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While the presidential campaign remains the main event of the 2012 election season, a fierce, state-by-state battle is also underway to determine which party will control the U.S. Senate for the next two years. And a series of NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls shows Democrats with an edge in two of the most closely-watched races and tied in a third.
In Ohio and Florida, the Democratic candidate holds a solid lead, while in Virginia – where former governor and onetime DNC chairman Tim Kaine faces former Republican Sen. George Allen in a marquee battle – the candidates are in a dead heat.
Republicans had entered the 2012 cycle with high hopes of winning all three races. All are seats currently held by Democrats, and winning any of them would advance the GOP toward the net gain of four seats they need to take back control of the Senate come January.
In Virginia, Kaine and Allen are deadlocked at 46 percent apiece with likely voters.
In Ohio, incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leads Republican State Treasurer Josh Mandel 49 percent to 42 percent.
And in Florida, two-term Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, leads GOP Rep. Connie Mack 51 percent to 37 percent. Twelve percent of Florida voters said they were undecided about the race.
With only 54 days until the election, these three polls suggest that Republicans still have work to do if they wish to achieve their goal of retaking control of the Senate. Democrats must defend 23 of the 33 Senate seats on the ballot this fall, a numerical disadvantage that buoyed GOP hopes of reaching their goal early in the cycle, especially since many of the Democratic-held seats are also in hotly contested presidential battlegrounds.
President Barack Obama leads Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Virginia, Ohio and Florida, according to the same NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls released Thursday.
Each of the Marist polls was conducted Sept. 9-11. Each poll has a 3.1 percent margin of error for its sample of likely voters.
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it all spells Blood Bath for the teathugs....the American Taliban's short lived Reign of Reich wing terror is closing quickly
after the blood bath perhaps the GOP elders can come to the conclusion that maybe hitching their wagons to teabaggers and evangelicals wasn't such a good idea after all
i see good things down the road for the GOP if they can come to that conclusion and rid themselves of that mob
until then...I'm enjoyng that laugh at their expense
Romney keeps shooting himself in the foot JUST about every time he opens his mouth.
Voting straight Democratic all the way down the ticket......House, Senate, and State Senate and Legislature as well. If we're gonna make these dinosaurs extinct, at least be thorough about it !! Don't forget that the Koch Brothers and ALEC have infiltrated the statehouses and are writing your states' legislation in their corporate star chamber - clean 'em out, and clean 'em out thoroughly.
Karl Marx's would be proud.
tangeant2, you do know that we can't have a "true free market", anymore than we could have "true communism" and for the exact same reason.......we have no way of reigning in on human greed.
TxSpartan .........I Agree 100 % , And dont leave out the Rove factor + Bush family dictator program that put us into this mess when he was a lame-duck ,I remember warning people that his 2 nd term would be bad news going by the Reagan / bush 41 ERROR ...... We simple cant have a 2 party government when one party is ANTI-AMERICAN ..........Bent on the distruction of the middle class or any class , and totally controlled by a few billionairs to have those billionairs write their own legislation and put our T-PUB'S ON THE PAYROLL TO " MAKE IT HAPPEN " .
How does the GOP EVER recover? They have so melded with the far right/teaparty/tinfoil hat wearing black helicopter-fearing RWNJs that it is a pwrmanent condition. I can't see how they ever seperate from those weirdos and they can't win in any serious way with those wackos filling the news cycle.
Robert Warner - Do you find it odd that Lyin/Ryan is now campaigning to keep his seat in Wisconsin?
If he was so sure of winning - wouldn't he throw all of his might into the Willard campaign?
I think this little boy with his minor in Economics has been found out - no more the golden boy - just a boy!
It comes down to Obama failed leadership or privatized social security. Checks out ways all things?
2BadpPole - I looked you up you have been posting since February and you have no friends why is that?
Most people posting here have some friends who care about what you post - hell Harley Chic with her post art Avatar - have the weak minded twits lusting after her and yet since FEB - 7 months nobody seems to give a rat's butt what you say - maybe you should crawl back into - whever you came from and hang it up
Republicans need to kick out the Tea Party faction. Or is there really any difference any more?
It is too late to save the GOP. The baggers have taken over totally, why else would Romney have Ryan shoved down his throat.
Are you saying that the T-PUB'S ARE IN DECLINE ? . R/R still out there on the lying stump but we can thank GOD that the only people that believe them are Republicans and Nephilim's .
It looks to me that the tsunami is building. This country can not afford any more GOP obstruction. It's time to get this country moving again before it's too late. They only way to do that is to vote out every republican you can find because it is THEY who have caused most of the serious problems we face today!
