Political Notebook: Graf, Pederson can take heart from polls - f
2006-10-05
Source: Tucson Citizen
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rss feedPoll stories can be the product of lazy reporting, but sometimes they put a cap in the backside of popular wisdom.
The national "political class" has known two things about Arizona politics: Smoke trailed from Democrat Jim Pederson's challenge to Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and Republican congressional candidate Randy Graf had no chance against Democrat Gabrielle Giffords. Ha! New polls released yesterday show Pederson and Graf within a few baby steps of striking distance.
First, Zogby International has begun tracking the Giffords-Graf race. Its survey of 501 southeastern Arizona voters shows Giffords' lead over Graf whittled to seven points. The poll simply asked for whom they would vote, and 45 percent supported Giffords, while 37 percent backed Graf and 16 percent were undecided. Surveys last month put Giffords' lead in double figures.
"Seven points up, a month out from an election is never a done deal," said Fritz Wenzel, spokesman for Zogby.
Graf is holding his own despite efforts to characterize him as extreme.
The numbers may also drive the campaign because 50 percent of respondents held a favorable opinion of Giffords compared to 23 percent unfavorable. In the same sample, 37 percent see Graf favorably compared to 43 percent unfavorably.
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