Two weekend polls show two-term incumbent Senator Rick Santorum facing a double digit deficit eight days from the election. Unable to handle the strain of rejection, Virginia's third Senator has resorted to calling his opponent a traitor. First, the polls, then the insanity.
The latest Rasmussen survey (currently available only to premium members)[UPDATE 10/31/06 -- it's now available here] shows Virginia's third senator trailing his Democratic challenger by16 13-points, with 42% support to Bob Casey's 55%. (Nothing to link to, yet, as the public report remains embargoed.) That's all the information my little bird passed on, but it really is enough at this point in the game, isn't it?
Reaching similar results is the October Temple/Inquirer Poll, which put the spread at13 16-points, with Casey picking up the support of 54% of the respondents and Santorum the favorite of only 38%. That represents a drop of one point for the flailing incumbent, and a gain of 5 points for Pennsylvania's favorite son of a favorite son, from the Temple/Inky September results.
Santorum's six-year role as lapdog for the Bush Administration is hurting him -- 59% of Pennsylvania voters think Bush is doing a lousy job as decider. This is 5% more than last month in the Temple poll. Santorum's disapproval numbers went up 4 points -- 50% disapprove this month, against 46% last month. More significant, the numbers of Pennsylvanians approving of The Rick's job also fell -- 37% think he's just fine this month, compared to 41% last month. (This poll, last month, was one of the rare times over the last year that Santorum's approval numbers were above 40%.)
Santorum, a huge supporter of the Iraq invasion from the beginning, is also being hurt there, as 56% of Pennsylvanians believe that it was a mistake to go into Iraq in the first place. A full 60% think the invasion has made the United States more at risk from terrorist attack or has not made us safer. (Casey, supported the Iraq war in the beginning, and recently has equivocated his position.)
Both candidates are firmly in the minority of Pennsylvanians when it comes to abortions and guns, according to the Temple/Inky numbers. While Casey and Santorum want to own the uteri of woman across the country and criminalize abortion, 63% percent of Pennsylvanians think that either the laws should stay just as they are with no further restriction, or they should be changed to make it easier for women to control their own bodies. On gun control, 56% of respondents think there should be more restrictions on gun purchases than there are now. As with abortion, Casey and Santorum are on the wrong side of the fence from Casey's fellow Pennsylvanians here (we don't know where Santorum's fellow Virginians stand on this issue).
Now, further evidence that Santorum is not only wrongheaded when it comes to policy, but is insane and dangerous.
Over the last couple of weeks, the polls continued to confirm what we said in August -- Santorum will lose by double-digits. In response, Rick Santorum's insanity has shown itself with increasing frequency and obviousness. He's told us it is 1930's Germany All Over Again, lied about S-S-S-Stay the Course, had Nazi's on His Mind, and saddled up the Four Horseman of Calumny -- Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. Now, he is playing the most grievous card in the Desperation Deck -- treachery.
Over the weekend, he stooped to claiming that his Democratic opponent gives aid and comfort to the enemy: According to reports, Santorum told the press on Sunday that “Bob Casey is aiding and abetting terrorism and genocide.”
It is time to ask not if the Senator has no shame -- we know he doesn't -- no, it is time to ask if he is sane. Has the prospect of being forced to take responsibility for his failed policies taken it's toll on the man? His comments over the last couple of weeks have been increasingly strident, absurd, and incongruent
Two years ago, Santorum, the third-ranked Republican in the Senate, purchased the url for his 2008 Presidential run. Now, even he has to realize that the relatively moderate electorate in Pennsylvania are absolutely, flat-out rejecting him and his damned policies. Even he must realize that if he cannot sell his perverted "morality" and scare politics to Pennsylvania, any hope of selling them on a national stage would be impossible. For a man who, I am certain, has practiced saying "My fellow Americans" into his bathroom mirror in the mornings, the prospect of so ignominiously being kicked from the national stage must weigh heavy on his little mind.
Senator, here in America, we do not lightly accuse our fellow citizens of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Further, we never even consider such charges when based on nothing more than they have severe disagreements with us on political issues. To do so is itself unAmerican, it is a sign of strain and inanity -- if not insanity. Spare us your hateful, cowardly smears. Take responsibility for your own actions and stop trying to blame your upcoming double-digit election loss on anyone not looking back in your mirror in the morning. Be a grown-up, it is much more attractive than the sniveling, immoral coward which you have shown us over the last few weeks.
