Another poll for WV Senate

[Smash255]

Actually, what has happened is that Byrd has changed from being a moderately conservative Democrat to a raving left wing kook.

Since the Democrats lost the White House, control of the Senate as well as of the House, Byrd has lost influence.

Oh, to give you an idea of Byrd's change, here is an assortment of his ACU ratings over the years.

1972     55%
1984     50
1996     26
2004       8

Byrd's power was at its apex from 1977-1980 when he was majority leader in the Senate while the Democrats controlled both houses of Congress as well as the Presidency.

He is still quite conservative on social issues

[CARLHAYDEN]

An interesting assertion.

The National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League gave him a 100% rating for 2004.

The NAACP gave him a 100% rating for 2003-2004

The Americans for Democratic Action gave him a 90% rating for 2004.

The Gun Owners of America gave him a 10% rating for 2003-2004

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violent gave him a 90% rating for 2003

[Frodo]

An interesting assertion.

The National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League gave him a 100% rating for 2004.

The NAACP gave him a 100% rating for 2003-2004

The Americans for Democratic Action gave him a 90% rating for 2004.

The Gun Owners of America gave him a 10% rating for 2003-2004

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violent gave him a 90% rating for 2003

what are his life-time ratings from these groups?  he has been a senator since, i think, 1958, and these groups were around since the 1970s and '80s so i would imagine that he would appear to be far more moderate if you look at it over a decades-long time frame. 

[AuH2O]

The whole point is that he's moved left.

[CARLHAYDEN]

For most of these groups, the ratings only go back a few years.

ADA has changed their web site to prevent looking at lifetime ratings.

The Brady Campaign has changed its name so many times, and its ratings are unavailable.

Two major changes in Byrd's positions of twenty years ago are he was once a supporter of the right to keep and bear arms (a VERY popular position in West Virginia) but in 2004 voted repeatedly the anti-gun line.

In addition, be was in the minority with respect to criminalizing murder of a woman's unborn baby by a personal attacking the woman in 2004 (NOT a popular position in West Virginia).

[Lincoln Republican]

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South Carolina

Of course South Carolina, sorry, I stand corrected.
Everything else in my post I stand behind.

[Lincoln Republican]

At the end of their current terms, if they all live that long, it is time, in fact, past time, for all the senile octogenarians in the U.S. Senate to pack it in. 

That goes for the senior Senator from West Virginia.

Strom Thurmond stayed far too long, the people of Tennessee kept voting for him for far too long, the GOP in Tennessee kept giving him the nomination for far too long.

The same can be said for Robert Byrd on the Dem side in West Virginia.

Bright, younger Senators are needed from all these states that keep sending these worn out wind bags to the halls of power.

That goes for both parties.   

Hate to say it, but phknrocket1h is right, Thurmond was from South Carolina.

Of course South Carolina, sorry, I stand corrected.
Everything else in my post I stand behind.

[Umengus]

Bad poll to make bad information. Not new.

[WalterMitty]

if god would grant me one wish, i would ask for the kleagle to be ousted and for once wv would have at least one normal senator.

[Storebought]

if god would grant me one wish, i would ask for the kleagle to be ousted and for once wv would have at least one normal senator.

Here, here!

Byrd is an 87 year old offense to the Senate

[Horus]

I don't care if it would mean a GOP pickup, I hope to god Capito beats him. I never thought there'd ever be a poll this close, so even though the chances of Byrd actually losing are incredibly small, there's at least hope.

[jravnsbo]

What does it say for the state of the Dem party that a 6 term senator that has been majority leader, in a mostly democratic state ( even though Bush carried it twice) may be in a battle in 2006.

Dems have no chance of taking the senate in 2006, shall WV send another senator into the minority?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Dems have no chance of taking the senate in 2006, shall WV send another senator into the minority?

Using that logic you could argue that why should *any* state bother to elect a Democratic senator; in fact why bother with more than one party at all?

[jravnsbo]

It worked very well in 2004 in SD.  The thought was Minority leader or member of the majority that can get things done and down went the minority leader.

Dems have no chance of taking the senate in 2006, shall WV send another senator into the minority?

Using that logic you could argue that why should *any* state bother to elect a Democratic senator; in fact why bother with more than one party at all?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It worked very well in 2004 in SD.  The thought was Minority leader or member of the majority that can get things done and down went the minority leader.

I know that it can work as a strategy (especially in extremely close races like SD 2004) but should it? It doesn't really make for a healthy democracy, but that sort of tactic has been used by both parties for decades so I guess I'm in a minority complaining about it.

Oh and the answer in the case of WV is pretty simple: Byrd happens to be extremely good at pork barrelling, even when he's in the minority party. And yes, it's certainly possible to argue that that tactic is bad for a healthy democracy as well

[TheresNoMoney]

I don't care if it would mean a GOP pickup, I hope to god Capito beats him.

Why? Are you a Democrat or do you just play one on this message board?

Byrd is a very good senator.

[CARLHAYDEN]

It worked very well in 2004 in SD.  The thought was Minority leader or member of the majority that can get things done and down went the minority leader.

I know that it can work as a strategy (especially in extremely close races like SD 2004) but should it? It doesn't really make for a healthy democracy, but that sort of tactic has been used by both parties for decades so I guess I'm in a minority complaining about it.

Oh and the answer in the case of WV is pretty simple: Byrd happens to be extremely good at pork barrelling, even when he's in the minority party. And yes, it's certainly possible to argue that that tactic is bad for a healthy democracy as well

Actually, a few years ago, Byrd was the King of pork in the Senate.

And while it is true that a ranking minority member can pull down a lot of porK IF he has good working relationships with the majority, Byrd burned his bridges in the last few years has changed stripes, and instead of being Mr. Charming (believe it or not, he was once known for his charm), but rather a name calling demagogue.

So, the pork has begun to dry up for him

[Filuwaúrdjan]

He's not as good as it as he used to be, but IIRC he still comes near the top of the hate lists anti-pork groups publish.

[The Vorlon]

I had a look over the specifics of the poll, and there is nothing "obviously" wrong, however a few things do look a tad odd.

But as somebody already noted... 403 interviews in one poll is hardly investment grade information.

One poll is... well... one poll....

Byrd is raising a ton of cash, and doing more media than is typical for him.  My guess is his own polling shows him to be somewhere in that grey "semi-vulnerable" zone.

I expect he will try to scare away any potential challengers with a huge fundrasing effort.

West Virginia has drifted socially rightward as the yonger population has migrated, leaving behind more sociallly conservative elements.

There is also the "Bunning Factor" - BUnning just about punted his campaign in 2004 by acting a tad strange and old and out of it.... Not saying Byrd is that bad, but there may be a whiff of it in the air.

[King]

There is also the "Bunning Factor" - BUnning just about punted his campaign in 2004 by acting a tad strange and old and out of it.... Not saying Byrd is that bad, but there may be a whiff of it in the air.

I remember on C-SPAN watching the Bolton debates.  Whenever Byrd was allocated some time he would use it to talk about his plans for Memorial Day and read some poetry.