United Liberty

When you’re running as a write-in candidate, you may want to make sure you spell your name correctly in campaign ads. We’re looking at you Lisa Murkuwski.

Of course, that isn’t the end of Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s problems. Republicans in the Senate may vote this week on whether or not to strip her of her spot as ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee. Murkowski already resigned her spot in leadership.

Murkowski, who says she was convinced to run after receiving support from Alaskans, is now complaining that Senate Republicans have abandoned her as she runs against the Republican nominee, Joe Miller, in the general election. She enjoyed the NRSC’s support during the primary, which bothered conservative and tea party activists.

The odds of Murkowski being successful in her write-in bid are low, this was confirmed yesterday in polling from Rasmussen, which shows:

Rasmussen put out a poll from Wisconsin last week showing Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) down by seven points to Ron Johnson, his Republican opponent, in what is viewed as a toss-up race.

• Johnson: 51%
• Feingold: 44%
• Other: 1%
• Not sure: 4%

Johnson is taking 59% of independent voters. Seventy-nine percent of voters are “sure of their vote.”

No doubt what is bringing down Feingold is his support of ObamaCare. According to the poll, 55% of Wisconsin voters support repeal, with a plurality (45%) believing that it would have a good impact on the economy.

Despite his numbers, Feingold has a favorability rating of 51%. His unfavorables are high as well, at 46%. But this election may come down to who voters like more, and Johnson is winning that as 61% of voters view him favorably.

Voters are even on their view of President Barack Obama, 49% approving, 49% disapproving.

The Club for Growth recently got involved in the race, running ads against Sen. Feingold, as part of a five state campaign.

On Friday, I posted a poll from West Virginia showing John Raese within five points of Gov. Joe Machin in the race for United States Senate. In an interview with Jim Geraghty at the National Review, pollster Scott Rasmussen senses that this race one to watch between now and November:

GERAGHTY: Any under-the-radar race you’re keeping your eye on? Any upset special?

RASMUSSEN: The race that I would potentially put in that category right now is the West Virginia Senate race. We have one poll out showing it a very competitive race. It’s clear that President Obama is not a welcome figure in West Virginia politics. But [Democratic nominee] Joe Manchin is so popular as governor that it was thought to be a safe seat. So that’s a potential upset special.

Manchin’s popularity may be what saves him in the end, but as I noted on Friday, Raese is going to tie him to President Barack Obama, who is enormously unpopular in West Virginia, as much as he can over the next two months.

It looks like we have a race in West Virginia between Gov. Joe Manchin (D) and John Raese (R), as the latest Rasmussen poll shows the GOP nominee within five points. Manchin lead Raese by as much as 16 points in July, shortly after the death of Sen. Robert Byrd.

• Manchin: 50%
• Raese: 45%
• Other: 2%
• Not sure: 3%

The crosstabs show overwhelming opposition to ObamaCare as 65% favor repeal of the law passed in March and 49% believing that repeal with be good for the economy. Sixty-two percent “strongly disapprove” or “somewhat disapprove” of President Barack Obama’s performance. Raese is also doing very well with independents, leading Manchin 61% to 30% with them.

Raese is using this to his advantage, tying Manchin to the president and ObamaCare in his first campaign ad.

While many on the left are making a big deal out of one of Rand Paul’s campaign staffers acting as a sock-puppet for his candidate on the Daily Kos, another poll out of Kentucky shows the Republican nominee with a 15 point lead over Jack Conway, the Democratic nominee, in the race for United States Senate. This new poll from Rasmussen echoes a poll from earlier this week conducted by Survey USA.

Here are the results:

• Paul: 54%
• Conway: 39%
• Other: 2%
• Not sure: 4%

Paul carries 20 point lead among independents. Forty-eight percent of respondents list “economic issues” as their biggest concern. Seventy-four percent say they are “very angry” or “somewhat angry” at the policies of the government.

Paul has launched his first ad, making clear his opposition to ObamaCare, which his opponent supports.

The NRSC has taken the gloves off in a hard-hitting video labeling Obama and his agenda as “Extreme”.  The most gratifying part for me, personally?  Seeing Rand Paul’s race featured.  I imagine crow has become a regular part of the Senate leaders’ diet.

Earlier this week, I told you about a poll from Rasmussen showing Republicans leading Democrats on 10 major issues ranging from the economy to health care and national security to Social Security.

Gallup came out with a similar poll yesterday showing the GOP leading in seven out of nine issues important to voters. Democrats are statistically tied with Republicans on health care and corruption in government. The only issue they are running away on is the environment.

Here is a look at the poll:

Voters rank the economy and jobs as the most important issues, which the GOP has to hammer home in the coming months to do what they need to do to win. Other issues, such as Afghanistan, the environment and immigration are not as important to voters, according to the Gallup survey.

Two new polls out of Pennsylvania show Rep. Joe Sestak (D) trailing Pat Toomey in the race for United States Senate in Pennsylvania, including a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Toomey with a 10 point lead among likely voters.

Here is the Reuters poll:

• Toomey: 47%
• Sestak: 37%
• Other: 2%
• Not sure: 15%

Forty-eight percent of voters rank the economy and jobs as their biggest issue. Following behind that, 16% rank the budget and deficits as their issue. Fifty-five percent of registered voters feel that the state is on the wrong track, including 69% of independent voters.

The latest Rasmussen poll shows a closer race:

• Toomey: 45%
• Sestak: 39%
• Other: 5%
• Not sure: 11%

Once you include leaners, Toomey leads Sestak 48% to 42%. Toomey also leads among independent voters, 42% to 27%. Voters are taking a more favorable view of him than they are of Sestak. However, Sestak does have an edge among the 46% of voters who have the economy as their main issue, which has to be a cause for concern for Toomey’s campaign.

But it’s a national referendum, folks. Fifty-eight percent of Pennsylvania voters either “somewhat disapprove” or “strongly disapprove” of the job President Barack Obama is doing.

Rasmussen released a poll at the end of last week showing where both political parties stand with voters on 10 issues. The survey shows Republicans leading with voters on all 10, including issues that have been traditionally owned by Democrats such as Education, Healthcare and Social Security.

Not only do voters trust the GOP on each of the 10 issues below, the crosstabs show that  independent voters, which are the key to the mid-term election, swing overwhelmingly to the GOP on each issue as well.

None of this is good news if you’re a Democrat in a swing district.

It does seem like Gov. Charlie Crist (I) is in a pickle since Rep. Kendrick Meek won the Democratic nomination for United States Senate as the latest numbers from Rasmussen confirms the numbers we saw earlier this week from Public Policy Polling, showing Democrats sticking with their nominee and Marco Rubio, the Republican nominee, leading by 10 points.

Crist was relying on Democrats to defect, presumably Jeff Greene would have been the best case scenario for him.

Here are the numbers from Rasmussen:

• Rubio: 40%
• Crist: 30%
• Meek: 21%
• Other: 4%
• Not sure: 5%

Unlike the Public Policy Polling, Rasmussen shows Crist with a 52% approval rating, 46% disapprove, but they note a downward trend. Barack Obama, who Crist is being tied to by Rubio, is underwater, 46% approve, but 55% disapprove.

Rubio is picking up 73% of the Republican vote, while Crist is pulling 19%. Meek is barely leading Crist among Democrats, 41% to 36%.

Republicans are pulling away from Crist and headed to Rubio as we get closer to the election due to the increasing chances, though still low, to take back the Senate.