Poll: Sen. Bill Nelson opens up 8-point lead on Connie Mack
Source: Tampa Bay Times
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson holds a solid 8-percentage-point lead over one of his potential rivals, Congressman Connie Mack, in a new poll that shows Democrats are gaining political ground in Florida.
Nelson beats Mack by a 44-36 percent margin a shift of 7 percentage points in Nelson's favor since January, when the two were essentially tied, according to Quinnipiac University's Polling Institute. Nelson's 8-point lead is outside the poll's 2.8 percent error margin.
Quinnipiac, however, didn't poll former Republican Sen. George LeMieux, who's running against Mack for their party's nomination. Previous polls showed Mack comfortably in the lead in the GOP primary.
But as the economy has improved and the fortunes of the Republican Party diminished, Democrats are picking up momentum in Florida. President Barack Obama now leads Republican Mitt Romney, whom Mack supports.
Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/poll-sen-bill-nelson-opens-up-8-point-lead-on-connie-mack/1222454
onehandle
(51,122 posts)If he does, Democrats will have to spend every waking hour in Florida.
Cirque du So-What
(25,940 posts)he's effectively removed himself from the running in VP selection already.
Swede Atlanta
(3,596 posts)I suspect the GOP machinery will be watching polling carefully. The VP pick will most likely, in my opinion, be made to shore up support in a state or region the GOP needs to win and where support is waning. So, if electorally-rich Florida appears to be at risk from the GOP column, they will look for someone to help them there. Same thing applies to the rust-belt. Daniels, Kasich, etc. might become more attractive choices if there is trouble in Indiana, Ohio, etc.
Cirque du So-What
(25,940 posts)had trouble keeping fingers in all the holes in the dike, and I suspect the GOP will have the same dilemma when trying to cover all the regions where they're in trouble.
FBaggins
(26,744 posts)Normally an incumbent polling at 44% would be in big trouble regardless of how far ahead he was (assuming a two-way race).
The saving grace here is that Mack does not lack for name recognition. So that rule doesn't apply as well as it otherwise would.
The trouble is that Nelson isn't even in the 6-8 most-endangered Democrats. He's probably tenth on the list. We can't afford for this race to even be a mild concern.