McCaskill internal poll shows her beating Akin by 9 points

Source: STL Post-dispatch

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., is up by 9 percentage points over Republican challenger Todd Akin, according to an internal pollster for her campaign.

The results of pollsters Kiley & Company show the same overall lead found in a Post-Dispatch poll in August, shortly after Akin's campaign was rocked by his controversial suggestion that “legitimate rape” seldom causes pregnancy. Prior to that, Akin was widely thought to be leading in the race.

“McCaskill has consolidated the Democratic vote, opened up a gaping lead among Independents, and has a large gender gap working in her favor,” states a memo to the campaign from the pollster.

“ . . . Akin, for his part, has yet to put the controversy behind him. Despite his efforts to repair the damage to his candidacy, he continues to fall further behind, and he has yet to lock up the Republican base. Moreover, negative perceptions of Akin continue to build, and the perception that he is too extreme for Missouri has begun to take hold.”


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