New polling data paints a grim picture for Santorum:
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) is losing ground to his Democratic challenger, state Treasurer Bob Casey, a GOP poll to be released today shows.
The Strategic Vision survey, conducted Saturday through Monday, gives Casey a 14-point lead over the second-term senator, with the Democrat at 52 percent and the Republican at 38 percent. Seven percent of the 1,200 likely voters interviewed were undecided.
A poll released in early August by the same firm showed Casey leading Santorum by 11 points.
As more people have heard about Santorum’s book, It Takes a Family, and as the senator has come under attack for comments he made about Hurricane Katrina, a negative impression has begun to congeal, Strategic Vision CEO David Johnson said.
“The good thing for him is it’s happening now,” Johnson said.
I doubt the book wuold have done much to change my impression of Sen. Santorum.
Krista
Bwah-ha-ha! My god, Santorum is such a dick, isn’t he? I really wonder what colour the sky is in his universe…
Another Jeff
I live in PA and would consider myself to be a moderate Republican, and i can tell you that i’m sure as hell not voting for Santorum.
That being said, it should be noted that Casey Jr managed to blow a 15pt lead in about four months in the 2002 Democratic Gov primary against Rendell.
A lot of Democrats i’ve seen seem like they’re already putting this one in the win-column, and i’d advise them it’s a bit premature for that.
Stormy70
Not a fan of Santorum, but he does know how to run a campaign so it is premature to count him out. I wouldn’t vote for him either if I lived in PA.
Geek, Esq.
Woof woof!
One can never safely count out an incumbent, especially one who’s gotten himself re-elected once already.
Jim
I agree that it is premature to put this in the “win-column” for dems but I don’t know that the fact that he lost a lead in the Democratic primary to Rendell tells us a whole lot. If I recall, he largely lost the primary because he was “too conservative” for liberal democratic primary voters. I suppose there is a possibility that some liberals will not vote at all in the election if their choice is between Casey and Santorum but it is Santorum and not, for example, Chafee.
Narvy
It may be too early to count him out, but let’s enjoy this while it lasts.
David St. Hubbins
Santorum is vunerable, but this poll is irrelevant if the Democrats don’t nominate Casey to take him on. And, given Casey’s views on abortion, I think there is a very strong chance he’ll crash and burn in the primary and Santorum will get to run against a no-name lefty parroting the NOW/ EMILY’s Yeast party line. Never underestimate the power of ideologes on either side of the divide to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the name of purity.
TallDave
I would be glad to see him go, but a lot can change in a year.
Repubs generally seem to poll badly in off-years, I think because the 5:1 lib-vs.-con media puts the Dem message out there every day, but people don’t hear the GOP message when they’re not campaigning.
I think this is also why Bush got a bounce of his convention while Kerry didn’t.
Trent
Oh my god… You can’t be serious.
Although i’ll admit, the media have been handing it to Bush this past month. But up til then, it was all GOP, all the time.
B. Minich, PI
Casey needs to press his advantage here – the man cannot win statewide office unless he gets an unchallenged primary. He’s managed that somehow against Santorum. If he loses this, he’s a has been for the Dems twice.
Now . . . I think Casey has a good chance. His father’s good name will do a lot for him in the statewide race. However, Santorum isn’t done yet.
Trent: umm, up until Katrina it was all GOP all the time? Err, no. We had Cindy Sheehan before then, at the very least.
Alexandra
Trent–I can never decide if right-wingers repeat this kind of crap because they actually have such a false sense of paranoia that they believe it, or because they are just being calculating. When one out of five radio talk shows feature something besides the bloviations of an O’Reilly or a Limbaugh; when panelists on shows like Meet the Press consist of something other than, say, two right-wingers, a moderate, and a neutral journalist, with maybe another right-winger thrown in for balance; when one out of five television talk shows has a liberal host, then we can talk. Until that happy day, I am not so impressed by Mr. TallDave’s pity party.
Trent
God, you gotta pick at ANYTHING to try to win an argument, don’t you? (Collectively speaking)
O…..K….. Until the months of August and September 2005, it was all GOP, all the time.
DougJ
You know, I think ol’ Man-on-Dog is crazy, but I respect him for sticking to his guns. People must have told him that crazy book he wrote would destroy his re-election chances, but he wrote it anyway. He must have believed in what he was saying. He may be crazy, but at least he’s honest. I think all the anti-Santorum hate is misdirected.
Trent
Ok, i don’t want to COMPARE him to a certain someone in history who also wrote a book about his beliefs. Because that’s a non-comparison. i’m not comparing them. They are nothing alike. They don’t deserve to be compared. Santorum is a fine human being!
I’m just saying, when i hear someone say, “Hey you gotta respect someone if they’re honest enough to write their crazy ideas in a book”, well, i can’t help but think of a clear cut situation where a certain someone didn’t really deserve credit for being honest and forthright in their book.
But i’m NOT COMPARING! i’m just saying, it’s what popped in my mind. Not because of Santorum, not because i equate Santorum with anyone in particular. Because i don’t. I really, really, REALLY don’t.
This isn’t about Santorum, it’s about the idea, the concept of “respect for writing your ideas in a book.”
I’m just saying. Got it?
NO FLAME NECESSARY!
DougJ
Okay, I see your point, Trent. But I don’t think Santorum’s book was that offensive. I haven’t read it yet, but I just got it on books on tape.
Trent
Hey Santorum is an old-fashioned kinda guy. Nothing wrong with that. I actually think the nation could use a bit of a compromise between the old-fashioned mentality and progressive feminism. (Amongst other things) Loads of women would like to be stay at home moms and there’s nothing wrong with that. And others want to have careers and be businesswomen and firewomen and Senators. Nothing wrong with that either.
Both sides have it wrong when they say that should be the only option for women. (Which Santorum seems to flirt with…)
Everyone likes to tell women what to do!
Vlad
There’s approximately zero chance that Casey won’t make it out of the primary, views on abortion or not. Take it to the bank.
Com Con
Santorum is a nut. I agree with him on a lot of issues, but that “man on dog” comment? The time he couldn’t name a single radical feminist on Stuffy’s show? He’s an embarrassment.