Poll: Ensign's Ratings Fall In Nevada -- But It Could Be Worse
A new Mason-Dixon poll finds that Sen. John Engisn's (R-NV) favorable ratings have fallen sharply back home in Nevada, in the wake of his admission of an extramarital affair in 2007 and 2008 -- but there is hope for him.
Ensign's favorable rating has fallen to 39%, with 37% unfavorable. A month ago, before he'd admitted to the affair, his favorable rating had been a much heftier 53%-18%.
However, pollster Brad Coker told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that while Ensign's numbers have certainly fallen, it could be a lot worse: "The really significant question is that only 29 percent think he should resign right away. He does have the ability to stay on and turn this around."
Ensign is also fortunate to not be up for re-election until 2012, giving him plenty of time to turn this around, provided that no other shoes drop in this story.
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On the other hand, in 2012 Obama will be running for re-election. If the economy has turned around and Obama has passed health care reform, the Democratic brand will be very strong. This means higher turnout for Democrats in a state that is purple trending blue which is bad for Ensign.
June 22, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't want Ensign to resign over this. I don't think he should, seriously. Barring any discovery of a real breach of Senate ethics, I really don't see the point of purging the government of people over what are really private matters, even one as embarrassing and questionable as this.
I want Ensign to serve as a continuing example of the ridiculousness of the Republican hypocrisy on these matters, which dictate that people like Ensign should resign or be impeached when exposed thusly. The longer he sticks around, the more he continues to precisely undercut the very policy he and his ilk are espousing.
June 22, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, there may in fact be ethical problems. Ensign's mistress and her husband worked for him at the time of the affair which is already bad enough. But also, her salary doubled at the time of the affair and then she left his employ when the affair ended. And on top of that, her 19-year old son got a job with the Republican organization that Ensign was a chair of as a "policy consultant."
I agree that the affair itself shouldn't cause Ensign -- or anyone -- to resign. But if everything I've listed above is true, then I think there's more than enough of an ethical problem to justify at least a fuller investigation.
June 22, 2009 1:12 PM | Reply | Permalink