Credit where it is due -- back in May, John Baer, of the Philadelphia Daily News, summed all of this up with the best description of Santorum this election cycle: "a hint of fear and just a touch of crazy".
The latest Rasmussen survey (currently available only to premium members)[UPDATE 10/31/06 -- it's now available here] shows Virginia's third senator trailing his Democratic challenger by
Reaching similar results is the October Temple/Inquirer Poll, which put the spread at
Santorum's six-year role as lapdog for the Bush Administration is hurting him -- 59% of Pennsylvania voters think Bush is doing a lousy job as decider. This is 5% more than last month in the Temple poll. Santorum's disapproval numbers went up 4 points -- 50% disapprove this month, against 46% last month. More significant, the numbers of Pennsylvanians approving of The Rick's job also fell -- 37% think he's just fine this month, compared to 41% last month. (This poll, last month, was one of the rare times over the last year that Santorum's approval numbers were above 40%.)
Santorum, a huge supporter of the Iraq invasion from the beginning, is also being hurt there, as 56% of Pennsylvanians believe that it was a mistake to go into Iraq in the first place. A full 60% think the invasion has made the United States more at risk from terrorist attack or has not made us safer. (Casey, supported the Iraq war in the beginning, and recently has equivocated his position.)
Both candidates are firmly in the minority of Pennsylvanians when it comes to abortions and guns, according to the Temple/Inky numbers. While Casey and Santorum want to own the uteri of woman across the country and criminalize abortion, 63% percent of Pennsylvanians think that either the laws should stay just as they are with no further restriction, or they should be changed to make it easier for women to control their own bodies. On gun control, 56% of respondents think there should be more restrictions on gun purchases than there are now. As with abortion, Casey and Santorum are on the wrong side of the fence from Casey's fellow Pennsylvanians here (we don't know where Santorum's fellow Virginians stand on this issue).
Now, further evidence that Santorum is not only wrongheaded when it comes to policy, but is insane and dangerous.
Over the last couple of weeks, the polls continued to confirm what we said in August -- Santorum will lose by double-digits. In response, Rick Santorum's insanity has shown itself with increasing frequency and obviousness. He's told us it is 1930's Germany All Over Again, lied about S-S-S-Stay the Course, had Nazi's on His Mind, and saddled up the Four Horseman of Calumny -- Fear, Ignorance, Bigotry, and Smear. Now, he is playing the most grievous card in the Desperation Deck -- treachery.
Over the weekend, he stooped to claiming that his Democratic opponent gives aid and comfort to the enemy: According to reports, Santorum told the press on Sunday that “Bob Casey is aiding and abetting terrorism and genocide.”
It is time to ask not if the Senator has no shame -- we know he doesn't -- no, it is time to ask if he is sane. Has the prospect of being forced to take responsibility for his failed policies taken it's toll on the man? His comments over the last couple of weeks have been increasingly strident, absurd, and incongruent
Two years ago, Santorum, the third-ranked Republican in the Senate, purchased the url for his 2008 Presidential run. Now, even he has to realize that the relatively moderate electorate in Pennsylvania are absolutely, flat-out rejecting him and his damned policies. Even he must realize that if he cannot sell his perverted "morality" and scare politics to Pennsylvania, any hope of selling them on a national stage would be impossible. For a man who, I am certain, has practiced saying "My fellow Americans" into his bathroom mirror in the mornings, the prospect of so ignominiously being kicked from the national stage must weigh heavy on his little mind.
Senator, here in America, we do not lightly accuse our fellow citizens of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Further, we never even consider such charges when based on nothing more than they have severe disagreements with us on political issues. To do so is itself unAmerican, it is a sign of strain and inanity -- if not insanity. Spare us your hateful, cowardly smears. Take responsibility for your own actions and stop trying to blame your upcoming double-digit election loss on anyone not looking back in your mirror in the morning. Be a grown-up, it is much more attractive than the sniveling, immoral coward which you have shown us over the last few weeks.
Credit where it is due -- back in May, John Baer, of the Philadelphia Daily News, summed all of this up with the best description of Santorum this election cycle: "a hint of fear and just a touch of crazy".
[Ed. note - Haste making waste and all that . . . this morning I transposed the spreads in the Rasmussen and Temple surveys. They are corrected above.]
2 comments:
We do notice that the first two paragraphs have the wrong state, right?
Actually, it is Rick Santorum who is the Senator from the wrong state. You see, Santorum doesn't live in Pennsylvania anymore. He resides in a million-dollar Virginia McMansion. Check out the first link.
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