Franken bypasses Coleman as voters react to attack ads

[CatWoman]

DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken has moved into his first solid lead over incumbent Republican Norm Coleman, according to a new Star Tribune Minnesota Poll.

The survey, conducted Tuesday through Thursday by Princeton Survey Research Associates International among 1,084 likely Minnesota voters, shows Franken leading Coleman 43 to 34 percent. Independence Party candidate Dean Barkley is supported by 18 percent of respondents.

Franken’s lead is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error, plus or minus 3.7 points.

For Coleman, there is little good news in the poll. The number of voters who view him unfavorably continues to grow, the number who see him favorably is falling, and his job-approval rating has slipped to 38 percent — his lowest ever in the Minnesota Poll.

Coleman led Franken by four points in last month’s Minnesota Poll.

The new results stand in contrast to the findings of a SurveyUSA poll, commissioned by KSTP-TV and also conducted this week, that shows Coleman with a 10-point lead over Franken, 43 to 33 percent.

Citing that poll, the Coleman campaign called the Minnesota Poll and its methodology “flawed,” campaign spokesman Luke Friedrich said.

“Minnesotans should take the Star Tribune poll for what it’s worth,” Friedrich said.

“This is an independent pollster who is respected across the country,” Star Tribune editor Nancy Barnes said. “It’s the same pollster who found the presidential race in Minnesota to be a dead heat last month. All polls have a margin of error, but on the whole we trust that these results have merit.’’

The Minnesota Poll results suggest Franken may be riding the coattails of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who has widened a lead over Republican John McCain in polls across the country. But the advertising war in the race also appears to be a factor decidedly in Franken’s favor.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/senate/30451119.html?elr=KArks:DCiU1OiP:DiiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

[maddezmom]

1. going negative doesn't seem to be the bigger winner it has been in the past

Take note Palin/Mccain.

[Forkboy]

14. It works when things are relatively good in America.

Or very early in a campaign. But they needed to go negative right after the primaries to try to define Obama to the public. They failed to do that (for some reason), and going negative now will backfire big time. As I said elsewhere, when things are going bad people want answers, not insults.

[Eric J in MN]

2. Al Gore was on stage with Al Franken in Minneapolis today.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Al Franken, and Al Gore

I was there.

Two Als Unite for Change

[CatWoman]

4. what a wonderful picture, Eric

:hi:

[Eric J in MN]

6. Thanks. Just to clarify for anyone who visits this thread....

...while I was there, I didn't take that photo.

The photo is from this webpage:

http://blog.alfranken.com/2008/10/04/two-als-unite-for-change-2/

[Hokie]

3. We're pulling for you Al

I used to listen to Franken's show on AA quite often. I was always impressed with what a smart, classy, and passionate guy he was. Here's to calling Al Senator Franken come January. The Senate will be a better place for it.

[gratefultobelib]

5. Those Franken volunteers are persistent! I'm in Missouri and I donated to

Franken last winter. They call me all the time to donate again, and I recently gave in and donated $25.00. Then the nice young lady asked if I'd give that much next month, too. So I said yes. Glad I did now!

[Eric J in MN]

7. Thank you. I've also donate to the Franken campaign...

...multiple times.

http://blog.alfranken.com/2008/10/04/two-als-unite-for-change-2/

[terrya]

8. Al Franken will be a superb addition to the United States Senate.

And I have a feeling Paul Wellstone would be pleased as well. :-)

[gogogoddess1988]

9. hopefully negative attack ads will backfire everywhere

[vaberella]

10. That's how it seems to be looking. n/t

[vaberella]

11. It seems to me that Kerry's wish might just happen. 60 Dem seaters. n/t

[Doctor_J]

12. Shouldn't the verb be "overtakes"?

Bypasses sounds like he's refusing to debate or something

[FreeState]

13. Unfortunately this is a bad poll (the internals have massive Dem slant thats not justified)

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2008/10/dueling-minnesota-polls.html

[kikiek]

15. I think it shows a true trend at this time. The ads and the economy are hurting Coleman here.

Also more Democrats are backing Franken. They have been slow to do that, but they're coming around.