Is Specter toast ?
HARRISBURG -- A new statewide poll shows 53 percent of Pennsylvanians -- and 66 percent of Republicans -- want someone to replace Sen. Arlen Specter.
Asked whether they think Specter, a Philadelphia Republican, has done his job well enough to win re-election or whether they'd prefer a "new person" in that job, registered voters by a 53-38 percent margin said it's time to give someone else a chance, according to the poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research. Eight percent were undecided.
The numbers might reflect Specter's vote as one of three Republican senators who enabled passage of President Obama's $787 billion federal stimulus package, said James Lee, president of Harrisburg-based Susquehanna polling. But they reflect long-standing dissatisfaction among Republican conservatives with Specter's record, he said.
If the election were held today, "in a two-person race, Specter is toast" if his challenger is a credible candidate, Lee said. A race with more candidates likely would improve Specter's chances of winning.
"The senator never comments on polls," said Specter spokeswoman Kate Kelly. "There is only one that counts."
The poll surveyed 700 registered voters from Monday through Thursday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
Among registered Republicans, 66 percent favored a new senator and 26 percent backed Specter. The margin of error on that question was plus or minus 5.9 percentage points.
Almost half of registered Democrats (49 percent) favored Specter over someone new (42 percent.) The margin of error was 5 percentage points, Lee said.
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