A brand new Rasmussen poll is just in and Elizabeth Dole has fallen even further behind Democratic challenger Kay Hagan. The poll shows it was in the field at the same time Dole was carpet bombing North Carolina with ads attacking Kay Hagan's faith.
To be clear, the Rasmussen poll shows that Dole has gained a couple of points, however Hagan gained three which increased the distance between the two. I'm sorry I can't supply crosstabs. I do not have a premium account.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the Tar Heel State shows Hagan with 52% of the vote and Dole with 46%. Three weeks ago, Hagan held a five-point advantage.
This is the fourth straight Rasmussen Reports survey to show Hagan in the lead. In May, Rasmussen Reports was the first polling firm to show Hagan ahead of Dole, a result that was harshly challenged by the Dole campaign. Over the summer, a television advertising blitz put Dole back on top until mid-September.
Those of us on the ground and on the phones for Kay are hearing the shock from those we speak with. I have not spoken with one person - Republican or Democrat - who believes the ads Elizabeth Dole is running are appropriate.
Kay Hagan and her team have been very quick to respond with two ads hitting the airwaves almost immediately.
The first was posted earlier by ChristianDem in NC in his diary. I am awaiting the second ad and will post it as soon as it goes up.
So many times in the past we have seen our local papers never pick up a story carried in the national press. Yesterday we saw massive push back from the national media, local media, the blogosphere and apparently the voters.
Two men who still have filth on their hands from their work for Jesse Helms have spoken out against Elizabeth Dole's ad.
Alex Castellanos:
Well, when you're making ads that say 'there is no God' that usually means your campaign doesn't have much of a prayer. It's not the best thing to be doing here.
Carter Wrenn:
But voters may feel the advertisement hits below the belt, in which case it could damage Dole more than Hagan, said Wrenn, the Republican consultant. “Sometimes you throw a hand grenade and blow up the other guy. Sometimes you blow up yourself,” Wrenn said. “That one could backfire and blow Dole up.”
This community is helping this blow up in Liddy Dole's face. A rough estimate from ActBlue alone shows thousands of new donors for Kay Hagan and over $100,000 raised. Please give to Kay Hagan to help keep her ads on the air.
I'll leave you with Ed Rollins and Campbell Brown. Rollins:
"My sense is she got desperate. They came down and they did something desperate, which is so despicable and so unlike Elizabeth Dole, that she should be ashamed of herself."
Campbell Brown outdoes herself in her comments. Please go watch the video. Here's a snippet:
Yeah, you heard that right: "There is no God." The only problem is Kay Hagan never said it. Never. Just a picture of her face over someone else's audio. Kay Hagan is a member of the Presbyterian Church. She is a former Sunday school teacher.
The fundraiser the ad mentions was not hosted by the Godless American Political Action Committee. A member was one of 40 different co-hosts. Sen. John Kerry was at this fundraiser.
The information in this ad is so ridiculously misleading, and yet, Dole is standing by it and continuing to raise questions about Hagan's so-called "godlessness" on the campaign trail. Is this really what it comes down to?
We're fighting two wars, our economy is a disaster, and Dole's message to voters is to falsely accuse her opponent of not believing in God? Again, a false accusation.
For our final fun entry....check out the picture of Dole Keith O. uses as he declares Dole the "Worser" person in the world.
<iframe height="339" width="425" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27445097#27445097" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>
Again, don't forget to give to Kay Hagan to keep her ads on the air.