Greg Fischer’s campaign for U.S. Senate just released its first internal poll with some pretty fiery language:
New Poll in KY Democratic Senate Race Shows Strength of Political Outsider, Greg Fischer;
Washington Establishment Candidate Exposed As Paper Tiger
The Fischer camp does quite possibly the silliest thing we’ve ever seen in Kentucky politics: they wholly discount name i.d. John Yarmuth vs. Andrew Horne anyone? Name I.D. is a Kentucky candidate’s best friend and should never be discounted, lest it bite you in the butt.
From the press release (pdf):
The poll, conducted February 28 to March 2 by the highly respected research firm Global Strategy Group, indicates that a plurality of voters (41%) is undecided. While Lunsford has an early lead over political outsider and successful businessman Greg Fischer, 37% to 22%, that lead is based entirely on name identification.
Fischer says his name i.d. magically went from 4% just a week ago to 22%. Keep in mind this is internal polling paid for by Fischer.
Current Stats:
Greg Fischer 22%
Bruce Lunsford 37%
Undecided 41%
But it gets better. The completely unknown Greg Fischer then touts his status after providing poll participants with candidate profiles of both Lunsford and Fischer. See those numbers, the polling memo and the profiles tested after the jump.
PROFILES TESTED:
Greg Fischer is a dedicated family man and successful entrepreneur and businessman who created thousands of jobs and provided good benefits for his employees. Born and raised in Kentucky, Fischer co-invented the ice andbeverage dispenser found in most convenient stores, started the company in his garage and took it worldwide. Fischer comes from a long line of progressive Democrats committed to volunteer service and will fight for reform to finally improve our economy, lower the cost of health care and fix our crumbling schools. Fischer will fight for change to clean up the broken political system, eliminate special interest influence, and get our troops out of Iraq.
Bruce Lunsford is a successful entrepreneur and business executive. Lunsford grew up on a small Northern Kentucky farm, and served in the army reserves before starting a hospital group in Kentucky that he built from just three employees to over sixty thousand employees. Lunsford is a professional problem solver with the real-world experience to help get the country back on track. Lunsford will be an independent voice in Washington, working to provide health insurance to the five hundred thousand uninsured Kentuckians, making college more affordable, and bringing the troops home from Iraq.
Peep the polling memo from Global Strategy Group HERE (pdf).
Post-profile Results
Greg Fischer 44%
Bruce Lunsford 39%
Undecided 17%
First, Greg Fischer does not come from a long line of progressive Democrats. Check the voter file and you’ll see his parents, brothers, etc. are Republicans. Do it. Second, it’s embarrassing that all Fischer touts is his ice dispenser invention. That’s seriously the only language they could come up with for a positive profile about Fischer? Really? OMG.
We hate to be complete jerks (okay, we don’t, but let’s go with this) but we have to take issue with this poll. It’s absolutely not possible for Fischer to have 22% name I.D. That doesn’t even need an explanation. And the use of those profiles of both Bruce and Greg? There’s no way Greg’s profile trumps Bruce’s in a legit polling telephone call. None. The dude hasn’t even done anything.
Can’t even really critique this. What were the questions asked? How long were the calls? Where are the cross tabs? Pony up so we can make a fair judgment without laughing.
We don’t support anyone in this Senate race but it’s tough not to be absolutely mean when something so flimsy is released by a candidate. We want to be fair. But jeez. At least make it easy for us silly bloggers. Don’t make our irony alarms go off like woah. Name I.D. does not hop from 4% to 22% overnight even after Andrew Horne drops out of a race. There’s no discounting that Greg Fischer is the only candidate with room to grow, but come on. Really?
13 responses so far ↓
1 jake // Mar 5, 2008 at 12:31 pm
P.S. Since I’m too lazy to update: It’s clear that 25% of voters would never vote for Bruce. That’s a given. But that’s 25% of people who are deeply engaged in the political process and will no doubt sit this race out.
