DeMint Outpolls Democrats (and Lindsey Graham) in South Carolina

First-term Sen. Jim DeMint, who is in the vanguard of Republicans pressing for more conservative candidates, has middling poll numbers looking ahead to the 2010 election in South Carolina, but still is doing well enough to make him the favorite in the race, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Dec. 3-6.

Both DeMint's job approval rating and his match-up against a generic Democratic candidate have him in positive territory, but at less than 50 percent, which is not impressive for an incumbent.

Forty-four percent approve of the job he is doing while 29 percent disapprove, with 27 percent undecided. That compares to 43 percent who approve of the job his fellow Republican senator, Lindsey Graham, is doing, with 35 percent not approving and 23 percent undecided. More on the DeMint-Graham comparison later.

Asked to choose between DeMint and an unnamed Democrat, 47 percent pick DeMint and 38 percent go for the Democrat, with 16 percent undecided.

"Jim DeMint is certainly favored for re-election at this point but the race could be competitive if Democrats decide to devote significant resources here," said PPP's Dean Debnam.

The problem for the Democrats is that they have not yet been able to recruit a strong challenger. Three Democrats are currently in the race: lawyer Chad McGowan, Democratic activist Mike Ruckes and business consultant Gary Stephens.

PPP and Rasmussen Reports also delved into perceptions about DeMint's and Graham's ideology, and DeMint's role in challenging the Republican establishment by pushing for the party to pick conservative candidates through vehicles like his Senate Conservatives Fund. By contrast, Graham's maverick streak has caused him problems with some Republicans in the state.

Overall, 49 percent say Graham's ideology is about right, 29 percent say he is too liberal and 23 percent say he is too conservative in the PPP poll. Fifty-six percent say DeMint's ideology is about right, 32 percent say it is too conservative and 12 percent call him too liberal.

Narrowed to Republicans, 50 percent think Graham's ideology is about right while 41 percent regard him as too liberal. By contrast, 78 percent of Republicans give the stamp of approval to DeMint.

Forty-one percent of all voters in the state say DeMint is more focused on being a leader in the national conservative movement while 29 percent say his focus is mostly on advocating for South Carolina, with 29 percent undecided.

Rasmussen asked South Carolina voters whether the Republican Party should be more like Graham or DeMint, and they chose DeMint over Graham by 38 percent to 32 percent with 30 percent undecided. The poll was conducted Dec. 2.