Free Republic

Last time we wrote this very article, it was 9/26/08. So, let’s take a look at whether any changes are in line. Revisions or changes will be in RED. Here is the Tracker –> Senate Race Table. (Our Methodology: We take the polling average of the 4 MOST RECENT polls and average them together to reach a real number of where the race is at, statistically. That prevents outliers from effecting our numbers too much and needlessly shifting races) We have listed THREE GUARANTEED DEM Pickups: Virginia, New Mexico, and Colorado. Out: Virginia, Senator John Warner and New Mexico Senator...

The slogan on the Morton Salt boxes is, "when it rains, it pours." For Republicans, the past few years must seem like monsoon season. On the presidential level, the Gallup national tracking polls have shown Sen. Barack Obama with 50, 51 or 52 percent in every three-day moving average since Oct. 4, with Sen. John McCain between 41 percent and 43 percent in every average over that same period. No presidential contender in modern times has successfully closed this wide a gap in this short a time. At this point, a major international event would be required to shift the...

Anyone who has been involved in a school yard fight knows the old rule, 2 against 1 will win every time. At tonight's debate Norm Coleman sat literally in the middle of Independent candidate Dean Barkley and Democrat Al Franken. He was eviscerated by both men. The most devastating moment came when one of the moderators asked, "What do you think is the greatest threat to our country"? The moderator went on to say it could be any threat, not just of the military kind. Al Franken went first and said the biggest threat was Al Qaeda, and that the...

A new SurveyUSA poll suggests Oregon's Senate race may be shifting in the direction of Democrat Jeff Merkley. The poll, broadcast on KATU's noon news, showed Merkley with 46 percent to 41 percent for Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore. Constitution Party candidate David Brownlow had 7 percent and the remaining 6 percent were undecided. The margin of error is 4.1 percentage points, plus or minus.

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman, locked in an increasingly tight and bitter election contest with Democrat Al Franken, said Friday that his campaign would halt negative advertising in a race recently dominated by it. Coleman, a Republican, said the unstable economy demands that the race focus on issues. He said he would also ask independent groups advertising on his behalf to pull negative ads, although by law they are not required to do so. "I decided I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for another six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as...

Democrat Mark Udall still leads among Colorado's likely voters, but his Republican rival, Bob Schaffer, is narrowing the gap, according to a Denver Post poll. Udall, who had been up by as many as 10 percentage points in previous polls, is favored by 43 percent of registered voters surveyed, to Schaffer's 38 percent. But with 14 percent of respondents saying they haven't made up their minds less than a month before the election, it's clear the race is much tighter than it appeared to be over the summer, said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research.

FIGHT FOR JIM GILMORE By Dick Armey Dear Virginia Taxpayer, I know what it's like to fight for what you believe in. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years, and the Majority Leader from 1995 to 2002, I know it takes courage and dedication to stand up for working families and protect taxpayers who are facing an ever growing burden as a result of what's happening in Washington. There is always someone who believes bigger government and higher taxes are the answer to every problem, someone determined to take away more and more of...

Schumer rips Chamber of Commerce By J. Taylor Rushing Posted: 10/08/08 01:17 PM [ET] DSCC Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) came out swinging Wednesday against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, saying the business lobby was no longer nonpartisan and “has turned into a wing” of the GOP. In a press conference at Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) headquarters, Schumer said the path and pattern of the contributions indicate that the Chamber is afraid of the Democrats winning the critical Senate threshold of 60 seats — a goal he said is within reach now more than ever. Democrats already have 51 seats...

The National Rifle Association has endorsed New Mexico congressional candidate Ed Tinsley. Tinsley is vying for the seat being vacated by Congressman Steve Pearce, who is running for the U.S. Senate. The Republican candidate is running against Hobbs businessman Harry Teague. The National Rifle Association awarded Tinsley an A rating, which means the candidate is solidly pro-gun. The A rating is usually reserved for incumbents. Teague received an A-Q rating, which means his rating is based solely on a questionnaire. The Tinsley campaign recently criticized Teague's position on the second amendment, citing an Albuquerque Journal interview where the Democrat was...

