Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

McCain closing gap on Obama in NY poll
Newsday ^ | 9/15/2008 | James Madore

Posted on 09/15/2008 4:56:27 PM PDT by markomalley

The race for the White House is a statistical dead heat, according to a new poll.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, leads Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee, 46 percent to 41 percent in a survey of 626 registered voters by the Siena Research Institute in upstate Loudonville. The survey, conducted last week, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

"Although New York has long been regarded as a 'safe' state for Democrats in presidential politics, likely voters in the Empire State are currently only giving Sen. Obama a five-point cushion," said pollster Steven Greenberg. "The conventions are over. The running mates are set. And as voters begin to focus on the race, New York's overwhelming Democratic enrollment advantage is not reflected in how voters tell Siena they plan to vote."

For every five Democrats in the state, there are only three Republicans.

Asked if Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, was qualified to become president, 47 percent of respondents said "yes" while 41 percent said "no."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 2008polls; bluestates; electionpresident; mccain; mccainpalin; ny2008
That's some interesting polling data...
1 posted on 09/15/2008 4:56:27 PM PDT by markomalley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: markomalley

I hope this is correct, because then other, slightly less blue, States would be in play. For now though, I will take this poll with a grain of salt.


2 posted on 09/15/2008 5:01:26 PM PDT by Repeal 16-17 (Let me know when the Shooting starts.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
"For every five Democrats in the state, there are only three Republicans."

That statement is terribly misleading. Vote wise, IIRC, it is 43% Dems, 38% Repubs, and the remainder is center right leaning registered independents.

3 posted on 09/15/2008 5:01:33 PM PDT by xcamel (Conservatives start smart, and get rich, liberals start rich, and get stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
a survey of 626 registered voters... (SNIP)... likely voters in the Empire State are currently only giving Sen. Obama a five-point cushion,"

So which is it? Those two categories have always been identified as different, but here Newsday seems to make them the same.

4 posted on 09/15/2008 5:02:56 PM PDT by Bernard (If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember exactly what you said.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

mccain needs to come with rudy


5 posted on 09/15/2008 5:06:25 PM PDT by ari-freedom (We never hide from history. We make history!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bernard

It’s registered voters, here are the poll details:

http://www.siena.edu/level2col.aspx?menu_id=562&id=19322

“This SRI survey was conducted September 8-10, 2008 by telephone calls to 626 likely New York State registered voters.”


6 posted on 09/15/2008 5:08:43 PM PDT by Califelephant (If only Sarah Palin had some Community Organizer experience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

Never forget that it was the democratic party who created Jim Crow laws! A good many older white democratswill not vote for a black man. I could onby imagine what my Dad who died in 1999 would have to say about his party nominating a black man. My Mom is 67 and a lifelong democrat and I have heard zero about the election from her and that is not normal.


7 posted on 09/15/2008 5:08:43 PM PDT by chris_bdba
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: xcamel
> Vote wise, IIRC, it is 43% Dems, 38% Repubs, and the remainder is center right leaning registered independents.

That sounds about right to me, too.

I live in rural upstate NY, and register independent. I am used to NY's electoral votes going to whatever idiot has the "(D)" next to his name, regardless of how I vote -- even if I voted 100 times over it would make no difference.

So I figured I could write-in my real choice, something along the lines of "The Ghost of Barry Goldwater".

I may have to re-think that for the first time in years...

8 posted on 09/15/2008 5:09:47 PM PDT by dayglored (Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Califelephant
Now, wait a minute, I just read that last line again:

"626 likely New York State registered voters".

Now I'm a little confused!

9 posted on 09/15/2008 5:11:26 PM PDT by Califelephant (If only Sarah Palin had some Community Organizer experience.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

The Spitzer effect


10 posted on 09/15/2008 5:12:06 PM PDT by pjsbro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Califelephant
Thannks for the link. This was at the bottom of the link.

Data was statistically adjusted by respondent age to match likely voters.

So apparently the service calls registered voters and then calculates an estimate of how many of them will vote based on age. That would explain why the two different bases are identified.

That's probably as good as any other method, but it was confusing on first read.

11 posted on 09/15/2008 5:15:28 PM PDT by Bernard (If you always tell the truth, you never have to remember exactly what you said.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: pjsbro

Somebody had to say it.....


12 posted on 09/15/2008 5:16:12 PM PDT by xcamel (Conservatives start smart, and get rich, liberals start rich, and get stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

I think this is a head fake poll - the Dims are hoping we’ll take the bait and spend all our money in this expensive media market.


13 posted on 09/15/2008 5:20:00 PM PDT by o2bfree
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: markomalley

If other polls verify this, it will be a good time to make NY a competitive state.

This is RVs...is there a LV number?


14 posted on 09/15/2008 5:42:16 PM PDT by Recovering_Democrat (Just say NObama!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Recovering_Democrat

btt


15 posted on 09/15/2008 5:50:14 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
Not. Gonna. Happen.
16 posted on 09/15/2008 6:18:02 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (Teachers open the door. It's up to you to enter.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ari-freedom

McCain should not waste his time in NY. He’s smarter than that. He should concentrate on the battleground state, and not let hubris fritter away his efforts.


17 posted on 09/15/2008 6:51:23 PM PDT by winner3000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: markomalley
...46 percent to 41 percent in a survey of 626 registered voters..."registered" - more probably 45 to 43 among "likely" voters.....
18 posted on 09/15/2008 6:53:24 PM PDT by Intolerant in NJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson