CNN reports that a recent poll in Wisconsin shows that Republican Senate candidate Tommy Thompson is down by nine points to Democrat opponent Tammy Baldwin. Only a month ago, Thompson was in the lead–also by nine points. However, after three weeks of non-stop Romney gaffes, Thompson’s numbers are down, and he suspects Romney’s reputation has something to do with that.
He told a Madison news station that, ”The presidential thing is bound to have an impact on every election. You know, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican. If [your] standard-bearer for the presidency [sic] is not doing well, it’s going to reflect on the down ballot.”
CNN weighed in on the race, saying;
The Marquette poll out this week showed President Obama leading Romney by a substantial 54-40 margin among likely voters – even with Wisconsinite Paul Ryan on the GOP ticket.
Other recent polls have shown a tighter contest in Wisconsin, in both the presidential and Senate races.
A CBS/New York Times/Quinnipiac survey of likely Wisconsin voters released on Wednesday, for instance, showed Obama leading Romney by six points, while Thompson and Baldwin were tied.
Thompson also blamed the bad poll number on the fact that he had to “regroup” after a difficult and expensive GOP primary fight. Baldwin did not have a primary.
What might be surmised from this is that Romney not doing well can have an impact on other Republican races; given the GOP platform of 2013, this is hardly something to complain about. Hopefully this bodes well for Democratic candidates in the upcoming elections, as Republicans seem to have moved more and more distant from center.
In addition, the Madison news station that reported on the Marquette University Law School poll said the following:
Thompson told 27 News he expected the race to tighten up.
“We had to regroup, because we had a tough primary and we had to raise the finances,” explained Thompson. “She (Baldwin) had no primary and she had all this money available so she started campaigning, attacking me from day one, which of course would tighten the polls. There’s no question about it.”
But state Democratic leaders say Baldwin has also been working harder than Thompson.
“What we’re seeing from Tommy Thompson is that we’re really not seeing Tommy Thompson. He has sort of sat back and let the special interests run a campaign for him,” said Maggie Brickerman, the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
The question to ask is how much responsibility Thompson has for his falling poll numbers; likely both factors are contributing to some extent.
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