McCain gets good polling news from Rasmussen and Colorado
posted at 12:30 pm on April 16, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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John McCain continues to benefit from an extended Democratic primary season and may have negated attempts to turn the interior West, according to two new polls. Barack Obama continues to decline in favorability ratings into negative territory nationally, according to Rasmussen, although not quite as badly as Hillary Clinton. And Colorado may host the Democrats in August but looks solidly Republican in November:
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows John McCain leading Barack Obama, 47% to 42%. The presumptive Republican nominee also leads Hillary Clinton 50% to 40%. Among unaffiliated voters, McCain leads Obama by eight percentage points and Clinton by fifteen.
Overall, among all voters nationwide, McCain is viewed favorably by 55% and unfavorably by 42%. Obama’s ratings are 47% favorable and 51% unfavorable. For Clinton, those numbers are 42% favorable, 56% unfavorable (see recent daily favorable ratings). Among unaffiliated voters, McCain is viewed favorably by 55%, Obama by 47%, and Clinton by 34%.
McCain hit the 50% mark against Hillary Clinton for the first time in a month, opening a 10-point lead over the suddenly more moderate Democrat. His five-point lead over Obama remains about what it has been for the last few weeks, down from a peak of eight just as the Crackerquiddick remarks hit the media.
Democrats chose Denver as their convention host city as a means to push Colorado into the blue column for the presidential race in November. A win in Colorado could have threatened to unravel GOP strategies for the Electoral College, forcing them to pick up a previously blue state to compensate. So far, the Democrats look to have bid on a busted flush, with McCain sailing far ahead of either Democratic candidate, according to Politico:
Brent Seaborn, late of the Giuliani campaign and now back at his consulting gig, sends over some up-ballot numbers his firm, TargetPoint, took for a third-party effort out in the Colorado Senate race.
Per their polling, McCain would defeat Hillary in Colorado 52-40 and beat Obama 51-39.
All of these are early numbers, but they portend disaster for the Democrats. Usually Republican candidates tend to poll poorly early and improve as they make their case to the American voters. If McCain has a double-digit lead in Colorado now, and the two Democrats have four more months of slugging it out for the nomination, then they have real problems facing them in a general election.
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Too many polls!
mymanpotsandpans on April 16, 2008 at 12:33 PM
The Democrat leadership is getting desperate. We need Hillary to win decisively in PA. Lets go operation chaos!!
Theworldisnotenough on April 16, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of November.
D0WNT0WN on April 16, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Has Rasmussen been accurate? He always has McCain up.
ninjapirate on April 16, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Living in Colorado, (which sadly is becoming more blue each year as the Californians move in) we at least seem to have more moderate Democrats. Several of my Democrat friends say they plan to vote for McCain. Several of those even registered Republican so they could caucus for McCain…which I told them was dishonest. Oh, but did I mention they were liberals? Anyway, they were doing their own operation Chaos before Limbaugh started his.
kirkill on April 16, 2008 at 12:43 PM
McCain’s to lose. Love the Star Wars reference.
Democrat slug fest may be our best allies yet.
Kini on April 16, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Disclaimer….I’m voting for Johnny Mac.
That said; He is riding in the shadows right now. All the coverage is about the Blue Civil War. These numbers will level out as soon as the press quits ignoring him.
Limerick on April 16, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Putting out these poll numbers is a waste of electrons, or have we forgotten Hillary’s “20 point lead” in Pennsylvania?
corona on April 16, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Let’s see what happens to the numbers after the “re-create ‘68″ idiots do their thing in Denver.
innominatus on April 16, 2008 at 12:56 PM
True.
Weight of Glory on April 16, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Take that, hotair McCain haters.
wise_man on April 16, 2008 at 1:01 PM
Crackerquiddick
bahahaha
Chuck Schick on April 16, 2008 at 1:01 PM
For the first time ever, I will pay attention to the Dem convention. I have my popcorn ready. Let the games begin!
HawaiiLwyr on April 16, 2008 at 1:06 PM
All of these polls predate the one-on-one slugfest that will be the race to the presidency. Don’t anoint McCain yet. It’s still a battle.
Meryl Yourish on April 16, 2008 at 1:06 PM
They must be hobnobbing with their new friends over at the Daily Kos, none have checked in yet with their usual, cut and paste McCain slams.
NoDonkey on April 16, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Yawn. Johnny Mac was 5th on my list. Now that he has it then he will get my vote. Others here are the same way. These poll numbers mean nothing. It is April. Check back around October 1st.
Limerick on April 16, 2008 at 1:17 PM
Too early to talk about national polls. I’ll wait until September and October.
newton on April 16, 2008 at 1:19 PM
I live in Colorado (and darn proud of it) and the local polls also show McCain way up. If he makes one or two stops here he will lock up the state.
KBird on April 16, 2008 at 1:21 PM
If you’re not a McCain hater, Limerick, then I wasn’t speaking to you. I didn’t want him either. I wanted Romney.
I am, however, annoyed by the few people on this site who act like it’s better to have a president Obama than to vote for the evil, vile man who has craped on all republicans in the last decade.
wise_man on April 16, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Thankfully the doomsayers and McCain baiters have been dwindling round here lately. I expect gregor and valient to chip in with some bile though.
