So stunning Lynn Sweet even breaks her usual rule of avoiding writing about them:
Bean has significant potential. The voters have an open mind. About 46 percent would consider someone else or were open to replacing Crane.
Some other gleanings:
*Some 35 percent agreed that Crane has done a good job in Congress and deserves to be elected again; contrast that to 51 percent who said that Crane has been a congressman for too long and it is time to give someone else a chance.
*Almost half had no opinion when asked a variety of questions about things they liked or disliked about Crane. That suggests, to Bean’s potential advantage, that Crane is not on voters’ radar.
*Some 47 percent said Crane worked hard for the district; the same number said his best years are behind him.
Smart move to the campaign to give Sweet the full results. Very smart. These results show a great potential for a win by Bean. Most importantly, it demonstrates that LaHood, while he may regret saying it, was right. Crane hasn’t been watching over his District and with the rapid population growth and shifts, he’s a non-entity and being as conservative as he is, he’s a great target for a moderate Democrat.
A 35% approval rating for an incumbent is a huge problem. Anything below 50 is a bad sign. Over 50% think it is time for someone else.
Great news! It’s a pleasure watching the Illinois GOP self-destruct. Maybe we can take out Mark Kirk as well.
Good riddance to Crane! He has been out of touch with his constituents for the last 20 years. There just has never been anyone with M.s Bean’s stature or demeanor to be able to knock him off.