In a recent Roll Call article on the DCCC's strategy to turn the GOP's black-hearted support of President Bush's S-CHIP veto into some serious November Pain for rank-and-file House Republicans, DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen let slip some rough polling numbers for S-CHIP hater Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI). Knollenberg has an A-list challenger in former state Sen. Gary Peters.
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for the DCCC (likely voters, 10/31-11/02):
Gary Peters (D): 35 Joe Knollenberg (R-inc): 42
(MoE: ±4.8%)
While the exact trendlines are not available, Knollenberg's 7-point lead is down from a 12-point lead in April. He's also well under the magic 50%
mark, well before the campaign has even been engaged. Not good news for Team Red.
And in a sign of S-CHIP's salience, Knollenberg is very vulnerable on the issue:
Knollenberg's 7-point lead turned into a 7-point deficit after respondents were read both a push question characterizing his position on SCHIP, and the Democratic and Republican arguments for and against the program.