The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Maine voters shows that the state’s U.S. Senate race has gotten a little bit tighter this month. In her bid for re-election, Republican Senator Susan Collins now leads Democratic challenger Tom Allen 52% to 42%.
Finally, with rounding...there's a healthy chance this was only a single digit poll, and Rasmussen always leans a little right so I am thinking this is definately a single digit race! More analysis below
Collins’ lead has decreased from sixteen percentage points last month to ten points this month. But, the incumbent still earns support from 89% of Republican voters and 34% of Democrats. The candidates are tied at 44% among unaffiliated voters.
When it comes to voter ideology, Collins earns support from 74% of conservatives, 55% of moderates and 27% of liberal voters. Allen earns the vote from 20% of conservative voters, 36% of Moderate voters and 71% of liberal voters.
The incumbent’s favorability ratings have slipped a little since last month. Collins is viewed favorably by 70% and unfavorably by 29%. Allen’s ratings are 58% favorable, 35% unfavorable.
She used to lead by 20+, that she's down to only 10 all the way back in May is huge, this is actually going to be a race, many of us had given up hope!
When things heat up, and Tom goes full court, it'll be a 5 point race, and when people start deciding they are going to actually get up and vote in Maine this year, better samples will come out and I do believe he'll pull off a win
Look at ideology, He's still losing moderates by a lot, that's going to chance, we both know it, he'll at least make it close, and she's winning 34% of Maine Democrats...Maine Democrats? That's going to change too...trust me
And thank god, her Favorability rating is going down, it's just the start, people are going to think "i hate the direction of this country AND you know what, Collins aint no Snowe" (the hugely popular moderate republican Senator)
The beginning of the end of what could be a huge Senate pickup
UPDATE: Let me do a little sidetrack here on the general Senate picture
This isn't being lazy, it's being optomistic, looking at the race in MS-01 and Denny Hastert's seat, I see things going our way, and Obama is going to give coat tails no matter what
So that gives us a win in Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, New Hampshire and probably Minnesota (unless Franken screws up again, see payroll taxes) along with Alaska...now we should get Oregon once we are unified by one candidate as Smith hasn't been able to get anywhere near that "moderate image" Collins is pulling off...
So right there, +7, we only need 2 more seats to get a fillibuster proof majority and pass the best legislation for this country since the Great Society
Where are those 2 other seats going to come from? Looking at the polls, North Carolina is both Obama friendly and having a Senator who is actually down in one poll, Mississippi has that special election, Texas has Cornyn only up by 3-4 points, within the MoE, and ofcourse...MAINE!
We go 50% on those seats, 2/4...and we have our filibuster majority, and we're going to pick up more in 2010! Probably enough to protect us against any possible senate loss in 2012 and after we re-elect Obama, that's at least 6 years of Obama, huge house majority and 60+ filibuster proof senate
Next January is going to be B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L