Spoken like a true liberal - blame the other guy. Where is the leadership in Obama's administration? Replace Obama, Reid, and Boehner and get some new leaders to work on the problem. Get ones that will take responsibility and get things done instead of blaming someone else and doing nothing.
CKSM .......... How much will you make from the R/R ticket if it happens ? are you a millionaire ? ............ If you are not it will cost you plenty .......... Its not smart to watch Bush distroy this economy and then blame it on Obama , every one can see what has happened , but i have read where T-PUB'S are very uneducated and i guess thats what this whole election is about , The uneducated voting for the unexperienced .
We need to pray in the debates that Romney will just be himself. That should seal the deal bigtime for President Oama. Ihavenever seen a more inept political pair than Romney and Ryan. And since they aren't typical Christians I don't think they can expect any miracles from God. HOwever, President Obama can! God knows the truth and probably doesn't like the behavior of the so called Christians in the republican fiasco they call a party. Go Obama! God Bless America!
Ktlin ......... I can tell you now that Obama and Biden have this Debate won ,
I expect Romney and Ryan will make plenty of Gaffe's, embarrass their party even more , They can go only so far with the unchallenged lies that they have been telling , By now they probably even believe their own lies , our guy's will definately set them straight , in front of the whole world . Plus they will have GOD on their side ........
What I find astounding, that anyone would even think voting Republican, want to take away womens rights, and then they make a pledge to do nothing while session, check and you will see Republicans hardly ever made it to work, so why do they get paid for nothing. We can only hope they will all be voted out of office and the Democrats can take over, then we will get something done. it is a shame they get paid. they should be tried for treason oh I forgot they are dimwitted, you cannot prosecute anyone with no brains.
Can't wait until the debates.Willard can't talk down the President, he will not suspend the debates as a board room meeting. CEO's of Romney's kind sell their own dreams to a niche audience (the wealthy). Community Organizers sell their ideas to the community (aka the people).
Rethuglican attitude since President Obama has been elected has been, you play ball with me and I'll stick the bat up your a$$. That attitude is why they will lose. Most Americans see it for what it is,obstructionism. That won't get you many friends, but it will get you a lot of enemies.
So you ignore Obama's remarks to the republicans when he first took office about shutting up because they lost. He refused to take input from them on his legislation proposals. If you tell people to shut up do you expect them to support you?
Straight to the point Rich.....I like it.
Straight Dem ticket this time.......I don't like where Romney/Ryan and the tea baggers want to take this country.
Keep oversampling Dems by six to twelve points--your ruse will not work since we are still going to vote and you are going to look extremely stupid when President Obama, Sherrod Brown (cast deciding vote in O Bummer Care), and Tim Keane lose their respective races. I will predict one thing regarding this poll--It will show a much closer race as we near the first week of November.
Yes, Straight Democrat across the board.
Obama – Biden 2012 - Still Cleaning up Bush’s Mess!!!
A Straight Democrat Ticket all the way ....... With Bernanke making the right moves perhaps we will have a good 4 years .
Barack Obama:
Alias Barry Soetoro pawns himself as Barack Obama, the humanitarian, the POTUS, the campaign for hope and change. But we know better. Barry is a radical Marxist who was raised by Communist parents and Communist grandparents. His mentors were known Communists, his contacts in college were strictly Marxists supporters, Marxist professors and a group of Pakistani activists as stated in his book, "Dreams From My Father".
Barack Obama, tell us about Frank Marshall Davis or Bill Ayers. Surely you remember Mr. Davis. After all, your mother knew him all too well. Mr. Ayers, a known terrorist, responsible for at least a dozen bombings, helped your early Illinois campaign by raising money, thru his organization Underground Weather. Davis, a well known Communist. Tell us about your trip to Pakistan ('81) with Pakistani Wahid Hamid.
Share with us your ideals of socialism, after all you're a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), referred as the "New Party". Please tell us why you have been influenced by the writings of Karl Marx, the prelude to Communism. Share with us your association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Do you justify this man's message by condemning our country by saying, "God bless America? No, God Damn America"? Was this a forethought supporting your belief in Marxism?
United States of America………………you didn't build it Barack Obama.
Top Drum, it is silly rant like yours that is driving more and more voters to support Obama. The only thing you are doing is giving stiffies to right wingers like yourself.
I just heard something interesting about the states that passed voter id laws, hoping that Democratic voters would be disinfranchised. Apparently, it is a wash -- Republican voters and Democratic voters are being disenfranchised in roughly equal numbers.
Vote all the republicans out of congress. Go team Obama.
