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Pat Toomey Takes 9-Point Lead Over Joe Sestak in Pa. Senate Race

1 year ago
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Former Republican Rep. Pat Toomey has jumped out to a 45 percent to 36 percent lead over Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak in their race to claim the seat currently held by Arlen Specter, according to a Public Policy Polling survey conducted Aug. 14-16. Twenty percent are undecided. The margin of error is 4.1 points.

Aside from the fact that the Sestak-Specter primary race is settled and the election drawing nearer, PPP puts more importance on this than past polls because it is now surveying likely voters. In June, when it polled registered voters who might or might not go to the polls, the two were tied at 41 percent each.

Toomey and Sestak still have a ways to go in familiarizing themselves to voters. About a third say they don't know enough about either to express a favorable or unfavorable opinion.
Joe Sestak, Pat ToomeyToomey leads Sestak among self-described conservatives (44 percent of the sample) by 75 percent to 8 percent while Sestak leads among moderates (39 percent of the sample) by 51 percent to 25 percent. The balance are undecided.

Toomey holds a 50 percent to 23 percent lead, with 27 percent undecided, among independents, although they make up only 9 percent of the survey's sample.

The poll suggested that Sestak may be paying a price for President Obama's declining popularity in the state, where 55 percent now disapprove of his performance while 40 percent approve. PPP says this is one of the biggest declines for Obama since 2008 that it has seen anywhere in the country.

"This race is suddenly looking less a toss-up than previously, and while Democrats have a large registration advantage, they are simply looking less inclined to vote than are Republicans, and the state's poor economy is surely having an effect on the incumbent party," said PPP's Dean Debnam.

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COLORCARTUCHO08

We have already someone in the White House representing the change that America need. But, when Pennsylvania at the State level gonna change? This is the State with more level of segregation related with housing, with more than 40,000 people living in government housing, more than 20, 000 children living in foster parent housing. About minorities running their own business, Pennsylvania is the State more segregated by white people even at the state level working as construction worker you can not see in the street minorities legal working in this kind of job.

This is the State where the County around the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, continue using repression, sending males minorities and white low income to jail sometimes with the right argument in court, most of the time with exaggerations of the charges when some minority people can not afford legal representation for child supports or family law issues without evidence of domestic violence in this state. The Pennsylvania Human Relation Commission get every three months more than 2,000 new cases and the process can take around 5 years to finish. So, they can not do anything as politicians and government workers, to help the citizens of the State, be productive people and stop the illegal immigration in this State where many factories around Camp Hill and Mechanics burg they are hiring illegal workers in the first shift. However, the politicians they can use in this state a Police Officer to repress the population minority low income not working, because even when they do not have the answer as politicians: why the population low income in this state can not find job?

Well, they have the right to repress with the Polices Department the low income population, being wrong. Many politicians and many different District Attorneys Officers, they continue supporting local dictatorship when Pennsylvania have many local state Representative for many years working in the same branch of the government for long time and the District Attorneys Office it is not intimidating this people with investigations when dictatorship it is the only way to became corrupt working for the government at the state level.

Pennsylvania is one of the State supporting racism since long ago, and this complaint it is not from someone that it is Afro, I am Cuban and I am citizen living here in Pennsylvania for about 8 years and the legal system in the Capital of the State, Dauphin County, it is a shame. The Chief Justices that he was running the Dauphin County Court House last year, he were allowing people with charges for sale drug, go free and helping them leave the country if they paid money under the table. The mayor of the city of Harrisburg for 28 years he spend $300,000 000 dollar in the infamous incinerator, but any politician or County official ever stand up for the city, anyone is in jail and the corruption between white people and white people is evident.
To find a minority leader in any subcommittee in the Capitol building it is really hard, because the state representatives, they are not interested allow the participation of the minority people in this kind of political activism.

Another important office Labor and Industry with Sandy Vito, she can not get any feedback of the community and they are not interested in be fair when someone has been fire for be working in two part times jobs. However the referees offices destroy very fast employees making mistakes with the unemployment and working extra hours at the same time.

So, I go for Joe Sestak because I can not support a guy like Pat Tommey without pragmatism to help this state became more productive, however he is working in the government since long time ago in Pennsylvania. They are Republicans others Democratic s, but they are opportunists as the worse socialist without conviction. Joe it is not working for long time in the government, he was a Military very successfully and even Casey for me it is not a good candidate. I like to see Pat Tomey running against Casey, but not Joe SestaK. He is a real leader and I am against people working in the government, because Dad did it and I am the son, or like Pat Toomey now running in the wrong time against the right guy. We need to change Pennsylvania and the next steep is sent Casey to their house, because he is representing the interest of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania not the citizens of this state.

August 18 2010 at 1:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
RSK1177

If Sestak wasn't favored by Obama, he would probably be ahead in the polls. He is one of many Democrats who will lose because of their support of Obama's failed policies and increasing debt and deficit.

August 17 2010 at 11:21 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
pattaylore

I am a Democrat who will vote for Toomey, if for no other reason than government needs more balance. We cannot have productive debate with consensual compromise and good outcomes if everyone shares the same philosophy. Without more equal representation from both ends of the continuum we are doomed to continually swing dramatically from one end to the other with no chance of enjoying the middle.

August 17 2010 at 10:09 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
breezy62253

I live in PA, also. Am one of those current "independent" Repubs who is already SICK of Toomey telling me what Sestak has done wrong and nothing about what he CAN get changed in D.C. His Wall St. connections really concern me since they caused a major portion of this mess and Wall St. continues to heavily support the Repub elections. He'll be reporting to them and that's a toss-up with the unions. Just being Repub is not good enough.

August 17 2010 at 7:49 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
Tracy

This is the best news I've heard all week, I live in PA and for the sake of the state it's Toomey all the way! Bring it home Pat, help make PA great again!

August 17 2010 at 5:54 PM Report abuse +9 rate up rate down Reply
tnickerson08

sestak is thinking maybe he should have taken that govenment job that backroom obama offered? lol

August 17 2010 at 5:17 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

I live in the southeastern corner of Pa. Just outside Phila. I feel Toomey will win the senate and Pat Meehan will be be our districts republican in the house replacing Sestak for this reason. Toomey and Meehan have made several visits to an area where both my wife and I have small business. They both sat down and talked one on one for a reasonable amount of time. In fact Meehan stays in contact by email on a regular basis and we even kick around ideas to bring this country back. As for Sestak I have not heard from him at all and I do not even know the name of the person running against Meehan. The funniest part of this whole thing I am registered as a Democrat. I will not be voting that way now or for many years to come.

August 17 2010 at 4:47 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
fabianog4

this teamster is for pat, teamster for pat ! we need change from labor leaders to the top we need change get out. in with ones who realy care and can get the job done who wont take money for favors

August 17 2010 at 4:41 PM Report abuse +9 rate up rate down Reply
john10bpa

Never underestimate the stupidly of the voting public

August 17 2010 at 4:30 PM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply
Kenneth

I live in Pa.and also in Sestak's district which he represented as a democrat in the house. He supported Obama's agenda which is one reason many people in hi own district will not vote for him. During the primary the game plan was to get Spector voted out this would make an easier race for Toomey. I had stated before all the primaries that Toomey would win this race.

August 17 2010 at 4:01 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply

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