Quinnipiac : Fisher Opens Up Nine-Point Lead On Brunner
Submitted by Anthony Fossaceca on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 9:21am.
If Jennifer Brunner is your choice for the U.S. Senate, now would be a good time to roll off the couch and shut off the Olympics. According to the latest Quinnipiac Poll, out this morning, Lt. Governor Lee Fisher has opened up a nine-point lead (29-20, with 48% undecided) on Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner with just over two months to election day.
"Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher has put some distance between himself and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, but 48 percent of Democrats are undecided about who to support in the May 4 primary," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "Fisher rates slightly higher than Ms. Brunner on a number of measures of support."
In the poll, taken between February 16-21, both Brunner and Fisher find themselves trailing GOP candidate Rob Portman by single digits.
The most alarming item for Brunner supporters should be the way Ohio Democrats size up the candidates, where Fisher is viewed favorably 47 - 3 percent, and 50 percent not knowing enough about him to form an opinion. Brunner has a 37 - 3 percent favorability, with a very high 60 percent who don't know enough about her. The only way you change that is with lots and lots of cash - or an aggressive grassroots effort. Really, really aggressive.
With almost nothing in the bank for television, it's going to be almost completely up to the grassroots to get Brunner to the finish line. Fisher, on the other hand, could coast to the finish if he's able to articulate a winning message and make a modest television investment for the final month.
I don't see anyone "coasting"
to any finish here. The next poll will probably reverse this "trend" because polls have been all over the place. I still say this primary is anyone's game. Remember most of those polled and most of those who might see a Lee Fisher commercial won't be voting in the primary. (It shocks me how few do, and this year is going to be WAY off from 2008.) In fact, I'd have to say if Fisher spends his money this way, he's virtually guaranteeing a loss to Portman. As for "articulating a winning message," he's had a year and I haven't heard it. His big "jobs plan" that he released yesterday was anti-climactic for so much fanfare. It was nothing but a compendium of the same stuff people have been talking about for years. He should not have taken a year to produce that, especially since he was director of development.