WINCHESTER — Taxpayers will pay now or later for the $700 billion financial bailout signed into law by President Bush last Friday. Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican John Warner, talks about the financial bailout package approved last week. He was interviewed Tuesday at The Winchester Star. (Photo by Jeff Taylor) That glum perspective was offered Tuesday by former Gov. Jim Gilmore, campaigning in Winchester for the Senate seat being vacated by fellow Republican John Warner, who is retiring after 30 years. Gilmore is running against his successor as governor, Democrat...

This is a very thin bulwark against an Obama/Lib rampage through America.

John Warner might vote for Democrat By MIKE ALLEN | 10/4/08 1:55 PM EDT Text Size: Retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) beat his Democratic opponent, Mark R. Warner, by 6 percentage points in the Old Dominion’s “Warner vs. Warner” race of 1996. Now, he might cross party lines and vote for him. Mark Warner, who went on to become a popular governor, is running to succeed John Warner in the Senate. Mark Warner’s opponent is another former governor, James S. Gilmore III, a Republican who has received little support from the state’s power structure and lags by 26 points...

  October 3, 2008 For Immediate Release   THE CHOICE IS CLEAR: JIM GILMORE WHO FIGHTS FOR THE TAXPAYERS OR MARK WARNER WHO WILL FIGHT FOR THE HIGH ROLLERS ON WALL STREET Alexandria – Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, candidate for the Virginia U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner, said today in a debate with Mark Warner on statewide television the choice for Virginia voters in the November 4th election is clear -- a U.S. Senator like Jim Gilmore who will fight for taxpayers and oppose federal government bailouts or a U.S. Senator like Mark Warner who...

Udall has 7‐Point Lead in U.S. Senate Race In the latest Ciruli Associates statewide voter poll, conducted just prior to the September 26 presidential debate, the race in Colorado was deadlocked at 44 percent for Senator Barack Obama and 43 percent for Senator John McCain. Presidential Election Senate Election Mark Udall has a seven-point lead in the U.S. Senate race over Bob Schaffer, 45 percent to 38 percent. Senate Election Ciruli Associates, N501, 2008 Question: Let me ask you about the U.S. Senate race here in Colorado. If you had to vote today for U.S. Senator, would you vote for...

After months of showing the U.S. Senate race as a statistical dead heat, the latest SurveyUSA poll finds Norm Coleman with a solid 10-point lead. The incumbent draws support from 43 percent of respondents, with Democrat Al Franken trailing at 33 percent. Perhaps most notable, however, is the strong showing of Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley. Despite his late entry into the race and raising almost no money, Barkley garners support from 19 percent of those polled. Assessments of the IP candidate’s strength have varied widely in recent weeks. A pair of polls last month showed him in double digits,...

Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) said Sunday that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) should step down from his chairmanship while an ethics investigation takes place. Questioned by host Tom Brokaw on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, Udall initially cited the ethics process and demurred. When pressed, though, he said that it would be “helpful” if Rangel stepped down. “I think it would be helpful if Charles Rangel stepped down,” Udall said.

Pledging support Despite Warner’s reluctance to talk about these issues, numerous gay Virginia residents have pledged their support to the candidate. About 60 people attending the Virginia Partisans barbecue last month showed their support by cheering Warner during his speech and urging him to pursue the White House. Warner focused on non-gay issues during his speech, but he briefly acknowledged gay Virginians. “I thank the GLBT community for their active support, and more importantly for their engagement in Virginia,” he said. Osborne, who hosted the barbecue at his home, said it could be problematic for Warner to bring gay issues...

I was in Crystal City, Virginia this morning driving along Jeff Davis Hwy. In the median were 3 campaign signs: McCain-Palin, Mark Warner, McCain-Palin. The Mark Warner sign was in-between the two McCain-Palin signs. The last name Warner is in big white letters with his first name very small and above the last name. They are doing this on purpose. Voters will see this and believe it to be John Warner, especially since it is mixed in with the McCain-Palin signs. Is there any way to stop this fraud?

In her new campaign commercial, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu highlights the endorsement of St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain. In the commercial, Strain touts Landrieu’s leadership and what she has delivered to the parish post-Katrina. The fact that a prominent Republican in the only Republican majority parish in the state is not endorsing the Republican candidate is quite telling. Strain is not alone either, for other Republican elected officials on the Northshore are also endorsing Landrieu. For example, St. Tammany Parish Assessor Patricia Schwartz Core and St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis are both supporting Landrieu. What makes matters even...