Tag: Bob Conley

Research 2000 for Daily Kos (9/22-24, likely voters):

Bob Conley (D): 42

Lindsey Graham (R-inc): 51

(MoE: ±4%)

A few days ago I called your attention to Rasmussen’s poll of South Carolina, showing Ron Paul-lovin’ paleo-con “Democrat” Bob Conley within 9 points of Lindsey Graham, as an example of their having gone off the deep end this week.

Well, we may actually have a live one here, as R2K shows a similar 9-point margin. Looks like South Carolinians are feeling pretty tepid about Graham. Sigh… if only a real candidate had decided to jump in for the Dems. However, I have to wonder if Conley is pulling a fair number of votes from the looney-tunes right (which doesn’t like Graham for his occasional flourishes of bipartisanship and rumors about his personal life), which a more normal Dem wouldn’t. R2K has McCain up in SC by a more believable 52-39 (Rasmussen had the presidential race at 51-45).

Rasmussen (9/18, likely voters):

Bob Conley (D): 41

Lindsey Graham (R-inc): 50

(MoE: ±4.5%)

Bob Conley, the Democratic candidate for Senate in South Carolina against Lindsey Graham, is sort of the flip side of Bob Kelleher, the Republican Senate candidate in Montana: a quaint eccentric with no institutional support and who’s way out of step with his ostensible party. Conley was a member of the Horry County Republican Committee before seeking the Democratic nomination. He voted for Ron Paul in the primaries, and, consistent with that, is running a paleo-con “America First” campaign that, according to his own campaign website, is “well to [Graham’s] right.” (Check out the precision of his flap-top; he makes Jon Tester look like Sideshow Bob.)

Rasmussen just polled this race for the first time, and to probably everyone’s surprise, it shows Conley within 9 points of Graham, who’s right at the 50% mark. I’m not sure whether this odd result reflects more poorly on Rasmussen (who also found an edge of only 51 McCain-46 Obama from the same sample… which may be fishy, or may be a leading indicator of the blue wave seeping down from Virginia into the Carolinas) or on Graham, who’s never had much luck at wooing social conservatives. Don’t look for the parties to get involved in this one, though, even if further polling continues to bear out these numbers.