Republicans Cut Democratic Lead in Campaign's Final Days (1 Viewer)

[RightinNYC]

A nationwide Pew Research Center survey finds voting intentions shifting in the direction of Republican congressional candidates in the final days of the 2006 midterm campaign. The new survey finds a growing percentage of likely voters saying they will vote for GOP candidates. However, the Democrats still hold a 48% to 40% lead among registered voters, and a modest lead of 47%-43% among likely voters.

The narrowing of the Democratic lead raises questions about whether the party will win a large enough share of the popular vote to recapture control of the House of Representatives.

Republican gains in the new poll reflect a number of late-breaking trends. First, Republicans have become more engaged and enthused in the election than they had been in September and October. While Democrats continue to express greater enthusiasm about voting than do Republicans, as many Republican voters (64%) as Democratic voters (62%) now say they are giving quite a lot of thought to the election. About a month ago, Democratic voters were considerably more likely than GOP voters to say they were giving a lot of thought to the election (by 59%-50%). As a result, Republicans now register a greater likelihood of voting than do Democrats, as is typical in mid-term elections.

The Republicans also have made major gains, in a relatively short time period, among independent voters. Since early this year, the Democratic advantage in the generic House ballot has been built largely on a solid lead among independents. As recently as mid-October, 47% of independent voters said they were voting for the Democratic candidate in their district, compared with 29% who favored the Republican. Currently, Democrats lead by 44%-33% among independent voters.

The final pre-election survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted among 2,369 registered voters from Nov. 1-4, finds that voter appraisals of the national economy also have improved. In the current poll, 44% rate it as excellent or good, compared with 36% who held that view in mid-October. Republicans and independents have a much better view of the economy than they did just a few weeks ago. Among independent voters, 41% rate the economy as good or excellent, compared with 29% in mid-October.

Good news for the Reps out there.

How are the parties taking it?

Ken Mehlman, the Republican chairman, said polls showed that Republicans and conservatives “were coming home,” which he said “is what happens when voters focus on the choice before them.”

Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the Democrat leading his party’s effort to win control of the House, said, “It’s inevitable that there would be some tightening in the end.”

Still, Mr. Emanuel, who has been careful this campaign to avoid the public expressions of optimism voiced by other Democrats, added, “This is making me nervous.”

"I don't know what to make of it," said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

 

[aps]

We shall see what happens. In every election during a war, the party in charge has taken a hit. Will that happen this time? Gawd, I hope so! Republicans in Congress suck.

 

[RightinNYC]

We shall see what happens. In every election during a war, the party in charge has taken a hit. Will that happen this time? Gawd, I hope so! Republicans in Congress suck.

And the Dems blow. What a lovely duo.:lol:

 

[Trajan Octavian Titus]

And as we all know the people who support the Dems are just a bunch of felons or stoners anyways so either they can't vote or they're going to be all like: "ya man I can't wait to vote on Wednesday," that is if the lazy potheads can drag their asses away from the X-BOX and bong long enough to find out that the vote was on Tuesday. Hey Right put out some fliers in Democrat majority neighborhoods in New York saying: "make sure to vote on November 8th." I'm so doing that. :smile:

 

[PeteEU]

Dont count your chickens before the eggs hatch.. and that goes for both sides.

It all boils down in the end to which side can intimidate the voters not to vote and who can "stuff the ballot box" enough to win. The amount of filth and voter intimidation and other crap this election (thats coming out) is amazing and really casts doubts about the US's democratic values its attempting to export around the world.

Even the GOP admits calling people posing as democrats and keep calling them in the middle of the night, and then hoping people will be pissed enough not to vote democrat. Pathetic.

But then again, the GOP has had 6 years of total domination in the US and done nothing other than blame Clinton, the generals, democrats and Kerry for all thier own shortcommings.

But it gonna be interesting night tomorrow.. thank god I got the day off Wednesday

 

[FreeThinker]

Um, pete...

I'm an election worker, and there is nothing like what you mentioned that goes on here.

This isn't Venezuela. People vote for who they want to vote for, and voting records are private.

