This is great news to start the short work week:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is tied with Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) in a hypothetical 2014 Senate race, according to a poll conducted for a Democratic super PAC.
In the survey conducted by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling on behalf of Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC backing Democratic Senate candidates, McConnell and Grimes are tied at 45 percent each. The poll also shows the Senate Minority Leader with a 44 percent approval and 47 percent disapproval rating. In contrast, 34 percent of voters approve of Grimes, with 24 percent disapproving and 42 percent not sure.
The new poll, released Monday, shows a slight bump for Grimes, who trailed McConnell by four points in an April PPP poll. - Huffington Post, 4/28/13
Here's the poll:
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/...
PPP interviewed 556 Kentucky voters with a margin of error of +/-4.2% on behalf of Senate Majority PAC. TPM highlights a key point about this poll:
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/...
McConnell's early positive advertising has done nothing to improve his prosp ects for reelection and in fact this is the actually the weakest pos ition PPP has found him in yet. In April we found him leading Grimes by 4 points and in December he had a 7 point advantage over her.
McConnell continues to be unpopular with 44% of voters approving of him to 47% who disapprove. His numbers are even worse with independents, only 41% of whom think he’s doing a good job while 53% give him poor marks. Grimes, on the other hand, has a positive 34/24 favorability rating. - TPM, 5/28/13
Hopefully this poll will give Grimes the final push to jump into this race. Congressman John Yarmuth (D. KY-3) thinks Grimes should jump in ASAP:
http://www.wfpl.org/...
"I do think that it is important that Alison Grimes immediately decide whether she’s running or not because there are a number of people sitting on the sidelines who would be interested I think in making a race who are waiting to find out what she does. And for her to keep prolonging this as she said possibly until the late summer I think is a disservice to the party," he says.
Owensboro businessman Ed Marksberry and Louisville music promoter Bennie J. Smith have said they are running, but neither have received much attention from the party. Other interested challengers include environmentalist Tom FitzGerald, who told the radio station a few weeks ago he was planning to meet with Grimes to discuss her intentions.
Pushing back against the constant questioning, Grimes has said she she won't be "bullied" into running and is still considering.
A Kentucky political consultant who is in Grimes's inner circle told WFPL recently that a decision could be made by the end of May, but no timeline has been established.
"The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is putting the full court press on Alison to run," says a Grimes adviser, who adds more than five sitting Democratic senators have contact Grimes recently. "We know McConnell is vulnerable, but is he beatable? And what people who have run for this race have suggested is she get everything in line. And if Alison's going to get in she's going to make sure she has the support it takes."
This same source says major party donors have contacted Grimes in the past week and have pledged to make her their "top priority" in 2014 if she runs against McConnell. In the meantime, Grimes has been meeting with family and Kentucky supporters from her 2011 bid to gauge their commitment.
"There's still a fairly, good amount of time between now and the race," says a Grimes adviser. "There are openings and this deserves a sober look. Whether it's a race for United States Senate or (Kentucky) attorney general or secretary of state, Alison is going to be running for something."
Those urging Grimes to announce now rather than later believe that like actress Ashley Judd, the first-term secretary of state is holding up other candidates. And Yarmuth's public push could be a sign Democrats are growing tiresome.
"I think she has to say she’s in or out, because again there are other people who would seriously consider the race and they’re waiting to hear on her," says Yarmuth. "So I think it’s incumbent on her to make a decision within the next few weeks." - WFPL News, 89.3, 5/28/13
I always believed that Grimes was our strongest candidate and PPP just confirmed that. Also, McConnell's media strategy hasn't been working out for him. Grimes should make a decision sooner than later because this is going to be one expensive and nasty race.