New Public Policy Polling Survey: Feingold in trouble in WI

(I'll be working hard to get the vote out for Russ--Johnson has also had a huge media blitz recently)

Senator Russ Feingold marginally leads both potential Republican nominees in the
Wisconsin Senate election. In both races Feingold received 45% of the vote. Ron Johnson
earned 43% of the vote and Dave Westlake, his challenger in the Republican primary,
earned 38%.
Wisconsin voters have mixed feelings about Senator Feingold; 42% of Wisconsin voters
disapprove of Feingold’s job, while 42% of voters support the Senator. Feingold has
some strength amongst moderates, but not enough to secure a win; 54% of moderates
give the Senator high marks.
Johnson and Westlake are largely unknown throughout the state. More voters supported
Johnson or Westlake when matched against Feingold, than had an opinion, good or bad,
of either candidates, suggesting that Wisconsinites are voting against Feingold not for
Johnson or Westlake.

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_WI_629.pdf

Dodd-Frank. Principle be damned -- he can hear footsteps.

those numbers don't really give me an impression that this is why he's not going to vote for the bill.


Plus, I generally don't trust that polling outlet -- Not to denigrate the OP, I just don't trust PPP.

...in a post-Citizens United world, why go looking for additional trouble? Voting for cloture on Dodd-Frank isn't going to gain him any votes -- he's got the progressive vote sewn up -- just a shit-storm of ads the other way. His problem is with moderates, independents, undecideds -- people who can be swung with a tsunami of 30-second spots.

PPP's Tom Jensen writes: "The potential competitiveness of this race may have more to do with Barack Obama's declining popularity in the state than anything Feingold himself has done. Obama won Wisconsin easily in 2008 but now has just a 45% approval rating with 50% of voters unhappy with his performance. 51% of voters are opposed to the health care bill to just 38% in support. In the places where Obama's fortunes are falling he's bringing the electoral prospects of Democratic candidates down with him."

Putting daylight between himself and the President is the only way to survive. Voters won't care why -- whether the White House-supported bill is too much or too little.

is why I respect him even if I disagree with him. If he was doing this to get votes for indies, that would just make me more cynical in general. Sigh.

This is a bill - even if not good enough - that regulates the hated big banks. It is nonsense to think that more people don't want it versus want it.

He needs an internal pollster to look at Obama's rating to see how many disapproves are on the left.

Feingold is a stand up guy and about as an effective Senator as you're going to get these days. While one may accuse him of grandstanding on this particular issue, his track record shows him to be a very results-oriented public servant.

In the absence of his vote, it looks like the concession the Democrats will make will be to cover the $19 billion shortfall over the next 10 years with TARP funds instead of the bank fee. That $1.9 billion a year is probably about the same sum the Department of Defence spends on paper clips and post-it notes each year. So while it's a step in the wrong direction, in the big picture it's not that big a deal.

reminds one of his House "twin".. Mr K.

I do work for him now and the base is solid. He also has pretty much all the Independent votes too.

Johnson and Westlake are bullshit.

Russ's 'principled stand' is revealed as self-interest.