Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

October 06, 2009

Is Castle Running Ahead Only on Name Recognition?

Though many others rate the U.S. Senate race in a Delaware a Toss Up at best for Democrats, Public Policy Polling says that if Beau Biden (D) still runs now that Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) is in the race, Democrats should hold onto the seat next year.

"When we polled the state in March Castle was leading Biden 44% to 36%. But not surprisingly his name recognition was also ten points higher. Among respondents who had an opinion of Biden, whether it was positive or negative, the Democrat led 43% to 41%. And the undecideds in such a scenario were 64% Democratic to 12% Republican, as well as 35% African American."

"So Castle's early poll leads are largely a function of name recognition, and given his nearly 30 years in statewide office really aren't that substantial."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

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.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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