Poll: Biden over Palin in PA

[RamboLiberal]

Four days before the veep debate, a new National Journal battleground poll says Joe Biden has better favorability ratings in Pennsylvania than Sarah Palin, and in four other battleground states nationwide. Ohio, though, favors Palin.

In Pa, 49% see Biden favorably and 24% negatively, for a +25 net. For Palin the numbers are 46% and 29% respectively, for a +17 net.

In Ohio, Palin is 49% favorable and 30% not, for a + 19. For Biden it's 43% favorable, 30% not, for a +12.

The McCain-Palin camp launched radio ads today attacking Biden for his criticisms -- later retracted -- of clean coal technology.

http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/earlyreturns/archive/2008/09/29/poll-biden-over-palin-in-pa.aspx

[jillan]

1. They've got a helluva lot of nerve to talk about Biden saying something different than Obama after

her remarks on Pakistan. Doesn't that just bring attention back to her?

[ClarkUSA]

2. Clean coal is a huge issue in Ohio and PA. Pakistan is not.

Hopefully, Biden will have an opportunity to set the record straight during the debate in front of a huge national audience,
which should help mitigate the unfortunate effects of his gaffe.

[jillan]

4. Actually Biden is against clean coal, so it wasn't a gaffe.

Should he have checked what Obama's position was on the subject - yeah.

And I can hardly believe that people don't care about Pakistan....we'll maybe people who believe that Saddam was responsible for 9/11 won't.

[ClarkUSA]

12. It was a gaffe because he mischaracterized Obama's position, leading to this McCain ad in OH and PA

Which may in turn lead to crucial percentage points lost in white working-class voter support of the Democratic
ticket if not corrected soon. It's a local economic issue, like ethanol is in the Midwest, so of course voters care --
in light of yesterday's market collapse, they care more than ever. It is important to note that the coal industry is
a major employer in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

As for Pakistan, regular folks in PA and OH could care less whether Palin agrees or disagrees with Obama about
foreign policy because they are too busy worrying about whether they will still have their jobs by the end of the
year or if their paychecks will make it to the end of the month, which is why pocketbook issues like clean coal
resonate strongly. Obama may need to counter with advertising at some point in the weeks ahead declaring
that his energy policy includes support for clean coal technology.

[Thrill]

3. What the hell is wrong with people in OH? Do Repukes have to piss in their food

for them to wake up?

[VolcanoJen]

7. This poll was taken before the Couric interviews; before McStunt

Lay off Ohio. ;-)

The true McCain Meltdown began on September 15, but reached its apex at the beginning of last week in the events that led to McStunt. McStunt had little to do with the markets, and was really just a crassly political Hail Mary thrown to distract from the Rick Davis blockbuster, and, moreso, that the McCain Camp knew what Katie Couric and CBS had in the can from their Palin interviews.

It was also taken before that SNL skit went viral. This poll is irrelevant and I kinda feel bad for the pollster, or rather, whoever paid for it. :-)

[GrizzlyMan]

8. It's an old, broken down state

With lots and lots of gun loving fundies and old people who apparently would rather live in a box, with their bibles and guns, than vote for a Dem for president.

The good news is our side has a lot of people, including some from DU, who are working very hard to change all of that.

[VolcanoJen]

9. Working very, very, very, very, very hard!

And making progress. And besides, that poll is so old it's irrelevant. The ground is moving in Ohio, I can tell you that much.

[GrizzlyMan]

10. I feel good about Ohio

At the very least, it's within striking distance. I admire the hard work of so many to turn it blue.

[MarjorieG]

5. May be more the fundamentalist vote, and those not paying attention to news.

[VolcanoJen]

6. That poll was taken BEFORE McStunt and BEFORE Palin's Couric interviews

Poll taken between September 18-22, 400 registered voters per state; margin of error plus or minus 4.9%.

For these reasons, this poll doesn't mean jack in any of the battleground states. :-)

[fujiyama]

11. Well Biden has a few things going for him in PA

He's from Scranton for one and he has working class roots. He talks like he'd fit in at a bar in Philly.

PA has two major urban centers and they're quite blue and I sense their suburbs are fairly moderate. OH has urban centers also, but only Cleveland is really somewhat liberal. I guess Columbus as well. But Cincinnati has suburbs with a lot of fundies. Sure, I'm generalizing a lot, but OH always leans a few points to the right of PA...though both gave resounding thumpings for repukes in '06. I don't think we'll see quite the same level (at least in OH), but we can hope...

[VolcanoJen]

13. You're right about OH and PA

I do think that Ohio leans a few points right of Pennsylvania, mainly because our largest cities are still far smaller than Philadelphia and the metro area. Pittsburgh and its suburbs are more on par with Cincinnati, but also comparable in population.

Philly trumps Ohio, more or less.

But the Ohio GOP is in shambles, and the landscape in Ohio is a world apart from what it was in 2004. In 2006 we practically overthrew the government and even installed Sherrod Brown over sitting Senator (and ineffective asshat) Mike Dewine.

The secret to Ohio is grabbing a few more voters per precinct out of those Cincinnati suburbs. It's just hard to reach them; they want to come to the other side, but they're just not quite convinced. We're reaching out and making the case and if we can get just a few of them, and turn out the youth vote from our many colleges and cities... well, let's just say we're fighting until the end here in Ohio, and I think the Obama camp is in for the long haul (more than I could say for Gore certainly and Kerry toward the end).