Smith is Vulnerable

Polls And Pundits Say Smith Is In Trouble

Update From The Merkley Campaign Shows Smith Is In Trouble

Pundits across the country are now touting the race:

The Cook Political Report moved the Oregon race into the “toss up” category this week, along with Mark Udall in Colorado, Al Franken in Minnesota, and others.

“The scales may be tipping in the Oregon Senate race,” said The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

And The Washington Post took a dig at Gordon Smith, saying that his campaign ads with Barack Obama “reeked of desperation.”

Like you would expect, the Smith campaign has switched strategies, returning to the negative campaign ads Smith ran against Jeff Merkley during the Democratic primary.

The Oregonian writes that Smith’s latest ads “exaggerate,” calling them a “pretty clever case of selective editing.”

The Latest News:

The latest poll shows Jeff Merkley leading Republican Gordon Smith in the Oregon Senate race. A new Rasmussen poll shows Merkley leading Smith 43 to 41 percent.

See how the race has narrowed:

Smith is dropping dramatically among registered Democrats, after airing nearly $2 million of paid advertisements targeting Democratic voters with ads touting his ties to Barack Obama and Smith’s conversion on the Iraq war following the 2006 election.

While many observers believe Smith’s greatest liability is the national political climate, new numbers show that Smith’s greatest liability is Smith. He is the only Republican on the West Coast and has become fundamentally out of sync with a state that has changed dramatically over just the past year.

Read more and discuss: Polls And Pundits Say Smith Is In Trouble

Posted July 21, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 2 comments

Poll Alert On Gordon Smith

Poll Alert From DSCC: More Oregonians Disapprove of Smith’s Job Performance than Approve

A new poll taken by Survey USA shows that approval of Republican Senator Gordon Smith’s job performance has dropped to 45%, with 47% disapproving. Smith’s job approval dropped five points in one month, and the percentage of people disapproving rose by seven, a clear sign that the $500,000 he spent on ads attacking Jeff Merkley backfired. Smith has now spent a total of $819,000 on television ads, yet remains one of the most endangered Senators in the country.

“Oregonians haven’t fallen for Gordon Smith’s election year makeover or his dishonest attacks on Jeff Merkley,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Oregon deserves a Senator who will be an independent voice for the state when it counts, and not just in his election year campaign commercials.”

You can access the full poll here.

Discuss: Poll Alert On Gordon Smith

Posted June 9, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Backfire!

As the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign has maintained for more than a year, the more Oregonians learn about Smith’s real record, the more they will reject him.

In likely the largest backfire of the 2008 election season, Smith’s supporters are publicly deserting him. The same supporters he had boasted about in newspaper ads are fleeing his campaign.

Blue Oregon has the news.

It’s not hard to understand why Oregonians are rejecting Gordon Smith.

He aggressively and consistently suppresses a woman’s right to choose, supports an agenda in Washington, D.C. that is driven by special interests and opposes Democratic U.S. Senator Ron Wyden on the important issues facing Oregon.

Those may be Gordon Smith’s values, but they don’t represent Oregon values.

Discuss: Backfire!

Posted June 4, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Rasmussen Reports. How Will Smith Respond?

Today's Mail Tribune editorial and weekend poll results confirm what the Stop Gordon Smith Campaign has been documenting for months – Gordon Smith is vulnerable.

According to Rasmussen Reports, Smith’s re-elect number is well below 50, and the 12-year incumbent barely leads Oregon’s surging Democratic candidates.

“Gordon Smith, United States Senator from Oregon, remains below the 50% level of support for the third straight month in Rasmussen Reports polling. Any incumbent who polls below 50% is considered potentially vulnerable and this month’s polling contains even more bad news for Smith—support for his potential Democratic challengers is increasing.”
(Rasmussen Reports, 5-10-08)

According to The Mail Tribune in Medford, Smith knows he's vulnerable.

