With Virginia's Election Day less than 48 hours away, large numbers of previously undecided voters say they're supporting Bob McDonnell for governor, giving the Republican a 12-percentage-point lead over Democrat Creigh Deeds, according to a poll.
McDonnell consistently has been ahead of Deeds in voter surveys and was supported by 53 percent of likely voters polled Wednesday and Thursday compared to 41 percent who favor Deeds, according to Mason-Dixon Polling and Research Inc. Six percent were undecided.
The phone survey of 625 registered voters who plan to vote Tuesday has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Support for Deeds was relatively unchanged from a Mason-Dixon poll taken Oct. 6-9. However, McDonnell's support has risen and the number of voters that remains undecided shrank by half.
President Barack Obama's speech at a rally for Deeds in Norfolk on Tuesday, which the campaign hoped would energize voters, didn't seem to have an effect, said Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon.
"McDonnell's lead... does not appear to have been dented in any way by Obama's appearance," Coker wrote in his analysis.
Instead, McDonnell, a former state legislator from Virginia Beach, made his strongest gains among likely Hampton Roads voters, according to the poll. He also appears to be leading Deeds in most regions of the state except Northern Virginia, where Deeds had a slight edge.
Deeds, a state senator from Bath County, has counted on strong support in the Washington suburbs and Hampton Roads as well as his native western Virginia. The two populous regions were key to Obama's carrying Virginia last year and the election of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a Democrat, in 2005.
While both gubernatorial candidates had overwhelming support from voters from their parties, McDonnell made gains among independent voters, according to the poll.
Swaying the independents can be critical, Mason-
Dixon's Coker said. Democrats Mark Warner and Kaine won the governorship with their support in 2001 and 2005, respectively.
Coker also noted that Deeds' campaign was having trouble attracting enough women and black voters - two groups key to a statewide Democratic win.
Men tended to support McDonnell by almost 2-to- 1 while women were split, the poll found.
Deeds "has no margin with women," Coker said.
As for black voters, fewer than one in 10 polled said they would support McDonnell, although an almost equal number was undecided - as they were three weeks ago.
"What you see is a lack of excitement there," Coker said. "This tells me they're not going to turn out."
Four years ago, when Deeds and McDonnell went head to head in the state attorney general's race, Deeds was behind in polls. The election was very close, however, with McDonnell winning by 360 votes out of 1.94 million.
But four years ago, the margins were much tighter. In the days before that election, Mason-Dixon reported that McDonnell was supported by 43 percent, Deeds by 40 percent and 17 percent were undecided.
Bill Bartel, (757) 446-2398, bill.bartel@pilotonline.com
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noon&mark I agree with your take on newspapers of old.There will always be a sort of bias.But as long as there is competition of views,and NO government intervention,it should work out.The problems start when you have a government that shuts down opposing newspapers.Never happen here?
Already did.Lincoln shut down over 300 newspapers and magazines for what they said about his war efforts.Mind you that this was a time when people got all their info by newspapers.Quite disturbing that this happened but even more disturbing is the fact that this attack on our Constitution is rarely mentioned.BTW,all those newspapers were in the North.
Extremist McDonnell
The right wing extremist McDonnell will be an embarassment to the state. It is a sad day for Virginia. Pat Robertson Republican.
YOUR WHINING
is getting old!
Emily, don't worry about
Emily, don't worry about Chris33. He is a closet Republican but can't bring himself to admit it.
Creigh Deeds
Deeds is a stiff..
he called on Obama to come and energize Democratic voters in Virginia ? Obama's approval rating has been in a free-fall since he was elected.
If Deeds' ace-in-the-hole, is a last-minute endorsement from a politician who is quickly losing popularity... that should tell you more about his chance of winning, than any phone poll.
ps- who actually would take the time to talk to a telemarketer about their voting habits.. dumb
mc d supporters
Keep fighting for votes!!! Make sure all of McD's supporters get their vote cast for a winner, one who will do a terrific job for this state!! Don't rest, this is OURS to lose!!
State Unemployment
It's very hard to understand why Virginians are so eager to change from a party that has so successfully made Virginia the best state to do business. And check unemployment rates by state - Virginia is number 11 with the least unemployment. In fact, of the top 10 states with the least unemployment, 6 have Democrat governors and only 4 with Republican. In the top 10 with the most unemployment, it's reversed - 4 have Democrat governors and 6 have Republican. That's a pretty clear statistic that the Republican way of governing doesn't do much for the people of that state.
