McLaughlin & Associates Publishes Lamest Poll Ever?

You'd think that a consulting firm, no matter how much it needs the clients (and their $$$), wouldn't want to completely trash its reputation over one poll for one client in one race. Yet, if there's any justice in the world, that's exactly what McLaughlin & Associates may have done with its Keith Fimian poll.

I'm not so much concerned with the top-line number, which has Keith Fimian ahead of Gerry Connolly 40%-35%, although that's not particularly plausible. What really blows my mind is that McLaughlin & Associates thinks we're all stupid enough to believe that Virginia's 11th CD is far more conservative than the country as a whole. To quote McLaughlin & Associates, "On the generic ballot for U.S. Congress, the Republican candidate has a 19 point advantage over the Democrat candidate (52% to 33%)." Hahahahahahahahahaha.

OK, now back to reality, which is that the national "generic" Congressional ballot is tied between Republicans and Democrats right now, at 43% a piece. Which means McLaughlin & Associates wants us to believe that Virginia's 11th CD - where Democrats just won a couple of special election victories (Marsden, Filler-Corn), and where Democrats Tim Kaine, Jim Webb, Barack Obama, Gerry Connolly, Sharon Bulova, etc., etc. all won in recent years - is 19 points more Republican leaning than the rest of America.

To the contrary, it's likely that VA-11 is similar to the rest of the country or significantly more Democratic, meaning that the supposed 40%-35% margin for Keith Fimian over Gerry Connolly is more likely a 10-15 point lead for Connolly. But hey, if Republicans want to believe this garbage, more power to 'em. I only hope they start using McLaughlin & Associates for all their candidates this year! :)

P.S. By the way, I love use, in a polling memo, of the juvenile pseudo-epithet "Democrat candidate," as opposed to the grammatically correct "Democratic candidate." Very professional, guys! LOL

h/t: Good catch by Not Larry Sabato

Keith Fimian: Standard Issue Right Wingnut

I defy anyone to find something in this video of a Keith Fimian campaign event that isn't standard-issue right wingnuttery. Against a woman's right to choose? Check. Mindless "your money is your money" rhetoric (apparently he wants to abolish Social Security, Medicare and the military, since those account for most of the federal budget)? Check. Opposed to workers being able to organize effectively? Check. "Illegal immigrant" bashing? Check. Sarah Palin-like rhetoric about using "weapons to defeat [the terrorists] not lawyers to defend them?" Check. Government bashing? Check. Blaming "career politicians" in general rather than Bush and the Republicans for "getting us into this mess?" Check. Attacking "Barney Frank" as barely concealed homophobia? Check. Same-old same-old Republican economic mantra? Check.

On and on Keith Fimian goes, but where it all leads...actually, we do know, because we saw it from 2001 to 2008 under George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay, and the merry band of "trickle down"/"supply side" conservatives who got us into the mess we're in now. Do people have such short memories that they've already forgotten how bad Keith Fimian's Republican brethren screwed up our country? For all our sake, let's hope not.

Didn't Corey Stewart Endorse Keith Fimian?

Why is Pat Herrity, who declared earlier today for the Republican nomination in the 11th CD, using a favorable quote from Prince William County board chair Corey Stewart in his press release?

Pat Herrity is a good man and I am glad to see him enter the race for the 11th district congressional seat.

As a Supervisor, Pat has led the fight to reign in Gerry Connolly's legacy of out of control spending and reduce the tax burden that Gerry left on Fairfax County's citizens. Serving in local government myself, I know Pat has to deal with limited resources and large problems. I know he won't "pass the buck" in Washington.

His background in business as an accountant and Chief Financial Officer gives me the confidence that he knows how to cut the fat and find better, faster, and cheaper ways to get the job done. I am sure he'll take that same energy and expertise to Washington.

Gerry Connolly has "gone Hollywood" and chosen to cater to Nancy Pelosi's extremist base; forgetting to serve the needs of his own constituents. I am glad we have no shortage of qualified candidates to defeat him in November. - Corey A. Stewart, Chairman, Prince William County Board of County Supervisors

Nice quote by Stewart for Herrity, except for one problem: the last I checked, Stewart had endorsed Herrity's rival for the nomination, Keith Fimian. Odd.