“Either way, the ads show Smith believes he's vulnerable.”
(The Mail Tribune Editorial, 5-13-08)

“As we’ve documented for the last year, Gordon Smith is vulnerable in Oregon,” DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith said. “Why? Because Oregonians can tell he opposes Ron Wyden on the important issues facing Oregon, he’s become a vending machine for votes for the special interests, and he opposes a woman’s right to choose. And frankly, after 12 years in office, even his supporters don’t trust him.”

Will Smith dare to explain why he's so vulnerable?

Is it that Smith has become a vending machine for votes for the special interests?

Is it that Smith opposes Democratic U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden on the important issues facing Oregon?

Is it that even his supporters don't trust him?

Is it that he’s earned 0 percent scores - yes, 0 percent - from pro-choice groups in arguably the most pro-choice state in the country?

Is Smith willing to answer why the Democratic competition has so swiftly caught him and what that portends for his re-election campaign?

Discuss: Rasmussen Reports. How Will Smith Respond?

Posted May 13, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith, The Blogs And Vulnerability

Gordon Smith won't be winning any popularity contests according to South Dakota blog Badlands Blue.

Of the more than 30 senators tracked by Survey USA, all but two are more popular than Smith, according to the blog. And as Blue Oregon explains, Smith doesn't come close to Oregon's other U.S. Senator, Democrat Ron Wyden.

This news should not surprise Oregon political observers as Republicans, newspaper editors and Democrats have been announcing Smith’s vulnerability for the last eleven months.

There are several potential reasons why Smith has lost Oregonians’ support.

1.Oregonians understand that Smith lets the special interests control his votes on health care, the environment, and other issues.

2. On the important issues facing Oregon, Smith cancels out Wyden’s vote. On Iraq, climate change, health care, and a host of other issues, Smith pushes Wyden and Oregon backward.

3.Oregonians are paying attention to the newspapers and Smith’s own supporters and allies who have pointed out the Say Anything Senator’s contradictions, fact bending and inaccuracies.

Discuss: Smith, The Blogs And Vulnerability

Posted March 6, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

New Explanation From Smith For Same Low Poll Numbers

Poll after poll shows that a majority of Oregonians would NOT vote to re-elect Gordon Smith. Today’s results from Rasmussen Reports are the latest below 50 figures for Smith.

When asked about whether it is cause for concern that less than 50 percent of Oregonians want Gordon Smith to keep his job, the Smith campaign did not dispute his track record of soft numbers. Their "defense" is that Republicans in other states are even more vulnerable than Smith.

"Gordon Smith should spend less time worried about what voters in other states think and more time worried about what hardworking families in Oregon think,” DPO Executive Director Trent Lutz said. “Gordon Smith has been siding with special interests and ignoring the needs of Oregon families. Health care costs skyrocket, jobs are outsourced overseas, and the ill-fated war in Iraq wages on -- and all Senator Smith does is pad the wallets of special interests. No wonder polls show Oregon voters consistently rejecting his re-election."

Discuss: New Explanation From Smith For Same Low Poll Numbers

Posted February 19, 2008 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

New Poll: Smith at 33% Job Approval, 30% Re-elect

We are almost exactly one year away from Election Day 2008 and Gordon Smith is in trouble. According to a new poll from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, only 30 percent of Oregonians will vote to re-elect him.

Read more and discuss: New Poll: Smith at 33% Job Approval, 30% Re-elect

Posted November 5, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 4 comments

Oregon State Representative Retracts Smith Endorsement

Since April, the Democratic Party of Oregon has been saying on radio and to reporters that as Democrats learn more about Gordon Smith’s anti-choice, anti-environment and pro-conservative record, they will not support him.

Those predictions are coming true.

Over the weekend, State Rep. Debbie Boone (D-Cannon Beach), who had been prominently quoted and featured in Smith’s Democrats for Smith website and in his newspaper ads, left the already thinning ranks of Smith supporters.

Why would a Democrat disagree with Smith’s record so fervently that she would publicly retract her endorsement of a sitting U.S. Senator?

