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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMO-GOV: PPP has Dem. Gov. Jay Nixon up big for reelection
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon continues to look like an overwhelming favorite for reelection. He leads announced opponents Bill Randles and Dave Spence by margins of 18 and 20 points at 47-29 and 47-27 respectively. And he also has a 48-30 advantage over prospective opponent Tom Schweich.
Nixon has two big things going for him. The first is his own crossover appeal. Nixon's overall approval rating of 44% with 31% of voters disapproving of him doesn't sound that impressive on the surface. But that's just because he has lower than normal numbers with his party base, as only 54% of Democrats approve of him to 25% who disapprove. But he more than makes up for that with a solid +15 approval spread with independents (44/29) and because he almost breaks even with Republicans at 34% approving and 40% disapproving of him. It's very rare for a Governor to be that strong across party lines.
The other reason Nixon's doing well is that he simply doesn't have very strong opposition. Randles has 25% name recognition and Spence is known to only 21% of voters. Even Schweich, generally thought of as someone who would be a stronger and better known candidate, has just 28% name recognition. Nixon would be a formidable foe for Republicans under any circumstances, but the lack of a strong GOP candidate make the road even tougher.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2012/02/jay-nixon-up-big-for-reelection.html
MadHound
(34,179 posts)It isn't. A weak kneed conservative governor who is slashing education, and playing with the 'Pugs to make I-70 a toll road, among many, many other things.
pstokely
(10,534 posts)MO Dem party of filled with a lot of DINOs
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)We only have 11 Democrats in the 34 district Senate, and 56 in the 163 district House.
If Democrats want to acquire any kind of record other than opposition they almost have to be DINOs. Sadly, we made our bed when we voted for term limits.
pstokely
(10,534 posts)We wouldn't see any difference
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Irreparably worse. The "DINOS" are not consistently DINOs. Some of them are anti-choice but support economic justice and health care. Elect GOP and what have we got?
pstokely
(10,534 posts)nt
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Tear the band aid off, eh? Follow Ralph Nader's theory that letting it all go to hell is productive.
I complain about them, too. But, with few exceptions, MO voters are very conservative in the rural areas. Rural districts outnumber liberal leaning areas. The size of the House gives conservatives an edge.
Getting rid of the few Democrats we have will not make the voters more liberal.
pstokely
(10,534 posts)Nixon won't be getting any $ from me, not that he will need it. Give your $ to progressive Dems.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)But, to deny that they reflect the population? The only way they get elected in this state is because they have some conservative leanings. It's a bitter reality.
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)Dave Spence. In fact, I have not seen anything but commercials for Republicans and Republican interests. I've seen Bruner, who is running against McCaskill with ads that suggest that President Obama and Claire McCaskill are the only two people who are in the US government. Bruner ads are rarer right now, but were running two or three times during the news (5:00-6:30 PM). Not one single, solitary commercial from Claire McCaskill to be seen. Right now, there are two or three Dave Spence commercials running during that slot, and not one single solitary commercial from Jay Nixon. I know this is conservative SW Missouri, but Jay Nixon won vote-rich Greene County last time around. Hell, I wonder sometimes if Missouri even HAS Democrats anymore. If they do, they surely are not fighting very hard. Pathetic.
I'll agree with the sentiment that Jay Nixon is a conservative. It feels like I hardly ever hear a thing from him, and when I do hear something, he seems to be going along with the latest loony mess proposed by the hard-right Wingnuts running the rest of the government.
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Nixon and McCaskill will run their ads when they know who they're running against.