In New Jersey, Iraq Drags Down Kean -- Political Wire

In New Jersey, Iraq Drags Down Kean

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has grabbed a slight lead in his back-and-forth race against state Sen. Tom Kean, Jr. (R), according to a new Fairleigh Dickinson PublicMind Poll. Menendez currently tops Kean 43% to 40%.

The survey was designed to test the impact of national issues on the race by asking questions in varying order. "When respondents were not primed to think about President Bush and the military action in Iraq, Kean and Menendez were in a virtual dead heat, with Menendez maintaining just a one-point advantage, 43% to 42%. However, the mere mention of the conflict in Iraq decreased Kean's support by 6 percentage points, giving Menendez an 8-point advantage, 44% to 36%."

Said pollster Dan Cassino: "There's been a lot of talk about Bush and Iraq being a drag on Republican congressional candidates, but this is the first hard evidence that we've seen. If people are thinking about Iraq when they go to the polls, Kean is in deep trouble."

July 22, 2006

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Taegan D. Goddard is the creator of Political Wire, a political column updated around the clock with the most interesting news, buzz and commentary.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

This is a personal site and does not necessarily reflect the views of any company, political campaign or advocacy group.

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