GOP'ers the President reached out to the GOP from day one. They thought they could roll over him (make him look bad). They did do this to a degree, they also made themselves look bad. I will say this once again. People all over the world can see these vines and realize that there is a lack of moral fiber in this country that is unraveling. GOP'ers you have shown the world that this country might not be capable of leading the world with silly comments about the President. Now is the time for the country to try to go forward. Remember that reality can not be persuaded. If you do it becomes a fantasy. In other words we can't go back. Jesus did alot of things yet he never turned the world back in time. If he didn't what makes you think you can? We never really get do overs, we get another chance to move forward.
Democrats:
We must not be lulled into complacency by polls and other good political news. The spectre of a Romney presidency remains far too threatening to our nation to warrant anything but our persistent and focused efforts to re-elect President Obama.
We must campaign, urge others, register prospective democratic voters, and contribute to the Obama and other democrat candidates. November 7 can be our day of celebration. Until then, we must work hard and long to ensure victory. Because, victory is by no means ensured.
Buy American ! Buy Local ! Support America’s middle class ! Support Women’s rights ! Support Civil Rights ! Protect God’s Green Earth ! Vote Democrat ! Obama/Biden 2012 !
At the same time Carter led Reagan. Dukakis led Bush I. Hussein goes Down in Humiliating Defeat. One and Done for the Pathetic Failure called Zero! Failure at Home-Bigger Failure Abroad. Good Riddance to The Worst Trash to Inhabit Our White House EVER!
Nope, but keep crying.
I wish the President's Campaign Team would start a national drumbeat imploring voters to vote for Dems up and down the ballot so that we can TAKE BACK THE HOUSE and hold the Senate. Keep reminding the American people in daily nationwide ads in key House states that it has been Republicans in the House who have kept the Great Recession going.
I understand that when Obama is re-elected, the Democratic-controlled Senate will change the rules to so limit the Filibuster as to effectively eliminate it. WOO HOO!!
If Republicans maintain control of the House, they will use the exact same play book as the last four years, say NO to anything and everything the Dems want. Shut down governing.
You liberal idiots just don't get it do you??? Our people are dead over seas because of your muslim towel head lover! Our credit rating as a country is in jeopardy of being reduced for the second time and no other president in history let it even happen once! Golf,Golf,golf equals dead Americans! And you want this lunatic back??? Doesn't it bother you that at your democratic donkey's ass convention his own wife lied about him being at his mother's bedside when she died? He was out promoting his book when she died! Find the facts not the fiction that msnbc and all the other liberal media tell you!!! He won't even take a meeting with Israel because he's too busy trying to influence drug crazed school kids! Maybe he's taking a toke behind the building with them too? Wouldn't be the first time! So he's completely responsible for the death of a Ambassador! Completely responsible for the worst budget deficit in history! AND completely resposible for being a complete useless example of a president! No budget in his entire term!!! The man is a menace and he WILL get you killed when those same terroists that invaded our embassy come for you next time!!!! How safe you feeling now sitting in your house without a job letting the government pay your bills??? Get a job and vote the only way you can that will save this country!! Or be an idiot and vote for one!!! The Duke has spoken!
Are you a chickenhawk or chicken@!$%#? Well, same thing I see.
Duke, please look up the definition of the word facts, and try to stick to them. You also might want to give up watching FOX Noise, as three different studies have found that their viewership is less informed than the viewerships of other news channels. In fact, the last study, done last Nov., came to the conclusion that FOX Noise viewers are 18% more likely to be less informed than people who don't even get their news from the TV. That alone should set off an intellectual red flag, but I'm not holding my breath over it.
The Republican brand is severely tarnished and the American people are seeing what happens when your "loyal opposition" refuses to anything to help right the ship... and by right the ship this means getting us back on track from the Bush administration. That's right... the polling shows that Obama does not get the blame for our economic situation (35% blame Obama policies)... the Bush administration (57%) gets the blame for where we are now. So, why would voters want to continue electing people who want to go backwards? The debates should put an end to this when people see who will actually help the middle class. The top of the ticket will have long coat tails.
George "Macacca" Allen is bad news for Virginia! Tim Kaine is one of the commonwealth's greatest governors, Allen is one of it's worst. George Allen set up contracts with Waste Management and other waste disposal companies, making VA the #2 importer of out of state trash behind PA, taking in garbage from 26 other states including New York and most coming from Maryland. The leaky barges have poisoned out waterways, causing outbreaks of deadly diseases in the fish of the Chesapeake Bay. The trainloads of garbage leave our railways littered with trash. Also, these deals that George Allen set up created 7 mega-landfills throughout VA, and once they're full, the localities are responsible for capping and maintaining them, not Waste Management, the counties don't get money to cover these expenses.
Tim Kaine saw VA through some really good times, and he kept them good. George Allen literally trashed our state. No brainer decision here.