On September 30th SurveyUSA released a 600 sample poll of adults taken in Missouri from September 27th through the 28th showing the approval numbers for Senators Claire McCaskill (D) and Kit Bond (r). The margin of error is 4.1%.
The poll was sponsored by KCTV in Kansas City.
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Claire McCaskill is doing as United States Senator?
All
50% – approve
43% – disapprove
7% – not sureDemocrats [37% of sample]
76% – approve
22% – disapprove
2% – not surerepublicans [25% of sample]
28% – approve
64% – disapprove
9% – not sureIndependents [29% of sample]
42% – approve
50% – disapprove
8% – not sure
Compared to August Claire McCaskill’s overall approval numbers, when compared to President Obama and Kit Bond, are relatively stable.
Senator McCaskill’s disapproval numbers among Democrats have increased when compared to August. The August disapproval numbers among “Independents” have decreased significantly, with the approval number from this group improving slightly.
The percentage of self-identified liberals who are “not sure” when it comes to approval of the job Claire McCaskill is doing has increased significantly:
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Claire McCaskill is doing as United States Senator?
Ideology
Conservative [32% of sample]
28% – approve
70% – disapprove
2% – not sureModerate [39% of sample]
63% – approve
33% – disapprove
4% – not sureLiberal [16% of sample]
65% – approve
24% – disapprove
11% – not sure
The September numbers for Kit Bond aren’t very good:
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Kit Bond is doing as United States Senator?
All
45% – approve
45% – disapprove
10% – not sureDemocrats [37% of sample]
35% – approve
58% – disapprove
8% – not surerepublicans [25% of sample]
63% – approve
29% – disapprove
7% – not sureIndependents [29% of sample]
47% – approve
41% – disapprove
11% – not sure
What I wrote last month:
…Well, well, well. It’s a rarity when Senator “sit on the fence and bring home the bacon” Bond (r) has a lower approval number (barely) than Claire McCaskill. There’s been some slippage in the numbers for Bond among republicans and Democrats.
Kit Bond has more fence sitters. The decline in the “not sure” (the undecidieds) in Claire McCaskill’s approval numbers may be an indication of polarization. It is possible, as she has been subjected to public verbal assault by irrational teabaggers at her town halls, that the Democratic base is tending to reflexively defend her. And some republicans and especially “Independents” are going the other way (yes, some republicans are going into the approval column, too). Time will tell.
Well, well, well. It’s a trend, not an outlier.