 

[FreeThinker]

And as we all know the people who support the Dems are just a bunch of felons or stoners anyways so either they can't vote or they're going to be all like: "ya man I can't wait to vote on Wednesday," that is if the lazy potheads can drag their asses away from the X-BOX and bong long enough to find out that the vote was on Tuesday. Hey Right put out some fliers in Democrat majority neighborhoods in New York saying: "make sure to vote on November 8th." I'm so doing that. :smile:

I've talked to quite a few people in the last few days about voting and the majority of them say they aren't going to, and that is a good thing in my opinion.

If you don't pay enough attention to current affairs to consider voting for your leaders, you shouldn't vote.

I don't want my vote or anyone else's to be negated by some guy off the street that saw a commercial on tv and decided to vote for a candidate based on that.

This whole mtv "rock the vote" thing just ends up forcing an important decision on a group of people that are not informed and do not try to be.

 

[PeteEU]

Um, pete...

I'm an election worker, and there is nothing like what you mentioned that goes on here.

This isn't Venezuela. People vote for who they want to vote for, and voting records are private.

So you endorse robo calling opponets voters at 3 am, claiming to be your opponent? Dirty tricks by either party are pathetic and strike at the core of any democracy. When dirty tricks like not putting enough voting machines in miniorty areas (who vote for the opponent) are allowed and accepted, said dirty tricks can change the outcome of an election.

I aint saying per say that illegal stuff goes on at voting stations (most anyways) but what goes on outside is just as pathetic.. and I was a election worker for 7 elections.

And voting records are not private in Venezuela?

 

[AndrewC]

I've talked to quite a few people in the last few days about voting and the majority of them say they aren't going to, and that is a good thing in my opinion.

If you don't pay enough attention to current affairs to consider voting for your leaders, you shouldn't vote.

I don't want my vote or anyone else's to be negated by some guy off the street that saw a commercial on tv and decided to vote for a candidate based on that.

This whole mtv "rock the vote" thing just ends up forcing an important decision on a group of people that are not informed and do not try to be.

Gee, you make it sound as if those running for office actually stood for something other than their own interests. I guess I haven't been paying enough attention. Seriously, how much investigation is needed to decide if the government is your friend, enemy, or that annoying extended family member that always borrows money and never pays it back?

 

[FreeThinker]

So you endorse robo calling opponets voters at 3 am, claiming to be your opponent? Dirty tricks by either party are pathetic and strike at the core of any democracy. When dirty tricks like not putting enough voting machines in miniorty areas (who vote for the opponent) are allowed and accepted, said dirty tricks can change the outcome of an election.

I aint saying per say that illegal stuff goes on at voting stations (most anyways) but what goes on outside is just as pathetic.. and I was a election worker for 7 elections.

And voting records are not private in Venezuela?

Since Chavez' men threatened to fire all the employees of the state owned oil company if they didn't vote for him I can only assume the votes are not private.

 

[FreeThinker]

Gee, you make it sound as if those running for office actually stood for something other than their own interests. I guess I haven't been paying enough attention. Seriously, how much investigation is needed to decide if the government is your friend, enemy, or that annoying extended family member that always borrows money and never pays it back?

Give an 18 year old kid that has never watched the news or read a newspaper a propaganda pamphlet from either party and watch him/her march down to the polls and do what it says.

My point is people that don't watch the news or read a newspaper at least once a week shouldn't be voting, because they don't know what's going on.

I just got done putting in my absentee ballot and didn't vote on half the state and local resolutions simply because I didn't know enough about them.

Telling uninformed people to vote is like making a blind guy drive a car. He can't see? Who cares! At least he's driving!

 

[RightinNYC]

Dont count your chickens before the eggs hatch.. and that goes for both sides.

It all boils down in the end to which side can intimidate the voters not to vote and who can "stuff the ballot box" enough to win. The amount of filth and voter intimidation and other crap this election (thats coming out) is amazing and really casts doubts about the US's democratic values its attempting to export around the world.

Even the GOP admits calling people posing as democrats and keep calling them in the middle of the night, and then hoping people will be pissed enough not to vote democrat. Pathetic.

But then again, the GOP has had 6 years of total domination in the US and done nothing other than blame Clinton, the generals, democrats and Kerry for all thier own shortcommings.

But it gonna be interesting night tomorrow.. thank god I got the day off Wednesday

I too am an election worker, and I can tell you that your claims are just unsubstantiated bullshit. I'd actually go through and explain to you how you're categorically wrong, but this is just another of the many topics relating to how things are here that you claim to know everything about, but can never seem to provide evidence for.