2 Snappy // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Embarrassing when your own pollster can’t even get the date of the primary down. The end of the polling memo indicates the primary will take place on May 22 instead of May 20. Wow.
3 Brett Hall's #1 Fan // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Snappy: The primary is May 20th. The 22nd is a Thursday.
4 Snappy // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Fatty’s Fan: look at the polling memo. They got the date wrong on the polling memo. Thanks for stating the obvious.
5 Snappy // Mar 5, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Even the Courier Journal is laughing about this little poll
6 ... // Mar 5, 2008 at 3:21 pm
I’d hardly say they’re laughing, Snappy.
Unless you think that Cassaro, Stepp and Wylie have more name ID a better chance of winning than Fischer, which is ridiculous, IMO, the poll isn’t misleading at all. The CJ’s poll showed Lunsford to be more favorable than Fischer’s own.
And Jake, I think you still are blinded by your devotion to Horne. To think that people will just not vote at all because the man you think was such a great candidate dropped out, is, well… I don’t know the word to describe it. Normally, I agree with your opinions, but I have to disagree here. Also, you say Fischer hasn’t done anything, but what has Lunsford done?
7 jake // Mar 5, 2008 at 3:29 pm
What has Bruce done? He’s run for office twice and has spread his political seed all over Kentucky the past few weeks… in addition to getting all kinds of press. Google Alerts have been crazy for the man.
Actually, David Lynn Williams probably has greater Name I.D. than Fischer. If we continue down this path it’s quite possible that Williams will pull more votes than Fischer because of the name alone.
To *think* that people won’t vote? I know people that won’t vote. There are entire, large organizations in the Louisville area that have spent the past few weeks talking their membership out of voting. LPAC being one of them.
8 JL // Mar 5, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Fischer has one shot and it is the only reason his name is listed as one of the front runners – HE HAS AND MUST SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. Otherwise he has no greater name id than Cassaro and less than David Williams and Stepp -and frankly doesn’t bring anything more to the table [ok more than Williams].
To answer your question … 3:21 what has Lunsford done? – SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO GET HIS NAME OUT!!
9 ... // Mar 5, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Fischer’s been going all over Kentucky too. But I can’t argue with running for office twice. However, I don’t know if losing twice, and endorsing a republican, can help him in the race. Would you agree with me if I made this statement?
Greg Fischer will win the primary, if he has enough money and spends it effectively to get his name and word of Lunsford’s past.
10 jake // Mar 5, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I’ll remind you of this: it’s all about Name I.D. Bruce still pulled like 20% of the vote in 2007 and that was after all the dirt came out.
This year he’s the perceived front-runner in a race against a guy who has made it clear he won’t spend unlimited amounts of money. That’s a cake walk for Bruce, who has a giant ego and unlimited funds.
11 JL // Mar 5, 2008 at 6:12 pm
… 3:43
I don’t know. Name id is a big deal and so is being able to cut through the chatter. Fischer seems like a decent guy [but so does Lunsford one on one] but he runs into a lot of the same problems that Miller ran into – boring name, boring look, boring story.
Lunsford’s name is unique and he pulled in 20%+ of the vote in a field that included names like Beshear/Mongiardo, Richardson/JY Brown III, Henry/True! The biggest name in this field other than Lunsford is Williams – who BTW has recieved more statewide votes than anyone.
I’m still voting for Horne.
12 JL // Mar 5, 2008 at 6:38 pm
PS
Fischer cannot go negative against Lunsford until he generates his own positive name id.
BTW did you see his speech to the State Exec Committee on Ditch Mitch? The “I’m rich and I have rich supporters” line made me want to throw-up. Other than that his speech was the best I have seen him do.
13 jimmy watkins // Mar 8, 2008 at 12:40 am
I am voting for Andrew Horne and Hillary Clinton. At least one of the candidates that I vote for will win.
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