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The Washington Post must be concerned that Steele is pulling away as it runs a page 1 "Cardin Wins!" story today asserting that Cardin has an 11 point lead over Steele, and that Governor Michael Erlich is also down double-digits.
Rasmussen had Cardin up 5. SurveyUSA had the race tied. Secret sauce with that WaPo poll, anyone?
If Steele wins or even comes close, will the WaPo lamely claim a GOP surge? Note this hedge from the story:
The poll is not a prediction of Election Day but a portrait of the Maryland political landscape completed 12 days before voters go to the polls. Last-minute developments, campaign spending, get-out-the-vote efforts and enthusiasm for the candidates all could affect the final results.
As I wrote early on Saturday, Steele's Senate race, along with Bouchard's in Michigan, are the most deserving of your last dash dollars. Charlie Cook moved the race to "toss-up" on Friday, a fact that the Post didn't see fit to mention. Good "reporting" that.
Both Maryland campaigns quickly and correctly attacked the Post's polling:
The Republican candidates disputed the poll, saying it was too different from recent polls that they had seen that showed the races much closer.
"It is a dead heat, and Michael Steele is gaining ground every day," said Doug Heye, Steele's campaign spokesman.
Ehrlich's campaign was especially dismissive of the findings.
"It is simply unrealistic to think that a governor with approval ratings as high as this, who has provided record education funding and cut crime around the state is losing by 10 points to the mayor of the deadliest city in the country," said Bo Harmon, Ehrlich's campaign manager.
Harmon also called the poll's demographics "wildly skewed" since the results reflected few undecided voters. Nearly all the likely voters gave their opinion on how they would cast their ballots if the election were held the day they were interviewed. In a follow-up question, about 15 percent of each candidate's supporters said there was a chance they could change their minds by Election Day.
The Post story is like a six figure contribution to bland Ben, but it may also tick off Baltimore's black voters who will see what everyone else does: The D.C. Establishment are trying to force Cardin on the Maryland electorate.
Like much of the very erratic polling this season, the WaPo story, based on a flawed poll, tries to strengthen the perception of a Democratic tide. The MSM bias has reached a level both comical and alarming, and even if the GOP survives the barrage of MSM contributions, don't expect either red faces from the MSM or change within it. Only the rise of new media matters, and its rise continues.
Be sure to drop by Tradesports and note the movement in Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, New Jersey and Michigan Senate races (and Florida's 16th Congressional District --where you want to "Punch Foley for Joe.")
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