One of the more amusing aspects of the 2006 Wisconsin gubernatorial race was the way Republican shills would hail as "good news" polls that showed Big Jim Doyle ahead of their guy.
From that vantage point, Jim Doyle must be thrilled by a recent Survey USA poll that shows his approval rating at a devasting 35%. Why is that good news? Because it's actually 3 points ahead of his 32% approval rating the month before. If he can tack on 3 points a month between now and November 2010 -- and when voters get a close-up look at Scott Walker that can't be ruled out -- his approval rating will be in the 80s.
Of course, numbers are relative for GOP hacks. Instead wingnut welfare baby Christian Schneider hails this utterly meaningless poll as a sign of Doyle's vulnerability -- hilariously suggesting that Doyle's relative weakness among liberals means maybe, just maybe, some of them may stay home (note to Christian: "liberals" have never been particularly big fans of Doyle).
Fellow WPRI food stamp recipient Charlie Sykes flacked the poll and talked about it on his show. He went on to say that come election time Doyle and the left will try to win by smearing their opponents -- leaving one to wonder if Doyle et al will call Walker "sniveling" or "snot nosed" as Sykes called Obama or liken Walker to a segregationist, as Sykes has with Doyle. (Amusingly, Sykes ranted about how the media would cover for Doyle -- you know, the same in the tank lefty media that portrayed the Adelman non-scandal that shamed Steve Biskupic as Watergate.)
But as this time sequence shows, Big Jim doesn't score high approval ratings. Indeed, the month before he smoked Mark Green by a comfortable margin -- effectively tying him in Green's home turf of northeastern Wisconsin -- Survey USA charted Doyle's approval at 46%. Surely Doyle could rack up 11 points between now and next fall -- and with Doyle being a few points shy of 50% approval means he wins in a walk.
The Brawler can't remember whether this dynamic duo hailed the MacIver Institute poll showing Doyle easily beating Walker or Neumann, but since it's math they can't use, probably not. And while the Brawler suspects that the 2010 race will lead to such a result, godwilling it happens, that poll is meangingless as well.
Speaking of meaningless polls, let's all remember the polls that showed Green skating past Doyle. And this hilarious quote from Mark Graul:
As Mark Green has logged thousands of miles traveling Wisconsin, he has heard from folks from all walks of life that they don't like the path Jim Doyle has our state headed down. People simply don't believe Jim Doyle shares our Wisconsin values. These survey results are the latest indication that people are ready for change and they are looking to Mark Green to restore hope for a brighter future and integrity to the governor's office.
As people around Wisconsin become more familiar with Mark Green and his reform agenda, they are rallying to the Green Team. There has yet to be one independent survey in this campaign showing that Mark Green isn't the best hope Republicans have to beat Jim Doyle.
Don't you love the positive message and the total non-smearing of Jim Doyle from class act Mark Green? The 2010 election will be vastly more entertaining.
UPDATE: Edited.
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