Democrats have pulled ahead of Republicans in voters' generic ballot preferences, according to a poll released by Gallup on Monday, with the poll conducted in the same week that Democrats in the Senate passed the financial reform bill despite nearly unanimous Republican opposition.
The poll showed that Democrats lead Republicans on a generic ballot by 49 percent to 43 percent, a notable improvement from the 47 percent to 46 percent lead Democrats held in the previous week and a turnaround from the 46 percent to 44 percent lead that Republicans held earlier in the month.
Gallup noted that the six-point advantage for Democrats represents the first statistically significant lead for the party since it began weekly tracking of the measure in March.
Independents were primarily responsible for the increased support for Democrats, with 39 percent of independents favoring the Democratic candidate, up from 34 percent in the previous week and well above the 29 percent support seen earlier this month.
Nonetheless, 43 percent of independents continue to favor the Republican candidate, although that is down from 48 percent in the previous week.
While the poll showed an increase in support for Democratic candidates, it also showed Republican voters expressing significantly more enthusiasm about voting.
The poll showed that 51 percent of Republicans said they are "very enthusiastic" about voting this fall, a notable increase from 40 percent in the previous week and the highest level since shortly after the passage of the healthcare reform bill. At the same time, Democratic enthusiasm was unchanged at 28 percent.
AND...
"GOP blues: little shot at Senate" by DAVID CATANESE, Politico 7/21/2010
Excerpt
The Republican path to a Senate majority runs through a handful of hostile states, most of which are so deep blue that they haven’t sent a member to the upper chamber in more than a decade.
Boiled down, the problem is this: The first six or seven seats of the 10 necessary for a takeover are within the GOP’s grasp. Winning the final three or four, however, will require something close to a historic wave.
It’s that cold math that has even Republicans acknowledging that their dream of regaining the Senate is just that — even in an election year marked by impressive fundraising tallies, encouraging poll numbers and an exceptionally favorable election environment.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, acknowledged Sunday that he views a Senate takeover as a longer-term initiative.
“I think it’s going to be a two-cycle process,” he said on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers” program.
Hear that scream in the background? That's the GOP, screaming "NOT TRUE!"
Is the GOP correct, or is this the scream of a drowning party?
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