Let us count the reasons:

-Anti-Choice Record. Smith has earned a 15 percent score from pro-choice advocates.
-Voting 90 percent with President Bush. Yes, Smith agrees with nine out of 10 decisions this president makes!
-Anti-Environment Record. Smith has earned a 14 percent score from environmental advocates.
-Veterans Record. Smith earned a failing, 40 percent score from Disabled American Veterans.

No matter how much money Gordon Smith spends marketing himself to Democrats, they are not going to support someone who is so out of step with their values.

State Rep. Boone is the most public, but she is not the only Oregonian who has examined Smith’s record and found him wanting.

One recent poll shows he’s in a statistical dead heat with "Undecided." Another shows his approval and disapproval ratings are both in the 40s and nearly identical.

Discuss: Oregon State Representative Retracts Smith Endorsement

Posted September 10, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith Consistently Under 50 Percent Approval

Is Gordon Smith’s new 44 percent disapproval rating a surprise?

What else should we expect when Oregonians find out that Gordon Smith won’t deal honestly with them?

What else should we expect when Oregonians find out that Smith votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time and has earned a 15 percent score from pro-choice advocates and a 14 percent score from environmental advocates?

For the last three months his disapproval numbers have hovered near 45 percent while his approval rating has consistently outshone his disapproval by only a handful of points.

Just this week he barely outpaced Undecided – yes Undecided – in a race to be Oregon’s U.S. Senator.

Polls are showing that as Oregonians learn more about Smith, the less they support him.

Discuss: Smith Consistently Under 50 Percent Approval

Posted August 21, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith Below 40 Percent Re-elect

DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith’s statement on U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R-OR) below 40 percent re-elect numbers. Smith sits at 38. Undecided polls at 35.

“It’s stunning for a 10-year incumbent to be in an almost statistical dead heat with Undecided. Clearly, Oregonians will not support a U.S. Senator who votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time and has been called out by Oregon’s media for fudging the facts and breaking Oregonians’ trust.”

The poll reflects earlier indicators of Smith's vulnerability.

Discuss: Smith Below 40 Percent Re-elect

Posted August 20, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith Weekend

Blue Oregon’s Kari Chisholm does a nice wrap up of weekend Gordon Smith coverage.

From losing some of his base support, to bloggers reminding readers of Smith’s true colors, Smith was on a lot minds and in a lot of mediums last weekend.

Discuss: Smith Weekend

Posted July 23, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Want to do a little citizen action? We've got flyers...

We've heard you loud and clear. You're ready to start organizing your communities and your neighborhoods - and you could use a little help.

Maybe just some material on a handout; help your friends and neighbors learn a little bit about Gordon Smith.

You ask, we deliver. Download a PDF flyer right now. Print 'em out. Pass 'em out.

After all:

* Gordon Smith votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time

* Gordon Smith has a 15 percent rating from NARAL Pro-Choice America

* Gordon Smith has a 14 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters

* Gordon Smith has voted more than 20 times to fund and authorize the Iraq War

Together, we can Stop Gordon Smith and get a new US Senator that represents all Oregonians.

Discuss: Want to do a little citizen action? We've got flyers...

Posted July 19, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 3 comments

Only 1/3 of Oregonians will vote to re-elect Gordon Smith

According to a new poll, Oregonians are fed up with Gordon Smith. Just 34% say they will vote to re-elect him. That's right, two out of every three Oregonians aren't convinced that he represents Oregon values.

And why should Oregonians re-elect Smith?

After all, a U.S. Senator who votes more than 20 times to fund and authorize the Iraq War, votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time, and earns failing ratings from environmental and pro-choice groups does not represent Oregon.

On the jump, check out the details from the DSCC...

Read more and discuss: Only 1/3 of Oregonians will vote to re-elect Gordon Smith

Posted July 17, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 7 comments

Gordon Smith = Vulnerable Incumbent

Nearly three months after the words “Gordon Smith” and “vulnerable” started appearing together, the vulnerable tag still applies.

Vulnerable.

That’s the term that has dogged U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) the past three months as his re-election campaign morphs into an un-election slog.

