Political Insider discusses new Republican poll.
AJC's Political Insider reports:
A poll commissioned by Republicans [has news that] is good if you're Gov. Sonny Perdue. Not so good if you're Ralph Reed.
The survey was taken last Tuesday, post-Hurricane Rita and post-Delta bankruptcy.
Perdue seems to have weathered the criticism that churned when he gave Georgia students two days off in anticipation of a diesel shortage.
Sixty-seven percent of 600 Georgia voters ranked Perdue favorably. Twenty-four percent of voters rank him unfavorably. The best news of all for Republicans — again according to their own poll — is that Georgians remain optimistic. Despite rising gasoline prices, high heating bills in the offing and Delta's problems, 54 percent say Georgia is on the right track.
Perdue's Democratic rivals for '06 aren't doing badly. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's ratio of favorable to unfavorable is 36 percent to 16 percent. The numbers for Secretary of State Cathy Cox are 55 percent to 17 percent.
By comparison, President Bush is pleasing only 53 percent of Georgia voters — higher than the national average, but still disappointing. Bush's unfavorable ranking in Georgia is an astounding 47 percent. According to GOP interpretations, this means — barring a significant Bush rebound — next year's Republican ticket will rest squarely on Perdue's shoulders.
This has led state Republicans to emphasize the need to protect their quarterback. Which brings us to Reed, who wants to be lieutenant governor. In the GOP poll, 11 percent of Georgians view Reed favorably. Sixteen percent view him with distaste. And 42 percent know who he is. Do the political math — for this is the strange phenomenon that has GOP strategists concerned.
If 42 percent know who Reed is, and only 27 percent offer an opinion of him — whether good or bad — then 15 percent are purposely keeping their mouths shut.
GOP analysts think Reed may be generating hidden negatives — that Reed supporters who have stuck with their charismatic leader in the past are beginning to have second thoughts. But they aren't yet ready to voice them.
A poll commissioned by Republicans [has news that] is good if you're Gov. Sonny Perdue. Not so good if you're Ralph Reed.
The survey was taken last Tuesday, post-Hurricane Rita and post-Delta bankruptcy.
Perdue seems to have weathered the criticism that churned when he gave Georgia students two days off in anticipation of a diesel shortage.
Sixty-seven percent of 600 Georgia voters ranked Perdue favorably. Twenty-four percent of voters rank him unfavorably. The best news of all for Republicans — again according to their own poll — is that Georgians remain optimistic. Despite rising gasoline prices, high heating bills in the offing and Delta's problems, 54 percent say Georgia is on the right track.
Perdue's Democratic rivals for '06 aren't doing badly. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor's ratio of favorable to unfavorable is 36 percent to 16 percent. The numbers for Secretary of State Cathy Cox are 55 percent to 17 percent.
By comparison, President Bush is pleasing only 53 percent of Georgia voters — higher than the national average, but still disappointing. Bush's unfavorable ranking in Georgia is an astounding 47 percent. According to GOP interpretations, this means — barring a significant Bush rebound — next year's Republican ticket will rest squarely on Perdue's shoulders.
This has led state Republicans to emphasize the need to protect their quarterback. Which brings us to Reed, who wants to be lieutenant governor. In the GOP poll, 11 percent of Georgians view Reed favorably. Sixteen percent view him with distaste. And 42 percent know who he is. Do the political math — for this is the strange phenomenon that has GOP strategists concerned.
If 42 percent know who Reed is, and only 27 percent offer an opinion of him — whether good or bad — then 15 percent are purposely keeping their mouths shut.
GOP analysts think Reed may be generating hidden negatives — that Reed supporters who have stuck with their charismatic leader in the past are beginning to have second thoughts. But they aren't yet ready to voice them.
posted by Sid Cottingham | 10:49 AM
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