Beltway Buzz Eric Pfeiffer Reporting
Sunshine State Of Mind
02/22 12:51 PM
The new Strategic Vision poll should be making noise in conservative circles. SV polled 1,200 registered Florida voters 2/16-2/20 on a variety of issues.
The real news out of this poll is that 57 percent of voters polled said they would like to see Jeb Bush seek the White House in 2008. This is the first poll I’m aware of which shows a currently serving, statewide elected official receiving a majority of support from his constituents to seek higher office. In fact, most politicians, no matter how high their statewide approval ratings, tend to get initial WH support in the 15 percent range.
Additional numbers show President Bush (the current one) with a 56 percent approval rating. He also receives 55 percent approval on his handling of the economy. 57 percent approve of his handling of Iraq. Social Security reform is evenly split at 42 percent. Frankly, this should be considered quite positive. We all know Florida has a very high rate of elderly citizens, who are consistently those most opposed to personal account reform.
Governor Bush has a 62 percent approval rating.
Republican voters asked to name their preference for the 2008 nomination selected Governor Bush with 34 percent. Rudy Giuliani comes in second with 27 percent. McCain is third with 16 percent and Frist follows with 4 percent. Even though it was only little more than a month ago, it’s already feeling like ancient history when Giuliani was leading every 2008 poll.
Democrats put Hillary Clinton first with 30 percent. Interestingly, Al Gore comes in second with 20 percent. Kerry follows at 17 percent, trailed by Edwards, with 5 percent. This should add more fuel to Gore’s fire. Granted, there are enough variables here to make one’s head spin – but just for fun, let’s imagine – another Bush/Clinton showdown, a Gore/Bush “rematch.” Is this nepotism at its worst, or really the best each party has to offer?
Swann Song
02/22 12:19 PM
Lynn Swann will begin touring Pennsylvania in a build-up to a possible challenge to Ed Rendell. Beltway Buzz has learned he’ll make the following stops in the coming months:
2/24: Westmoreland County
4/14: Montgomery County
4/28: Blair County
5/10: Lancaster County
That Rank Smell
02/22 10:25 AM
National Journal’s new Senate and House rankings are out. For those unfamiliar, these are the rankings that became famous during the 2004 presidential campaign for citing John Kerry as the most-liberal member of the U.S. Senate. This year’s rankings are full of interesting, and in some cases, surprising data on members of Congress. Of particular interest are the rankings of those Senate members considering a run for the White House in 2008:
On the GOP side, Kansas Senator Sam Brownback has the highest lifetime conservative voting record, giving him a lifetime average composite conservative score of 82.5. In descending order are Rick Santorum (78.8), George Allen (78.2), Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (77.2), John McCain (73.3), Chuck Hagel (71.7) and Lindsey Graham (67.4).
Frist, McCain, Hagel and Graham have all seen their voting records shift away from the right over the past year, with McCain and Hagel making the largest shifts. On social issues, Graham has stayed the most true to his conservative roots, while shifting somewhat on economic and foreign policy issues.
On the left, John Kerry maintains top “honors” amongst Democrats who may seek the White House in 2008. Kerry’s lifetime average composite liberal score comes in at 85.7. In descending order are Hillary Clinton (80.7), Russell Feingold (80.2) Chris Dodd (78.9), Joseph Biden (76.6) and Evan Bayh (61.9).
There is no shortage of buzz worthy information in these results. Why do certain Democrats rate more to the center than others? On what issues did Frist and other White House hopefuls vote against the party? Who are the most conservative and most liberal members of the House and Senate? I’ll provide the answers to all of these questions throughout the day and hopefully get some reactions from members themselves.
Fusion Reactor
02/22 08:49 AM
On “Meet the Press,” moderator Tim Russert asked Senator John McCain if he thought Senator Hillary Clinton would make a good president. McCain’s response, “I am sure that Senator Clinton would make a good president. I happen to be a Republican and would support, obviously, a Republican nominee, but I have no doubt that Senator Clinton would make a good president.” Russert added, “Equal time, Senator Clinton. The gentleman to your left?” Clinton, emitting a series of high-pitched laughs, “Absolutely.” Russert concluded, “We may have a fusion ticket right here.”
On the surface, Russert was just having fun with the two senators who are already making clear intentions to pursue their respective party’s 2008 presidential nomination. But just how far-fetched is the so-called fusion ticket idea? First, let’s assume both candidates initially try for their party’s nomination. If Clinton fails, that’s it. McCain would have no reason to recruit her, as she would only turn off conservative voters and he already has moderates in his corner. However, should McCain fall for a second time in the GOP primaries, who is to say exactly what might happen? John Kerry already all but offered the most exclusive element of the job, dictating foreign policy, to McCain last year – the VP, Pentagon, etc. What would stop Clinton from doing the same? Just a thought.
New Zogby Poll Results
02/22 08:25 AM
The new Zogby poll, conducted 2/14-2/17, shows upward movement in various levels of approval for the president and his policies. 23.7 percent rate the president’s job performance as “excellent,” 25.7 percent rate “good,” 18.4 percent rate “fair,” and 31.5 choose “poor.” Granted, the largest single response registered was “poor.” However, if you combine the net positives of “excellent” and “good,” the president receives a net positive rating of 49.4 percent. And surely, some of the “fair” respondents are supporters of the president. Secondly, the Zogby numbers have almost never been kind to Bush. Considering the source, they are positive if not dream numbers. The president’s personal approval numbers continue to be strong, hovering at 56 percent.
Overall support for the war in Iraq remains in the majority at 52.5 percent. And a more substantial majority, 61.2 percent, believes that U.S. efforts will bring a stable democracy to Iraq.
On a related Zogby note, a reader writes in with the following feedback:
“I just finished one poll on Republican 2008 presidential candidates and three things stood out to me. First, no mention of Condoleezza Rice. Second, several questions re: would I consider a candidate who was black, female, homosexual, or pro-choice. Third, and most curious to me, was the demographic question ‘What's your sign’.
Maybe Zogby figures there's something to this astrology stuff.”
nationalreview.com |
