What a New Mason-Dixon Poll Reveals

A new and interesting poll out of the Florida governor's race suggests how (1) a broad-based, quasi-populist economic message has legs this election season; and (2) how those 2004 exit polls showing the extraordinary power of "moral issues" should be consigned to pollsters' dustbins. A just-released Mason-Dixon poll finds that only 5 percent of GOP voters were the most concerned about "moral issues" going into the Florida primaries. Many more said they were worried about property insurance rates that have skyrocketed because of hurricanes. As Brad Coker, managing director of Mason-Dixon Polling and Research, put it in Monday's New York Times, "Even the religious conservatives are more concerned about the $2000 homeowners' insurance hit they just took."

Message to Tom Frank: Maybe it's time for a look at what's doing in Florida?

Comments (8)

1. "Tom Frank"?

   Does Ms vanden Heuvel mean "Tom Gallagher", maybe?

   Posted by Mask at 09/05/2006 @ 10:44am

2. So the light at the end of the tunnel isn't the "Walk towards the light" light....

   Posted by leftofcenter at 09/05/2006 @ 10:44am

3. Mask, Tom Frank as in What's The Matter With Kansas?

   Posted by hhemwm at 09/05/2006 @ 11:11am

4. why do religious conservatives need insurance? God will take care, yes? Or The Rapture will come, leaving a useless policy with no one to make a claim on. But I see the Rapture Index is down 2, to 156. Chimpy must be falling down on the job, again.

   Posted by crabwalk at 09/05/2006 @ 11:35am

5. Looks like Richard Kim got bumped again. Must be a lefty conspiracy to silence a pro-gay voice.

   Posted by crabwalk at 09/05/2006 @ 11:43am

6. When the democrat party discovers that nothing is the "matter with Kansas" and that something may be wrong with them, then they will be ready to govern the nation. The above statement does not presume to imply that there are not things wrong with the republican party.

   Posted by Len Mosse at 09/05/2006 @ 11:57am

7. That's all fine and good, but...

   Does either party have a coherent and workable PLAN for how to deal with issues like skyrocketing property insurance and tax rates?

   Posted by liveeasy at 09/05/2006 @ 12:39pm

8. Posted by HHEMWM 09/05/2006 @ 11:11am

   Oh...always knew him as "Thomas" Frank. Tom Gallagher would make more sense, since he's the more socially conservative of the GOP Florida candidates.

   Tom Frank probably couldn't figure out Florida, any better than he did Kansas.

   Posted by Mask at 09/05/2006 @ 12:58pm