Friday, March 29, 2013

New Quinnipiac University poll reveals bright spots for Terry McAuliffe campaign for VA governor


In a new Quinnipiac University survey rolled out on Wednesday, Virginia’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, and former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Terry McAuliffe, remained head-to-head in the opinions of registered voters in Virginia who were polled.[1] The former led with 40 percent to 38 percent, while 18 percent of those polled were undecided.

What might be the most important take-away from this latest survey is how relatively unknown BOTH candidates are running for governor. This finding came as a surprise to me considering the headlines Cuccinelli has made during his stint as Virginia’s attorney general, for all of the wrong reasons of course.

More promising for the McAuliffe campaign was the following finding: 16 percent had an unfavorable view of the former Democratic Committee chair while 24 had an unfavorable view of Cuccinelli.

According to Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, “At this point in the race, the number of voters who see Cuccinelli as ‘too conservative’ is higher than the number who see McAuliffe as ‘too liberal.’[2] That’s good, because unless we’re living in Mississippi, McAuliffe is far from being ‘too liberal.’

While the survey probably didn’t provide too much information the McAuliffe campaign wasn’t already aware of (e.g., McAuliffe’s name recognition is below that of Cuccinelli’s), it does reveal a number of bright spots that his campaign can focus on during the remaining months of the ‘contest’ for the governor’s position.

The poll demonstrated that more voters view Cuccinelli as ‘too conservative.’ While Cuccinelli will undoubtedly attempt to move more towards the middle of the political spectrum in the weeks and months ahead, the results of the latest Quinnipiac University survey may be an indication that it’s already too late for Cuccinelli to shed the ‘kook’ label that he so rightfully deserves as a far right extremist.

Polls/surveys are not, of course, destiny. A lot can happen from now until the election. But given McAuliffe’s relatively unfamiliar ‘brand,’ the path to the Governor’s Mansion may well be in the hands of his campaign, an opportunity that some politicians don’t get to enjoy (e.g., Ken Cuccinelli, who has already largely been defined).


[1] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-centers/polling-institute/virginia/release-detail?ReleaseID=1874
[2] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-centers/polling-institute/virginia/release-detail?ReleaseID=1874

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