Forty Six Days Out

Ron Johnson gets a Rossi-esque post-primary bounce:

After a decisive win in Tuesday’s Republican Primary, businessman Ron Johnson now holds a seven-point lead over incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold in Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race.

The latest Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Voters shows Johnson picking up 51% support, while Feingold earns the vote from 44%. One percent (1%) of voters prefer some other candidate, and four percent (4%) remain undecided. …

When leaners are excluded from the totals, Johnson leads Feingold 50% to 43%. In late August, Johnson and Feingold were tied in results without leaners. Prior to the latest poll, support for Johnson ranged from 44% to 48% in surveys since February. In those same surveys, Feingold had consistently picked up 46% of the vote.

As Ensign Ed notes, incumbent Democrat Fussy Russy Feingold wasn't sitting Castlesquely on his arrogant laurels during the past month, keeping up a steady stream of anti-Johnson attack ads while donned in blue button-up Mike Stivic-esque workshirts.  That those ads do not appear to have even slowed Johnson down should be, as the old saying goes, "an ominous development" in Fussy Russy's increasingly desperate re-election bid.

So, for however long it lasts, Wisconsin moves from "Leans Republican" to "Likely Republican".

But a cautionary note is in order.  Why?  Look where Dino Rossi is in my state a month after the primary.  A seven point reversal that has Porky Murray breaking the magic 50% barrier for the first time and moving Washington from "Leans Republican" back to "Leans Democrat".

On the bright side, it takes the Tea Party's forfeiture of Delaware off the margin - for the moment.