VNS has finally released their exit polls from the KY and MS Gubernatorial elections last week.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/11/10/elec04.exit.polls.ap/index.html
All in all, the polls don't really justify the "doom and gloom" that DEMs (myself included) were feeling afterward. Bush's re-elect in both states is only 45 percent... Remember, we're talking about Mississippi and Kentucky here. These two states went strongly for Bush in 2000. I'm not saying the DEM Presidential nominee has a great shot in either state. However, if Bush's re-elect numbers are below 50 in these two states, he must be in far worse shape in the true swing states (such as NH, IA, AR, etc.).
Otherwise, the KY poll numbers show that the scandal-plagued, term-limited DEM incumbent (Gov. Paul Patton) was certainly the nail in the coffin for DEM Ben Chandler in his race against Republican Ernie Fletcher. Without Patton's scandal, it could have gone either way. However, this may not be the last we hear from Chandler. He is a relatively young and still popular figure. In a potential twist of political irony, rumors are starting to fly that Chandler may run in the special election to fill Fletcher's vacant U.S. House seat.
In MS, black turn-out was up compared to previous presidential elections. 97% of blacks voted for Musgrove. Yet, that wasn't enough to offset Barbour's 77% victory among whites in the state.
