Polls show shifting voter sentiment in Senate race
SEATTLE - On the night of the second and final debate between U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and GOP challenger Dino Rossi on KOMO 4 TV, a new poll shows public sentiment is shifting as Election Day grows closer.
The Washington Poll, a nonpartisan survey conducted by researchers and professors, asked voters how they feel about both Murray and Rossi.
The two are running for their political lives in Washington state's most important national race. At stake is nothing more or less than control of the U.S. Senate.
The two are debating in Fisher Plaza's Studio C at 7 p.m.
As for the Washington Poll results:
• Some 48 percent of those surveyed either like her or really like Patty Murray. But 42 percent have an unfavorable view. That's a dreadful number for an incumbent.
• But the news is even worse for challenger Dino Rossi. His favorables are just 40 percent, and his unfavorables are 49 percent - a number so bad, that in this survey only the U.S. Congress and Sarah Palin did worse.
Both candidates know they need to drive down their unfavorables. Here are some examples of how they did in their first debate, in Spokane:
• Sen. Patty Murray: "I say it is my job to fight for investments to help you and your community and get you back to work again."
• Dino Rossi: "If we don't have a course correction, I think we are going to wake up 24 months from now in a country we don't even recognize."
• Murray: "I'm a tough mom when it comes to our budget, but I want to make sure we preserve those programs that provide stability for families in every community."
• Rossi: "Sen. Murray's answer to jobs was more spending, borrowing money from the Chinese, Saudis and others. The stimulus failed."
Murray seemed at ease and spoke like a mom in comfortable tennis shoes. Rossi was on point politically, but lacked passion.
Can either afford to take it easy right now?
The Washington Poll says 50 percent of those surveyed will vote for Murray. Rossi is at 42 percent. The rest are undecided.
Loren Collingwood, chief researcher for the Washington Poll, says those results are in line with what other polls are showing.
"There have been three other polls that have come out in the past few days that show that Murray is gaining over Rossi," Collingwood said. "That show this is going from less of a dead heat to seriously for Murray."
If that poll is right, it means Rossi will have to find some passion and soon.
The Washington Poll, a nonpartisan survey conducted by researchers and professors, asked voters how they feel about both Murray and Rossi.
The two are running for their political lives in Washington state's most important national race. At stake is nothing more or less than control of the U.S. Senate.
The two are debating in Fisher Plaza's Studio C at 7 p.m.
As for the Washington Poll results:
• Some 48 percent of those surveyed either like her or really like Patty Murray. But 42 percent have an unfavorable view. That's a dreadful number for an incumbent.
• But the news is even worse for challenger Dino Rossi. His favorables are just 40 percent, and his unfavorables are 49 percent - a number so bad, that in this survey only the U.S. Congress and Sarah Palin did worse.
Both candidates know they need to drive down their unfavorables. Here are some examples of how they did in their first debate, in Spokane:
• Sen. Patty Murray: "I say it is my job to fight for investments to help you and your community and get you back to work again."
• Dino Rossi: "If we don't have a course correction, I think we are going to wake up 24 months from now in a country we don't even recognize."
• Murray: "I'm a tough mom when it comes to our budget, but I want to make sure we preserve those programs that provide stability for families in every community."
• Rossi: "Sen. Murray's answer to jobs was more spending, borrowing money from the Chinese, Saudis and others. The stimulus failed."
Murray seemed at ease and spoke like a mom in comfortable tennis shoes. Rossi was on point politically, but lacked passion.
Can either afford to take it easy right now?
The Washington Poll says 50 percent of those surveyed will vote for Murray. Rossi is at 42 percent. The rest are undecided.
Loren Collingwood, chief researcher for the Washington Poll, says those results are in line with what other polls are showing.
"There have been three other polls that have come out in the past few days that show that Murray is gaining over Rossi," Collingwood said. "That show this is going from less of a dead heat to seriously for Murray."
If that poll is right, it means Rossi will have to find some passion and soon.
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