Only a handful of items today, as we start working towards the weekend (anyone who wants to cue up the old 1981-82 song by Loverboy, go get 'em)...
AL-Gov: Union-Sponsored Survey Gives Davis Lead Over all GOPers
Take this with a small grain of salt (it IS a sponsored poll by a group that tends to support Dems, but their polls in the past have been pretty solid), but a poll by the Capital Survey Research group for the Alabama Education Association shows Democrat Artur Davis leading all prospective GOP challengers, by margins ranging from six to twelve points. The closest Republican, perhaps by virtue of superior name recognition, is the "12 Commandments Judge", Roy Moore.
PRES-2012: Obama Hits New Low On Gallup, But Is He Really Falling?
Gallup, in their daily tracking, also finds President Obama at his all-time lows, with 50% job approval and 43% disapproving. But he has his approval REALLY declined over the past two months? In an incredibly intriguing theory, pollster Tom Jensen over at PPP simply isn't that sure. It's not that he thinks that Obama is still uber-popular. Jensen's thesis is that Obama was not that popular to begin with. He suspects that live-response pollsters might have received biased responses early from respondents not eager to look like they weren't giving the new president a fair shake. IVR pollsters, like PPP, have seen much less sharp declines in Obama's approval. Jensen thinks that it is because Obama's detractors were more likely to air their grievances to a computer. Interesting theory.
NJ-Gov: SEIU Endorses Corzine For Re-Election
This does not qualify as a surprise, but when you are trailing for re-election, and your job approval is languishing, every bit of good news helps. SEIU, which has 45,000 members in the Garden State, endorsed Governor Jon Corzine. Christie has not shown much interest in garnering support from workers. Just last month, he told the New Jersey Education Association to not even bother considering him for an endorsement.
KS-Gov: Key Moderate Officeholder Endorses Brownback In Mild Surprise
In the past decade-plus, a key tool of survival for Kansas Democrats has been the oft-cited schism between the moderate and hard-right wings of the Kansas Republican Party. In a rare show of unity, one of the key moderate figures in the state (state Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger) endorsed Sam Brownback for Governor today. Democrats are still looking for a first-tier candidate in this race.
CO-Sen: Perhaps Norton Is Not The Consensus Choice of GOP
Here is an interesting catch from the folks at Colorado Pols. Apparently, a quick fly-by of the right-wing blogs in the state shows a little bit of discontent about the possible NRSC support for former Lt. Governor Jane Norton, who is universally expected to drop into the Senate race to challenge appointed Democratic Senator Michael Bennet. My favorite quote is this one:
"There does indeed appear to be a plot underway among a tiny group of elitists (namely Bill Owens, Bob Beauprez, and John Cornyn) to silence every Republican activist in the state of Colorado by coronating Jane Norton (who has been absent from grassroots events and silent on running for Senate until only days ago) as the candidate for U.S. Senate. CompleteColorado.com has unearthed evidence that the NRSC is actively helping pro-tax candidate Jane Norton and appears to be preparing to meddle in Colorado's Senate primary."
Start making the popcorn now, Colorado natives.
SC-Gov: Near-Majority of Palmetto State Wants Sanford To Step Down
A new poll, out at the end of the week by southern polling specialists Insider Advantage, shows that 50% of South Carolina voters would like to see Governor Mark Sanford resign from office, versus a mere 37% that would like to see him stay in office. Democrats are the most likely to want him gone (perhaps unsurprisingly), but even a plurality (47-41) of Republicans want Sanford to step away. Sanford, for his part, is not going to go away quietly, blasting the renewed movement to drive him from office.
Start making the popcorn now, South Carolina natives.