Fox News Polls Track Tea Party Influence in 5 Battleground States
By Chris Stirewalt
Published September 21, 2010
FoxNews.com
Democrats Unable to Lift Sestak in Pennsylvania Senate Race
Despite a concerted effort by national Democrats, Rep. Joe Sestak is slipping farther behind Republican Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania’s Senate contest in a new Fox News battleground poll.
Sestak now trails by 8 points, with 40 percent to Toomey’s 48 percent. Sestak trailed by 6 points last week.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett enjoys a 10-point advantage over Democrat Dan Onorato for a second straight week, 49 percent to 39 percent.
Democratic leaders have been intently focused on the state, with a visit by Vice President Joe Biden coming just before the poll was taken Saturday. President Obama visited Monday in support of Sestak.
But Pennsylvania voters’ concerns seem mainly focused on the sluggish economy, a subject on which Obama does poorly.
Overall, the president garnered just a 37-percent approval rating, 3 points lower than last week. A consistent 41 percent believed Obama’s policies have hurt the state’s economy. Support for repealing the president’s national health care program, though, was down three points to 53 percent.
The Tea Party movement has broad support in the state. Forty-five percent are supportive of the movement while 35 percent are opposed. Thirty percent say their Senate vote will show support for the movement, while 26 percent say it will show their opposition.
