QUOTE
Governor's Race Proves Close For Reilly, Patrick
Jon Keller
Mar 7, 2006 5:42 pm US/Eastern
(CBS4) BOSTON In the race for governor, two democrats are fighting it out for a shot at the corner office.
But how close is the battle between Attorney General Tom Reilly and former justice department official Deval Patrick? CBS4 has exclusive fast track survey results.
This has been a difficult winter for the Reilly campaign. His support hemorrhaged in the wake of a string of damaging news stories that called his political skills into question. But, our exclusive fast track from Survey USA suggests that for now, the bleeding has stopped.
“He looks like the Democratic version of Timex - takes a licking and still keeps ticking,” said CBS4 Political Analyst John Henning as he took a look at the exclusive survey results that show Tom Reilly rebounding from a series of blunders -- including his brief, disastrous alliance with a financially-troubled running mate.
Despite his woes, Reilly holds a solid ten-point lead over Deval Patrick in our exclusive fast track, which has a five percent margin of error.
“You can't give up and you never know what's going to happen within a month,” said Henning. “The cycles are shorter and shorter and people get new lives. Reilly looks like he's in the second phase of being a cat in this one.”
Reilly's strongest showing in CBS4’s survey came among women -- a crucial segment of the primary vote.
Patrick holds his own with men, but women preferred Reilly by a whopping 22-point margin, a gap Patrick will have to close to stay competitive.
But there is ample hope in these numbers for Patrick, a political unknown just a few months ago. For instance, among the un-enrolled voters who may ultimately decide the race.
It is essentially a dead heat between Reilly and Patrick, a sign that Patrick’s pitch is resonating with independents.
“I've never belonged in a box, I don't want to be put in a box,” said Patrick. “I'm open to a range of ideas; I have a range of ideas that cut across all kinds of characterizations. And frankly, I think people are tired of labels.”
So what's the bottom line? This democratic primary is shaping up to be a very tight contest. And keep in mind, there is still the possibility of another candidate jumping in.
Jon Keller
Mar 7, 2006 5:42 pm US/Eastern
(CBS4) BOSTON In the race for governor, two democrats are fighting it out for a shot at the corner office.
But how close is the battle between Attorney General Tom Reilly and former justice department official Deval Patrick? CBS4 has exclusive fast track survey results.
This has been a difficult winter for the Reilly campaign. His support hemorrhaged in the wake of a string of damaging news stories that called his political skills into question. But, our exclusive fast track from Survey USA suggests that for now, the bleeding has stopped.
“He looks like the Democratic version of Timex - takes a licking and still keeps ticking,” said CBS4 Political Analyst John Henning as he took a look at the exclusive survey results that show Tom Reilly rebounding from a series of blunders -- including his brief, disastrous alliance with a financially-troubled running mate.
Despite his woes, Reilly holds a solid ten-point lead over Deval Patrick in our exclusive fast track, which has a five percent margin of error.
“You can't give up and you never know what's going to happen within a month,” said Henning. “The cycles are shorter and shorter and people get new lives. Reilly looks like he's in the second phase of being a cat in this one.”
Reilly's strongest showing in CBS4’s survey came among women -- a crucial segment of the primary vote.
Patrick holds his own with men, but women preferred Reilly by a whopping 22-point margin, a gap Patrick will have to close to stay competitive.
But there is ample hope in these numbers for Patrick, a political unknown just a few months ago. For instance, among the un-enrolled voters who may ultimately decide the race.
It is essentially a dead heat between Reilly and Patrick, a sign that Patrick’s pitch is resonating with independents.
“I've never belonged in a box, I don't want to be put in a box,” said Patrick. “I'm open to a range of ideas; I have a range of ideas that cut across all kinds of characterizations. And frankly, I think people are tired of labels.”
So what's the bottom line? This democratic primary is shaping up to be a very tight contest. And keep in mind, there is still the possibility of another candidate jumping in.