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| VA GOV. TRANSVAGINAL BOB McDONNELL |
You would think that choosing one of the most popular governors in America as your running mate would help you win that governor's home state.
Not so in the case of Governor Ultrasound Bob McDonnell and Virginia, according to a poll released this morning by Quinnipiac University.
MADDOW ON TRANSVAGINAL BOB
The poll shows a Romney/McDonnell ticket would lose to an Obama/Biden ticket, 50 to 43 percent in the Old Dominion state.
Mr. Romney is perceived as the most likely candidate to win the nomination, and the Obama re-election campaign has recently focused its efforts on criticizing him.
The non-partisan Quinnipiac pollsters found that President Obama would also defeat former House Speaker Newt Gingrich 54 to 35 percent, and 49 to 40 percent over former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.
In addition, the poll finds that the president would defeat Texas Congressman Ron Paul, 49 to 39 percent.
Those results are interesting, considering Mr. Gingrich finishes the lowest against the president in the state where his McLean, Virginia, homes is located.
“President Barack Obama has opened up some daylight in Virginia against his Republican challengers,” said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, in a press release. “His margin over Romney, in the state where Obama has been struggling after his win in 2008, compares to a slight 47 – 43 percent lead in February.”
Governor McDonnell endorsed Mr. Romney in January, prior to the South Carolina primary election where Mr. Gingrich won by a wide margin. The poll results are likely a reaction to the Virginia governor’s recent ultrasound bills, which were not well received by many Republican and Democratic female political figures nationwide.
The poll also found that former Virginia Democratic Governor Tim Kaine has a three percentage point lead over former Virginia Republican Governor George Allen at 47-44 percent.
President Obama also finished higher than Mr. Romney among Virginia voters on a question regarding which candidate would perform better at restoring the U.S. economy.
The numbers are an improvement for the Democrats in Virginia, which is considered a crucial swing state for both parties in the fall. Super Tuesday was a disappointment to many Republican voters in Virginia as well, where only two candidates, Mr. Paul and Mr. Romney, appeared on the ballot. That coupled with the recent unpopular ultrasound bills could damage the Republican candidate in Virginia in the fall.
The poll was conducted between March 13 and March 18, among 1,034 registered Virginia voters, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
NFTOS
Staff Writer
Steve "Damn Nazi Liberal" Chevapravatdumrong
