BluegrassReport.org

SurveyUSA -- McConnell With Lowest Approval Rating Ever

Not good news for U.S. Senator McConnell (R).

Turns out that the latest SurveyUSA numbers are in and his job approval rating is at its lowest level ever in the polls 31 months of tracking, and for the first time his disapproval is higher than his approval.

U.S. Sen. McConnell (R) Job Approval (10/12-14 results)
Approve 44 (49)
Disapprove 47 (45)

Says SurveyUSA:

For First Time, Kentucky’s McConnell Has Negative Approval Rating

In 31 months of SurveyUSA tracking, United States Senator from Kentucky Mitch McConnell has had job approval ratings ranging from a low of 48% to a high of 56%. His Net Job Approval, determined by subtracting disapproval from approval, ranged from Plus 4 last month to Plus 24 in June of 2005.

This month, for the first time, McConnell has a negative Net Job Approval — Minus 3. His approval rating is at 44%, the lowest since tracking began in May of 2005, and his disapproval is at an all-time high of47%.

Says Mark Hebert:

McConnell's job approval rating is lowest in his hometown of Louisville and 15 surrounding counties where just 40% of those polled think McConnell is doing a good job.

Same Ole Clueless Republicans

From Tom Loftus' post on the Courier-Journal's political blog:

Sen. Richie Sanders, R-Franklin, said this morning that he is leaning against voting for a constitutional amendment that would legalize casinos in Kentucky.

Sanders said that he would have to review details of a final bill before he could say absolutely how he would vote. But he said he's concerned about problems caused by casino gambling. And he said he did not believe Democrat Steve Beshear's landslide victory last week over incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher was any sort of mandate to let voters to decide the casino question.

Maybe Sanders is ignorant enough to believe that last week's election wasn't a "mandate to let voters decide the casino question" but how does he explain the remarkably consistent polling throughout the general election where voters -- by nearly a 6 to 1 margin -- want to decide this issue through a vote?

Poll	Allow Vote	No Vote	Margin
AVERAGE	81.8%	14.2%	+67.6
SurveyUSA	82%	13%	+62
Bluegrass Poll	78%	16%	+62
H-L/WTVQ	82%	11%	+71
SurveyUSA	79%	19%	+60
Preston-Osborne	88%	12%	+76

Some are still as clueless as ever...

The Winner Is...SurveyUSA

Both MyDD and Daily Kos have taken a look at which pollster did the best job in our governor's race and the winner is SurveyUSA which came closest to nailing the outcome with its 59-39 projection (final was 59-41, or Beshear +18).

Here's how they stacked-up:

Poll	Final Proj	Diff
SurveyUSA	Beshear +20 (59-39)	-2
Research 2000 (H-L/WTVQ)	Beshear +15 (55-40)	-3
Rasmussen	Beshear +15 (54-39)	-3
Bluegrass Poll (C-J)	Beshear +23 (56-33)	-5
Insider Advantage	Beshear +12 (56-44)	-6

I agree with Markos' sentiment that SurveyUSA gets a bad rap because they're robocalls, but they are remarkably accurate, especially with its late polls. My experience with SurveyUSA is that, since they push leaners, they are a little less effective early in a race when one candidate is much better known than another since I think people, when pushed, are more inclined to "support" a name over one they don't since the poll really minimizes undecideds. Other than that concern, they've proven to be on the mark over and over again, and I'm sold.

I too used to be skeptical of the poll about four years ago, but the proof is in the pudding and they do a very good job on a consistent basis.