Politicians, editors and pundits have noticed that as Oregonians learn more about Smith’s consistent support for the Iraq War, firm backing of President Bush’s policies and rigid opposition to protecting a woman’s right to choose and preserving the environment, his re-election chances wilt.

Read more and discuss: Gordon Smith = Vulnerable Incumbent

Posted June 27, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith’s Disapproval Numbers Soar

Smith’s approval and disapproval numbers are now in a statistical dead heat. His approval rating slides as Oregonians learn more about his consistent support for the Iraq War and his pro Bush, anti-choice, anti-environment record.

The more Oregonians get to know U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R-OR) votes, the more they disapprove of his performance.

The number of Oregonians who disapprove of Smith’s record has risen to 45 percent, according to a new poll from SurveyUSA. That’s a six point jump from the May poll and a 15 point jump from January.

Read more and discuss: Smith’s Disapproval Numbers Soar

Posted June 19, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Smith Below 50 – Again!

Smith’s approval rating drops as Oregonians learn more about his record.

For the second time in five months, President Bush’s Personal U.S. Senator’s approval rating has dipped to a lackluster 48 percent, according to SurveyUSA. United States Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R-OR) approval rating has dropped 10 percent since January.

The same poll shows his disapproval number climbing to 39 percent. That is a nine point increase since January.

View the poll here.

“Gordon Smith’s determination to stand with President Bush and against Oregonians’ interests is eroding his support,” DPO Chair Meredith Wood Smith said. “Oregonians will not stand for a representative who votes with President Bush 90 percent of the time. Oregonians will not stand for a representative who earns a 15 percent score from pro-choice advocates and a 14 percent score from environmental advocates.”

Discuss: Smith Below 50 – Again!

Posted May 24, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

Vulnerable Smith Appeals For Conservative Cash

Conservatives raise campaign cash to support President Bush’s Personal U.S. Senator

While Oregon editorial pages, politicians and pundits proclaim U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s (R-OR) vulnerability, loyal conservatives in Washington, DC and around the country are fighting for his re-election.

United States Senator John Ensign (R-NV) is rallying conservative Republican activists throughout the country to fund Smith’s campaign.

“Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he expects to put together as many as 30 joint fundraising events around the country for the four most vulnerable senators of 2008: Sens. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, Gordon Smith of Oregon and John Sununu of New Hampshire.”
(The Politico, 4-25-07)

Read more and discuss: Vulnerable Smith Appeals For Conservative Cash

Posted May 1, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable, Who Loves Gordon? - 0 comments

President Bush’s Personal U.S. Senator is Vulnerable

Politicians, editors and pundits agree, U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) is a vulnerable candidate

What happens when Oregon voters send you to the U.S. Senate, but you choose to represent the White House instead?

You become vulnerable.

That is what has happened to Gordon Smith, President Bush’s personal U.S. Senator. His consistent support of Bush’s policies has made him an attractive electoral target.

"’In politics, there are very few times when you feel confident you can take on an incumbent and win. This is one such time for Democrats to think that,’ [Ronald Tammen, director of the Mark O. Hatfield school of government at Portland State University] said.”
(AP, 4-21-07)

“The Senate Democratic Campaign Committee regards Sen. Gordon Smith as among the most vulnerable Republicans in 2008.”
(The Register-Guard Editorial, 4-22-07)

“Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski said Friday that Smith is vulnerable, but warned that he is a tough campaigner whose aggressive style belies his nice-guy image.”
(AP, 4-21-07)

Read more and discuss: President Bush’s Personal U.S. Senator is Vulnerable

Posted April 25, 2007 in Smith + Bush, Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments

DPO Launches www.StopGordonSmith.com Campaign

Grassroots campaign and website will hold Smith accountable for his right wing record

The Democratic Party of Oregon launched www.stopgordonsmith.com today to hold President Bush’s personal U.S. Senator accountable for his right wing record.

As U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) attempts to moderate his right wing history, this new campaign will make sure Oregon voters understand his true record in the United States Senate.

Read more and discuss: DPO Launches www.StopGordonSmith.com Campaign

Posted April 17, 2007 in Smith is Vulnerable - 0 comments