Sunday, December 31, 2006

New poll detects Texas turning Purple

Texas Democrats have pulled even with Republicans, and the state is now about half red, half blue. At least, that's according to 1,053 Texans surveyed by an independent Democratic pollster.

The poll's news announcement focused on one specific response: By 46 percent to 35 percent, respondents said Democrats "care" more about "people like me." That's a reversal from two years ago.

But most eyes went immediately to the bottom line of the poll, conducted in early December by Austin-based Montgomery & Associates:

Asked which political party they lean toward, 45 percent chose Democrat.

Only 43 percent chose Republican. If you figure in the poll's margin of error, that's a tie.

Two years ago, in the same Democratic poll, Republicans led by 55 percent to 34 percent.

"There is an attitude change nationally that is affecting Texas," said Cal Jillson, the Southern Methodist University political science professor who correctly foresaw a Republican sweep of state offices in the November elections and also the Democratic gains in the Texas House.

"People are increasingly concerned with the results they see from the Republican majority," he said. "In Austin, those numbers are playing themselves out in the hanging of Tom Craddick. Republicans have begun to panic that the unease in the public is going to be taken out of their hide."
I first saw the news here.

Don't have anything much more to add to it but it fits my impression that local voters are turning 50-50 right now. I think this shift will continue through 2008. In talking politics in restaurants will now get someone from another table coming over to also talk about Bush and the GOP not being worth spit - in red, red, Deer Park.
Political parties Texans say they lean toward:

___________ __ 2006_ _ 2005_ _ 2004
Democrat___ __ 45.1% _ 37.2% _ 33.9%
Republican___ __ 42.6% _ 49.2% _ 54.7%
Independent_ __ 06.4% _ 10.5% _ 10.2%
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