In a recent Roll Call article on the DCCC’s strategy to turn the GOP’s black-hearted support of President Bush’s S-CHIP veto into some serious November Pain for rank-and-file House Republicans, DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen let slip some rough polling numbers for S-CHIP hater Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). Knollenberg has an A-list challenger in former state Sen. Gary Peters.
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the DCCC (likely voters, 10/31-11/02):
Gary Peters (D): 35
Joe Knollenberg (R-inc): 42
(MoE: ±4.8%)
While the exact trendlines are not available, Knollenberg’s 7-point lead is down from a 12-point lead in April. He’s also well under the magic 50%
mark, well before the campaign has even been engaged. Not good news for Team Red.
And in a sign of S-CHIP’s salience, Knollenberg is very vulnerable on the issue:
Knollenberg’s 7-point lead turned into a 7-point deficit after respondents were read both a push question characterizing his position on SCHIP, and the Democratic and Republican arguments for and against the program.
This one’s going to be fun.
Now lets shoot it into the heart of the GOP.
The issues need to fall in this order
1. Corruption
2. Health Care
3. Iraq War
We will dominate the elections if that’s the case.
Too bad his chief of staff is on “paid medical leave.” For being insane.
The “insiders” keep assuming that Gary will be the candidate, but the people may have something very different to say. Nancy Skinner is back in the race and she still has a lot of support. People aren’t happy that the party seems to have annointed their candidate — they should be staying out of the primary. Primaries are so the people can have a voice and nominate the person they’d like to see in the general election. Let’s let that democratic process take place before we make assumptions. Nancy made a great showing last time out and she’s got an even better chance of beating Joe the second time around.