MN senate poll: Norm Coleman (R) 46%, Al Franken (D) 36%

[skipos]

(That actually doesn't sound too bad to me. Franken is doing much better than Webb was in the early polls against Allen).

Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman (R) knows he is high on the Democrats’ wish list this cycle and the first Rasmussen Reports Senate poll for Election 2008 shows the incumbent starting off below the 50% level of support. A survey of 500 Likely Voters finds Coleman leading Al Franken (D) 46% to 36% with 10% saying they’d vote for a third party option.

Generally speaking, incumbents who poll below 50% are considered potentially vulnerable.

Coleman is a freshman Senator who won his seat in 2002 by just two percentage points. Coleman replaced Paul Wellstone (D) in the Senate. Wellstone died in a plane crash near the end of the 2002 election and was replaced on the ballot by former Vice President Walter Mondale. Coleman was recruited heavily by the Bush team in 2002 but has distanced himself from the Administration lately.
Advertisment

Franken is known as a Saturday Night Live comedian and, more recently, Air America talk show host. He’s not the only Democrat with dreams of replacing Coleman in the Senate, but he would certainly qualify as one of the more interesting candidates in 2008.

Coleman is viewed favorably by 51% of Minnesota voters and unfavorably by 42%. The numbers for Franken are weaker—39% favorable and 46% unfavorable. President Bush earns approval from just 36% of voters in a state that he came close to winning in both 2000 and 2004. Minnesota has voted for a Democratic Presidential candidate in eight straight elections, longer than any other state in the union. Minnesota was the only state to vote for Democrat Walter Mondale in Ronald Reagan’s 1984 re-election landslide.

Coleman leads Franken by 14 points among men and 5 points among women. He has a slight edge among unaffiliated voters but trails among voters under 30.

http://rasmussenreports.com/2007/State%20Polls/March/MNSenate20070313.htm

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Comparing it to Allen may not be wise.

Unless Coleman has a "maccaca" moment, it's hard to compare the two.

However, the campaigning hasn't even begun yet, so it's not unusual to see an incumbent this far ahead right now.

[skipos]

6. Coleman is alot less popular than Allen,

so we may not need a macaca moment. Regardless, I am not saying that Al Franken is the best candidate anyway, I don't know.

[Onlooker]

2. Need a better candidate than Franken

Franken's a poor candidate. He's a little too hard to take seriously.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. Franken is a shitty candidate

[wuushew]

9. who should run against Coleman?

n/t

[speedoo]

10. Um. He hasn't even started campaigning yet.

Isn't your evaluation a little premature? :shrug:

I'm putting this seat in the Dem column.

[gatorboy]

5. Seriously?

This is the state that voted a wrestler into the governorship! :rofl:

[progressoid]

4. This is a good sign. Coleman is toast

Unless, of course, Al puts his foot in his mouth too often.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Not bad. Coleman's numbers aren't good for an incumbent. nt

[speedoo]

8. Ten % points is no problem.

All Franken has to do is pound away at tying Coleman to the pretzeldent and he's in. Can't be that hard to do, no matter how fast Normie runs away.

[TygrBright]

11. This is very good, actually.

In Minnesota, with this much lead time, for Franken to be polling these numbers is VERY good. Now what he needs to do is "do a Wellstone" and get on a bus and have breakfast with the good folks in Cokato and Two Harbors and Fulda and Karlstad and Detroit Lakes and Chisholm and Little Falls and Blooming Prairie and... etc. And LISTEN. Just LISTEN. He can talk later.

If he does that, and lets the folks see that he's a smart fella (anyone who LISTENS is always considered a smart fella) and a real guy, not just a teevee and radio celeb, he not only has a chance, he has a GOOD chance.

The problem with Norm the Weasel is that too many people in Minnesota didn't really have a chance to meet him in person and see what a weasel he is. Saint Paulites knew, of course, but the Cities don't cut any mustard with the folks elsewhere. Minnesotans still know a phony when its in their faces, so they'll know right away that Al is the real deal.

helpfully,
Bright

[kstewart33]

12. Good news. Only 10 points behind! eom

[AnnInLa]

13. Go Al

This sounds really encouraging.

Small donation was made! www.alfranken.com

You get a really funny receipt/thank you email.