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10/30/08
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13 comments
Campaign 2008
Collins leads Allen in final days of race by double-digit points
With less than a week to go until the general election, public poll numbers indicate that Susan Collins is leading Tom Allen in the U.S. Senate race by double-digit percentage points. A poll released last week by Portland market research firm Critical Insights indicates that Collins has a 12-point lead over her Democratic challenger. A poll released Tuesday by Market Decisions indicates she leads by 17 points, while another poll from Pan Atlantic SMS Group earlier this month indicated she was ahead by nearly 20 points. According to trained political observers there likely are several reasons why Collins appears to be ahead, but the most apparent factor is that her campaign message so far seems to have resonated with voters better than Allen’s has. Jamie McKown, a professor of government and politics at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor said Wednesday that the Allen campaign has not been able to find a “magic bullet” for convincing voters why Collins should not be re-elected. Allen is well-liked, he said, but that is not enough to displace a popular incumbent. “He hasn’t been able to get a lot of traction,” McKown said. “I think it was an uphill battle to begin with.” McKown said he has worked previously in Democratic politics out of state, most recently in Nebraska, but that he no longer does work for any kind of political campaign. He said that Republicans elsewhere have been hurt by the unpopularity of President George Bush but that Maine political races seem to be more immune to whatever political climate might be prevailing nationally. Voters in Maine tend to be more comfortable than those in other states with splitting their votes among Democrats and Republicans, he said, and Collins has been adept at distancing herself from the president during the campaign. “She’s been able to move and pivot a little bit and claim she was doing something different,” McKown said. Still, McKown said, the race is not yet over and “anything can happen in politics.” Sandy Maisel, government professor and director of the Goldfarb Center at Colby College in Waterville, also said the poll figures suggest that Allen has not sold voters on his message of change. Maisel wrote Tuesday in an e-mail that Collins “threatens no one,” does good constituent service, and has run a good campaign. He said Allen’s recent efforts to link himself to Barack Obama, who is leading John McCain in Maine presidential polls, makes perfect sense. “Allen has attempted to tie her to Bush policies, but that has not stuck yet,” Maisel indicated. “Obama’s expected large win might shrink the margin some, but Allen still needs to make the sale.” Amy Fried, a political science professor at the University of Maine, said Wednesday that the political flexibility of Maine voters could bode well for Collins. Obama may carry Maine easily on Election Day, she said, but that doesn’t mean support for Collins will suffer. “Maine people have a propensity to be ticket-splitters,” she said. “They’re not necessarily wedded to one political party.” The fact that Collins is an incumbent helps, Fried said, even though many Republican incumbents elsewhere are not predicted to do well. Kevin Kelley, Collins’ campaign spokesman, wrote Wednesday in an e-mail that Collins’ effectiveness and willingness to work across the aisle is what sets her apart from Allen. “Senator Collins is encouraged by these numbers, [and] humbled by the amount of support she is receiving, but she will continue to work hard to earn each and every vote,” Kelley indicated. Carol Andrews, Allen’s campaign spokeswoman, wrote Tuesday in an e-mail that the poll results are “all over the map.” She said it is not unusual to see independent polling with erratic results. “[Collins] has been too close to Bush and will not support Barack Obama’s policies for change,” Andrews wrote. “We feel confident about where we are and are working harder than ever to win.” 460-6318
Comments
Susan Collins will win in a landslide, and then Tom Allen will start complaining about negatve adds which he sure has had his hands in too. Pity Tom Allen was such a sell out that democrats could not support him. I called his office when news came out that torture was sanctioned by the WH. Asked if Rep. Allen could start impeachment proceedings against Bush. I was told it was too late in the administration. Weak!!!!!!!!!! He also did not want to work with fellow patriotic democrats to impeach Cheney. Allen nor Collins deserves to represent ME. Collinsth Thsucksth Allen was the sacrafial lamb. He will run for Gov. in two years! Wake up Maine! Look at Collins' record. She's called a moderate, but she has voted with Bush and Cheney on everything important. For instance, their economic policy, and look what we got: Wall Street meltdown, massive tax cuts for the very wealthy, unemployment going up. She voted for the Cheney energy bill, with billions in tax breaks for the oil companies, while gas and oil prices went up. She supported the war in Iraq, and still has no real plan for ending it (even Sen. Snowe is in favor of withdrawal). Sen. Collins was chair of a Senate committee that could have investigated the billions in waste and fraud in Iraq but refused to do so. For example--no hearings on the contractors who made our soldiers shower in sewage. She's aided in the shredding of our Constitutional rights and liberties, supporting warrantless wiretapping of Americans, and opposing habeas corpus, a fundamental legal right (Sen. Snowe voted the other way).
