Pennsylvania Pro-Life Advocate Toomey Leads Pro-Abortion Specter in New Poll
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 13, 2009
Harrisburg, PA (LifeNews.com) — A new Rasmussen poll finds former congressman Pat Toomey, the likely pro-life Republican senate candidate, ahead of his potential rival, current pro-abortion Sen. Arlen Specter.
The Republican-turned-Democrat now trails Toomey by double digits in his bid for reelection next year and is viewed unfavorably by a majority of the state’s voters.
The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Pennsylvania voters shows 48% would vote for Toomey if the election were held today. Just 36% would vote for Specter while four percent would prefer another candidate and another 12 percent are unsure.
These figures reflect a dramatic reversal since June and show that the significant opposition to Specter on the health care bill is responsible.
At that time, before the public health care debate began, Specter led Toomey by eleven percentage points.
To prove the point, a followup question in the Rasmussen poll showed just 42 percent of Pennsylvania voters back the health care plan in Congress while 53 percent are opposed.
"Those who like the congressional health care plan favor Specter 70% to nine percent (9%) for Toomey. Those who are against the legislative effort oppose Specter and give Toomey an 82% to nine percent (9%) advantage," Rasmussen indicated.
Just 43% now have a favorable opinion of Specter while 54% offer an unfavorable assessment of the longtime abortion advocate who decided to switch parties instead of facing Toomey in a republican primary he would potentially lose.
Those numbers have reversed since June when 53% had a favorable opinion of him and they include just 15 percent who have a very favorable opinion and 36 percent who have a very unfavorable view.
Specter may not be the Democratic nominee because he faces a challenge from Congressman Joe Sestak, although he leads by a 47 to 34 percent margin over the fellow abortion advocate.
The Rasmussen survey showed if Sestak is the Democratic nominee instead of Specter, Toomey still leads but by a smaller margin. The polling shows 43% for Toomey and 35% for Sestak. Sestak led by six percentage points in June.
Eighty percent (80%) of Republican voters now favor Toomey in a match-up with Specter, up from 68% two months ago. Specter draws 61% of the Democratic vote, down from 74% in June.
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