It is, of course, great news that Mac is competitive, but that needs to keep going for another 6 months. The polls will go up and down a great deal before then, and it won’t be until September that we can say with confidence which way the wind is blowing.
It is also crucial for stopping Democratic hegemony in Congress. No losing presidential candidate has seen his party regain control of congress in the modern era, so the bigger McCain’s lead, the better chance of stopping a GOP wipeout on Capitol Hill.
Pax americana on April 16, 2008 at 1:24 PM
the test for McCain will be how he holds up in polls after they focus on him, bring up Keeting 5, etc.
it is hilarious watching the Left try to connect McCain to Bush after all the recent history of the Left praising Mccain for opposing Bush.
jp on April 16, 2008 at 1:25 PM
Not exactly dwindling. Just put the clothespin over the nose early.
JiangxiDad on April 16, 2008 at 1:30 PM
Has it occurred to you or to other Colorado “natives” that many Californians have moved out of CA and into other Western states because CA has become too liberal…?
Liberalism in Colorado is a disease and it originates from many sources and from many areas of the country, including my home state of CA.
CliffHanger on April 16, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Well then I guess I’m off your Christmas card list then.
Guess you didn’t read the ‘Snob’ post by the Boss. That is why we have ‘haters’, as you put them. Maybe they have a reason.
Regardless, I agree with you completely that Johnny Mac is the only choice that makes sense. It will take a dab of eucalyptus under my nose but I can handle that.
Limerick on April 16, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Don’t EVER demean a classic SW line by linking it to Juan McShamnesty!!
Heresy!!!!!
Darksean on April 16, 2008 at 1:34 PM
I’m not so sure.
My thinking is this: Say the Dems keep fighting each other until Denver. Whoever walks away with the nomination will be battered, and the oppo research will be a windfall for Maverick and the GOP. This only gives them, what, 3 months to right the ship and eat away at Mac’s lead? Plus, as Ed so thoughtfully pointed out, the GOP candidate usually starts slow, and then gains momenum. Not only that, Mac’s got a built in lead among independants and Dems, regardless of the war. They sure don’t see Mac as being Bush’s poodle, as jp alluded to at 1:25. I dare say, the Maverick just might be the GOP’s best candidate this year.
Badger in KC on April 16, 2008 at 1:39 PM
Who said McCain was a Republican?
Valiant on April 16, 2008 at 1:42 PM
Good points. This is provided they keep up the fight. That I’m not so sure about. I have a feeling that April 23rd might be the day the spotlight lands on Johnny Mac.
I’m just a little worried that all this crowing we are doing, over the dem’s fiasco, is a bunch of daydreaming. Hope like hell I’m wrong.
Limerick on April 16, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Correction: This gives the MSM 3 months to right the ship and McShamnesty won’t fight back like he SHOULD (my friends…).
Still, Operation Chaos is working splendidly.
Darksean on April 16, 2008 at 1:44 PM
Yeah, but Juan McSHAMNESTY and his girlfriend Juan Hernandez will ruin this country!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry, I was channeling MB4.
carbon_footprint on April 16, 2008 at 1:46 PM
Limerick on April 16, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Yeah, I know. The line from Pulp Fiction keeps running through my head. “Let’s not start blanking each other’s blanks quite yet.”
Excellent point. Fingers are crossed…
Badger in KC on April 16, 2008 at 1:57 PM
One poster’s poll; is another poster’s erstwhile attempt to cheer lead the sagging morale of the faithful and foolish.
J_Gocht on April 16, 2008 at 2:31 PM
My question exactly,ninjapirate!
J_Gocht on April 16, 2008 at 2:38 PM
BO and his flag pin. Rev. Wright and bitters are under the bus.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/04/obamaflagpinlap.html
Angry Dumbo on April 16, 2008 at 4:03 PM
oh for pete’s sake, this is so stupid. California is Reagan country.
maybe you meant San Francisco/Berkeley, which is an unlanced boil on the butt of California. Ah, but Savage broadcasts from S.F., does he not?
John the Libertarian on April 16, 2008 at 5:27 PM
NoDonk you are great, I miss posting with you :)
Squid Shark on April 16, 2008 at 6:21 PM
Which proves that only crazy right-wingers can survive there.
Squid Shark on April 16, 2008 at 6:23 PM
What was that, I thought I heard a baby crying?
Awwww poor little guy…
Squid Shark on April 16, 2008 at 6:25 PM
I am a little concerned about the debates. I miss the 2000 McCain who thumped Bush over and over in the debates.
Squid Shark on April 16, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Uh, oh…wait’ll Eeyore hears you expressing electoral optimism.
Jaibones on April 16, 2008 at 6:52 PM
BHO on a roll, baby…!
Darksean what’s “Operation Chaos…?
J_Gocht on April 16, 2008 at 6:55 PM
Huh? Ass clown…
Jaibones on April 16, 2008 at 8:10 PM
Wow! Look at the unfavorables–
Obama, 51%
Hillary, 56%
McCain, only 42%
jgapinoy on April 16, 2008 at 11:20 PM
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