Coins DIG

The polling and political communities are still taking down the bunting and sweeping up the confetti from Election Night 2009, but that doesn't mean that there aren't at least a few items worth perusing as we look ahead to what occurs a short 360 (!) days away:

MD-Gov/MD-Sen: Clarus Takes Focus From VA--Looks At Maryland

Clarus Research, the relatively new polling outfit run by former Campaigns and Elections Magazine chief Ron Faucheux, had a couple of polls during the 2009 cycle in Virginia. In their first foray into the 2010 cycle, they look at the state of Maryland. In the state, as in other states, the approval ratings for the incumbent governor are less-than-stellar: Democrat Martin O'Malley sits better than many with a very average 48/40 spread in his approval. Against the best possible GOP opponent, former Governor Robert Ehrlich, O'Malley has a lead which matches his approval almost perfectly (47-40). If senior Senator Barbara Mikulski wants her fifth term in the Senate, she would be a betting favorite. Her re-elect numbers (no major candidate has stepped forward) are decent, but not overpowering (53-36). Lest anyone want to tie the so-so numbers for the Democrats here to the ever-popular "Obama is doooomed" tradmed theme, the President's approval ratings in Maryland are golden (60-33).

CA-Gov: Primary Polls Show A Likely Brown-Whitman Showdown

If a new poll put out by Capitol Weekly and conducted by Republican pollsters Probolsky Research is to be believed, it is exceedingly likely that next year's gubernatorial contest in California will be a showdown between state Attorney General Jerry Brown and Republican businesswoman (and occasional voter) Meg Whitman. Whitman has a sizeable twenty-point edge in the poll, garnering 37% of the vote. This is well ahead of former Congressman Tom Campbell (who gets 15%) and state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner (who grabs just 6% in the poll). Brown, who for the moment has the race essentially to himself, had a huge lead over recently departed (from the campaign) San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (46-19).

CA-Sen: Early Approval Numbers Paint Interesting 2010 Picture

Apparently not wanting to take a break from the 2009 cycle, the polling team over at SurveyUSA launch right into the 2010 campaign cycle by looking at the candidates in the U.S. Senate race in California. GOPers will undoubtedly crow at the very mediocre favorability numbers in the SUSA poll for incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer (33/36). Democrats, meanwhile, will be quick to point out that her most likely opponent, former CEO Carly Fiorina, is sitting on even worse numbers (11/24), and that her two other rivals for the seat are total unknowns (more than three quarters of voters do not have an opinion of either Chuck DeVore or Al Ramirez, but both have net negative favorability.

NATIONAL NUMBERS: But...But...The Republicans Are Ascending!!

Two new sets of data released from surveys conducted over last weekend show that the impending GOP tsunami is apparently news to the voters of America. A new poll conducted by CNN (PDF file) gives the Democrats a six-point (50-44) edge on the generic ballot among registered voters. What's more, in an even more intriguing polling query, CNN asked voters whether they would prefer a candidate for Congress who supported President Obama, or one that opposes President Obama. There, the margin doubled, with voters preferring candidates who backed the President by a 54-41 margin. Meanwhile, we also get new data from  Ipsos/McClatchy. This poll gives the Democrats a seven-point edge on the generic ballot test (48-41).

Source: dailykos.com