The "higher taxes" boogie man has done a number on this state this past election season. Sadly, we WILL be paying more - if not in direct taxes, than in services, fees, etc., regardless who is governor. The money has to come from somewhere, and since Bob McDonnell is against the stimulus money, it's coming out of our pockets. Believe it.
who really runs the commonwealth?
You tout Virginia's status as one of the best in which to do business, and rightly so. You seem to forget, however, that it is the legislature, currently and for the recent past under the Republican party, that writes and passes the very laws that make it so.
That's a pretty clear statistic that the Republican way of governing does do much for the people of our state.
Polls
Well, no matter who you are supporting, 625 registered voters hardly sounds like a total representation of all of Virginia. However, Deeds could take it easily if the illegals aliens get to vote.
Legit voters...
Would'nt that be the quick cheap jump taken to get the win? Get all the people that do not understand/respect/ much less be able to even read the constitution's votes? Same storyline of the last election.
The McDonnell Menace Minimized?
Bob McDonnell will unfortunately be our next Governor, but, like George Allen and James Gillmore before him, he will find the weakening of the state's fiscal probity for ideological purity very difficult indeed. Like Allen and Gillmore, he will fight more with responsible Republicans within his own party than with Democrats over transportation and higher education. Like Allen and Gillmore, he'll come out of his gubernatorial term, itching for the national spotlight but never quite getting it because he's not the brightest bulb in the room.
The worst thing about McDonnell is his mixing of church and state. Luckily, Virginia is where the disestablishment of religion began in 1786. Bob should remember that fact, as he tries to persecute gays and to funnel patronage to faith-based schools. Getting elected over the empty suit Creigh Deeds, he'll find, will be much easier than enacting his radical and unVirginian social agenda.
Pot meet keetle
" The worst thing about McDonnell is his mixing of church and state. "
And Deeds and the democrats ?
" Deeds makes his pitch at 11 area churches "
<< Prayer stopped for a few moments Sunday at 11 churches in Chesapeake and Portsmouth as pastors allowed time for a little bit of politicking between hymns of joy and sermons of salvation.
State Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. came to visit, bringing along Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds and envelopes of tickets to one of the hottest political events in Hampton Roads this season.
Conducting what has become a tradition for Democrats running for high statewide posts, Spruill led Deeds on a five-hour whirlwind tour of Sunday services, with staff members and reporters in tow. At each stop, Deeds, a state senator from Bath County, had a chance to say a few words and to stand with Spruill, who enjoys strong support among the black church community in Hampton Roads.>>
Virginia Cannot Afford Bob McDonnell Or The Republican Delegates
One more thing, CharlesF! Stop by your local ABC stores and remind them that if Bob McDonnell, The Jobs Governor, is elected, then their jobs will go away and they will be joining the ranks of unemployed! Do the same thing for the cops, firefighters, and teachers. Remember! Bob McDonnell and his self-serving republicans in the GA do not like that “socialist stimulus money” coming from Washington and believe that the localities should make due!!!
Again, Have A Great day!!!
jobs
Having a job is not a right. Having the opportunity is. If these workers are valuable employees they have no reason to believe they will not retained should ABC stores be privatized. If they are not valuable employees, as taxpayers we should be grateful they will no longer be on the government's employment rolls.
Virginia Cannot Afford Bob McDonnell Or The Republican Delegates
Hey CharlesF! Do not believe the polls! You have no idea how many Dems are out there right now calling and canvassing. You need to be calling or emailing your relatives, friends, coworkers, and anyone that can vote and telling them that “Virginia Cannot Afford Bob McDonnell Or The Republican Delegates!” Keep the faith!!!
Plus, there is that little issue of the Voter Rolls being released by someone in the Republican Party, a little FELONY!!! Tomorrow could be interesting!!!
Oh, for the record, I am an independent, but I truly believe that Homer Simpson and his drunken friend, Barney, would be far less dangerous than Bob McDonnell and his group of self-serving republicans!!!!
Have A Great Day!!!
I meant "Robert Gibbs."
The Wizard of ... ah...'s.
My bad. The Valium kicked in too early.
Time for my nap.
we are thankful
your doctor saw the need to give you some of that
I can only imagine--------
:)
We're ALL tired.......
See ya Tuesday night!
All of you socialist
All of you socialist democrats may as well just stay home on Tuesday. This one is a landslide. Deeds and the democrats will concede as soon as the polls close.
What about the Democrats who
What about the Democrats who are not Socialists? Can they still vote?