GW: Generic Ballot Split

Jillian Bandes | September 17, 2010 8:41 AM

Half of respondents thought D's would win, and half thought R's would win, in a new Politico / George Washington University poll.

In a generic matchup between the two parties, those surveyed were split 43-43 when asked if they would back a Republican or a Democrat on Election Day. This is good news for Democrats and at odds with many other public polls, which have shown Republicans holding a single-digit edge.

Better yet for Democrats, in several key regions with numerous House and Senate seats in play — namely, the Midwest and Northeast — they hold a 5-point advantage, suggesting the party’s congressional fortunes aren’t nearly as grim as the media coverage might suggest.

This is in sharp contrast to Rasmussen's generic ballot, which gives Republicans a 9-point lead. Politico / GW will be coming out with five other polls before November 4th — I'm very interested to see those margins.