from opposite parties. When you have 2 of the same party, they tend to get rather competitive with one another. For example, in NJ, it was well known how much Torricelli and Lautenberg hated each other despite the fact their voting records were identical.
Smith and Wyden basically *are* in the same party.
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.