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MichaelaM
Citizen
Username: Mayquene
Post Number: 178
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 12:09 pm: | 
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A new poll has Menendez with a slight lead over Kean, and one in five voters is undecided.
If NJ is such a blue state, why is Menendez endangered? Is he endangered?
Poll calls Menendez-Kean race a virtual dead heat
Friday, April 28, 2006
BY DEBORAH HOWLETT
Star-Ledger Staff
The U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Robert Me nendez and Republican challenger Tom Kean Jr. remains neck-and- neck, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released yesterday.
In the poll, Menendez led Kean 40 percent to 34 percent, with 20 percent undecided. The findings echo the numbers from the Quinni piac Poll released five weeks ago.
The latest survey shows both candidates are strongly favored by their own parties, while independent and unaffiliated voters are al most evenly divided. With a larger number of Democrats registered in New Jersey, Menendez has a built- in advantage.
"Senator Menendez has a six- point lead in his race for re-election mainly because New Jersey is a Democratic state more fed up with the Bush administration and the war in Iraq than it is with high taxes and the budget crisis at home," said Clay Richards, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
Richards said the poll indicates voters aren't squarely focused on the Senate race and likely won't be until both campaigns are expected to start multimillion-dollar TV ad campaigns in the fall.
"Until then, it's a tossup between the state's first Hispanic senator and the son of a popular former governor," Richards said.
The poll, for the first time, sur veyed registered Republican voters on the match-up between Kean and longshot conservative John Ginty, a Bergen County financial data analyst who was a last-minute entrant in the June primary. Kean leads Ginty by a margin of 61 percent to 4 percent among the Republicans surveyed, with 31 percent undecided.
Ginty yesterday won the endorsement of the New Jersey Right to Life Political Action Committee. Ginty describes himself as "100 percent pro-life." He opposes abortion, embryonic stem cell research and cloning.
"He offers a refreshing alternative to the hand-picked establishment candidates of both parties," New Jersey Right to Life executive director Marie Tasy said.
The poll also showed a further ebbing of support for President Bush in New Jersey. His approval rating dropped to 26 percent, the survey showed, his lowest rating ever among Garden State voters. The voters also disapprove -- 71 percent to 25 percent -- of the handling of the war in Iraq, the sur vey showed.
Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,414 registered voters from April 18 to 24. The poll has a margin of error of 2.6 percentage points.
Deborah Howlett covers politics. She may be reached at (609) 989-0273 or dhowlett@starledger.com.
© 2006 The Star Ledger
© 2006 NJ.com All Rights Reserved. |
Foj
Citizen
Username: Foger
Post Number: 1228
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:01 pm: |
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Didnt they say Bush Would win in NJ............
...and came up with a 54% win For Bush, which really works out to a 12% win for Kerry. And then admitted an error, (they polled 60% Repubs).
I think Menendez will beat Kean by 7 to 9%. |
Chris Prenovost
Citizen
Username: Chris_prenovost
Post Number: 848
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 1:06 pm: |
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Menendez is just another politician who thinks he will get votes with dopey ideas like cutting the federal gas tax to solve the evergy crisis. Not exactly sterling leadership.
Kean benefits from name recognition.
And don't forget, 'tis early in the season. And a lot can and will happen between now and november. |
cjc
Citizen
Username: Cjc
Post Number: 5573
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 3:39 pm: |
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Dopey idea? Menendez is making a masterful political move. Some people in NJ will actually think he's serious about cutting taxes, and that's what he's counting on. |
Dr. Winston O'Boogie
Citizen
Username: Casey
Post Number: 2059
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 4:00 pm: |
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all Menendez has to do is campaign on this truthful statement: in a rubber stamp Senate, a vote for Kean is a vote for Bush's agenda. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 11347
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 5:13 pm: |
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Wait to the real campaign starts. Menendez has a really big advantage in fund raising, but he is open to ethics questions, if Kean, who appears to be as pure as fresh snow, chooses to take that road.
To be honest, I view Menendez as just another Hudson County politician and hope Kean wins. |
Hoops
Citizen
Username: Hoops
Post Number: 1215
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 28, 2006 - 10:38 pm: |
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A win for any republican is a loss for America |
tom connelly
Citizen
Username: Brightontom
Post Number: 46
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 1:37 am: |
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Whould you buy a used car from Menendez? |
Foj
Citizen
Username: Foger
Post Number: 1233
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 2:20 am: |
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DId the used car come thru a Dubai port? |
tom connelly
Citizen
Username: Brightontom
Post Number: 47
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 11:19 am: |
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No, it was stolen in Maplewood on Springfield Ave. - Chopped up - Shipped out of Port Newark to South America - |
Factvsfiction
Citizen
Username: Factvsfiction
Post Number: 115
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 2:38 pm: |
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Kean Jr. is not Bush, Menendez is as likely to get tagged for Corzine's blunders as Kean Jr. is for Bush's. Menendez is going to get the classic " tax and spend " liberal line thrown at him. Is his Hispanic support firm? Maybe not, with the Sires and Vas thing. I think it will not be any cakewalk for Menendez, even with liberal walking around money being dispensed. |
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