Judy’s numbers are crap (and so are the Governor’s, but they should be).
49% disapproval for Judy compared to 43% for Blagojevich
The survey showed Blagojevich with the support of 43 percent of the voters polled, while Topinka had 29 percent and Green Party candidate Rich Whitney had 9 percent. Another 17 percent were undecided, and 2 percent offered choices for governor not among the names appearing on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Keyesland–and she’s not a wingnut!
I’m taking on the conventional wisdom related to Rezko–I don’t think he’ll matter:
A total of 64 percent say he has failed to keep a key campaign pledge that helped get him elected four years ago?to end corrupt “business as usual” in the Statehouse. Asked to compare the current level of corruption to that of previous administrations, 60 percent of voters said it is the same.
I’m not sure with that cynical of a political environment and high unfavorables for Judy that this is even going to matter. I’m not dismissing the importance of the scandal, I just think voters tend to discount scandals during a campaign.
One of the arguments has been that Blagojevich will depress turnout for Democrats. The problem with such a claim is that Judy is even more unpopular with her base
Among Republicans, fewer than half?47 percent?say they have a favorable view of Topinka, who has held statewide office for a dozen years and was a state legislator from suburban Cook County before that.
While Blagojevich is a drag on the ticket, Judy is a bigger drag on the ticket. Add to it poor ratings of George Bush and anger at the Republican Congress and I don’t see why marginal voters who are conservative will even bother in Illinois.
Perhaps I’m wrong and Rezko will have a dramatic impact, but I think once the mud is this think, it’s pretty hard to make it thicker.