Her opponent, Tom Allen, has been on the other side of all these issues. He voted against authorizing the war in Iraq, supports the middle class and working Mainers, supports regulating Wall Street, and supports our Constitution. What's more, if you're voting for Obama, remember that he will need all the help he can get, especially in the Senate, to get bills passed. Our Senate seat could make a big difference.
Allen is an empty shirt. He missed over 156 votes. And a week before elections he LIES to voters and stated his mother died and his wife got cancer. Most average Joes can't miss 156 days of work and keep their job!! Most jobs allow 3 days berevement for a close family member. I have worked with many people who have a spouse or significant other dealing with cancer and other serious illness, and even a few co-workers. Even the co-workers getting chemo missed less than a week of work! The truth is Allen took time off for sports games, trips, fundraisers... barbra: Allen VOTED over 7,000 times in 12 years (more than twice as many votes as Collins FWIW), and missed 156 (that's votes, not days). He did that for family reasons, illness, funerals, etc. But look at what he voted for and against, that's much more important than this numbers game. barbra: Allen VOTED over 7,000 times in 12 years. He missed a few due to illness, funerals and the like in his family. And those were votes, not days (a vote only takes a few minutes). But these number games are silly, Look at what he voted for and against, that's what matters. I REALLY HOPE SENATOR COLLINS WINS. I WAS INJURED IN THE ARMY AND SENT TO WALTER REED WHICH IS A TERRIBLE PLACE. I WAS TRAPPED THERE PASSED MY SIGN UP DATE. I SPOKE TO OTHER SOLDIERS WHO HAD BEEN THERE FOR OVER THREE YEARS TRAPPED IN READ TAPE AND BACK-LOGGED PAPERWORK. I SERVED MY TIME, WAS INJURED AND COULDN'T BARE THE THOUGHT OF HAVING TO STAY IN THAT HORRIBLE PLACE FOR YEARS FOR NO REASON. I CONTACTED SENATOR SUSAN COLLINS AND HER AIDE, THEY WERE BOTH WONDERFUL. MOST TIMES A SENATOR WILL NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE SOMEONE ASKING FOR HELP, REALLY I KNOW THIS TOO. BUT SHE AND HER AIDE MICHAEL NOYES HELPED ME, KEEP MYSELF AND MY FAMILY UPDATED AND GOT ME OUT OF THERE SO I COULD HEAL AT HOME WITH MY FAMILY. I CAN NOT THAT HER ENOUGH! SENATOR COLLINS AND HER STAFF ARE FOR THE PEOPLE, WHICH IS A RARITY. I AM A DEMOCRAT AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO VOTE FOR HER. SORRY FOR THE TYPOS IN THE LAST POST, HAVE SOME NERVE DAMAGE MAKES IT DIFFICULT, BUT YOU GET THE POINT:) Meanwhile : at the asylum.
The lowest rated Congress in the history of this [once great] country and what do we do-----have two of the 'inmates' as options to vote for.
~CBlue vetran: I'm really glad that Sen. Collins helped you, she deserves credit for that. But you should look at her overall record too. It's not very good (see my post near the top).
Helping people is one thing that any good Senator or Congressperson will do. Tom Allen has also done a lot for Mainers, we just don't hear about it up here since he represents southern Maine. IF YOU BELIEVE IN SMALL BUSINESS, FREE ENTERPRISE AND GUN OWNERSHIP YOU WANT ALL THE REPUBLICANS YOU CAN GET IN CONGRESS. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A GROUP OF DEMS THAT WOULD LIKE GUN CONTROL TO THE POINT SOMEDAY OF COLLECTING ALL THE GUNS FROM PRIVATE CITIZENS AT WHICH TIME THEY WOULD FORCE ME TO BECOME AN OUTLAW. |
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