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Minnesota: Election 2008 (U.S. Senate)

Election Matchup
Electability
Candidate Favorability Ratings
Candidate Image
Al Franken's Controversial Writings

Election Matchup

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Al Franken (DFL)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Franken	Other	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Quinnipiac³	June 17-24, 2008	51%	41%	1%	7%	1,572 LV	± 2.5
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	52%	40%	8%		609 RV	± 4.0
Rasmussen	June 11, 2008	48%	45%	4%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen	May 22, 2008	47%	45%	5%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen	April 22, 2008	50%	43%	3%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen	March 19, 2008	48%	46%	2%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	March 12, 2008	51%	41%	7%		644 RV	± 3.9
Rasmussen	February 16, 2008	46%	49%	5%		500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	February 10-11, 2008	47%	46%	8%		650 RV	± 3.9
SurveyUSA¹	November 2-5, 2007	48%	44%	8%		616 RV	± 4.0
Rasmussen	October 31, 2007	49%	42%	5%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	October 24-28, 2007	46%	45%	9%		692	± 3.8
Rasmussen	September 6, 2007	46%	41%	7%	6%	500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	July 26-29, 2007	49%	42%	9%		628 RV	± 4.0
MPR²	May 7-9, 2007	54%	32%	14%		625 RV	± 4.0
Rasmussen	March 7, 2007	46%	36%	18%		500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	February 12-13, 2007	57%	35%	8%		632 RV	± 3.9

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) If the election for United States Senator were today, and the only two candidates on the ballot were Republican Norm Coleman and DFL candidate Al Franken, who would you vote for?"

2 "If the 2008 election for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat were held today, for whom would you vote if the choice were between Al Franken, the DFL candidate, and Norm Coleman, the Republican candidate?"

3 "If the election for United States Senator were being held today, and the candidates were Al Franken the DFL candidate and Norm Coleman the Republican candidate, for whom would you vote? (If undecided) As of today, do you lean more toward Franken or Coleman?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Al Franken (DFL) vs. Jesse Ventura (Ind.)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Franken	Ventura	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	41%	31%	23%	5%	609 RV	± 4.1
Rasmussen	June 11, 2008	39%	32%	24%	5%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) Now, what if there were three candidates on the ballot: Republican Norm Coleman, DFL candidate Al Franken, and Independent candidate Jesse Venture?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Al Franken (DFL) vs. Dean Barkley (Ind.)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Franken	Barkley	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	48%	37%	8%	8%	609 RV	± 4.1

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) Now, what if it was Republican Norm Coleman, DFL candidate Al Franken, and Independent candidate Dean Barkley?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Mike Ciresi (DFL) vs. Jesse Ventura (Ind.)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Ciresi	Ventura	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	41%	28%	26%	6%	609 RV	± 4.1

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) What if the three candidates on the ballot were Republican Norm Coleman, DFL candidate Mike Ciresi, and Independent candidate Jesse Ventura?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Mike Ciresi (DFL) vs. Dean Barkley (Ind.)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Ciresi	Barkley	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	47%	35%	6%	11%	609 RV	± 4.1

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Mike Ciresi (DFL)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Ciresi	Other	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	June 10-12, 2008	50%	40%	10%		609 RV	± 4.1
Rasmussen	February 16, 2008	47%	45%	8%		500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	February 10-11, 2008	51%	40%	9%		650 RV	± 3.9
SurveyUSA¹	November 2-5, 2007	49%	43%	8%		616 RV	± 4.0
Rasmussen	October 31, 2007	46%	43%	4%	7%	500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	October 24-28, 2007	44%	44%	12%		692 RV	± 3.8
Rasmussen	September 6, 2007	46%	42%	6%	6%	500 LV	± 4.5
SurveyUSA¹	July 26-29, 2007	48%	42%	11%		628 RV	± 4.0
MPR²	May 7-9, 2007	52%	29%	19%		625 RV	± 4.0
SurveyUSA¹	February 12-13, 2007	57%	34%	8%		632 RV	± 3.9

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) What if the only two candidates on the ballot for United States Senator were Republican Norm Coleman and DFL candidate Mike Ciresi?"

2 "If the 2008 election for Minnesota's U.S. Senate seat were held today, for whom would you vote if the choice were between Mike Ciresi, the DFL candidate, and Norm Coleman, the Republican candidate?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Jim Cohen (DFL)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Cohen	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	November 2-5, 2007	50%	38%	12%	616 RV	± 4.0
SurveyUSA¹	July 26-29, 2007	49%	37%	14%	628 RV	± 4.0

1 "(Minnesota will elect a United States Senator in November 2008.) What if the only two candidates on the ballot for United States Senator were Republican Norm Coleman and DFL candidate Jim Cohen?"

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer (DFL)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Nelson-Pallmeyer	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	March 12, 2008	57%	28%	15%	644 RV	± 3.9
SurveyUSA¹	February 10-11, 2008	58%	30%	12%	650 RV	± 3.9
SurveyUSA¹	November 2-5, 2007	53%	34%	13%	616 RV	± 4.0

Norm Coleman (R) vs. Darryl Stanton (DFL)

Poll	Date	Coleman	Stanton	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA¹	March 12, 2008	57%	27%	16%	644 RV	± 3.9
SurveyUSA¹	February 10-11, 2008	58%	29%	13%	650 RV	± 3.9

Electability

DFL Candidate Most Likely to Beat Norm Coleman

Poll	Date	Franken	Ciresi	Neither	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	October 31, 2007	30%	37%	22%	12%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Which DFL Senate candidate is most likely to beat Norm Coleman - Al Franken or Mike Ciresi?"

Candidate Favorability Ratings

Norm Coleman Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	51%	45%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	May 22, 2008	49%	49%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	April 22, 2008	55%	42%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	March 19, 2008	52%	44%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	February 16, 2008	55%	42%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	October 31, 2007	56%	42%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	September 6, 2007	54%	46%	1%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	March 7, 2007	51%	42%	7%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression of Norm Coleman?"

Norm Coleman Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	Neutral	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA²	October 24-28, 2007	36%	37%	20%	6%	692 RV	± 3.8
MPR¹	May 7-9, 2007	43%	25%	29%	3%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you have a favorable, unfavorable, or neutral opinion of ... Norm Coleman?"

2 "Is your opinion of Norm Coleman favorable, unfavorable, neutral, or are you unfamiliar with Norm Coleman?"

Al Franken Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	46%	49%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	May 22, 2008	47%	49%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	April 22, 2008	48%	47%	5%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	March 19, 2008	48%	45%	7%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	February 16, 2008	50%	42%	8%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	October 31, 2007	43%	48%	8%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	September 6, 2007	46%	47%	7%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	March 7, 2007	39%	46%	15%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression of Al Franken?"

Al Franken Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	Neutral	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA²	October 24-28, 2007	22%	37%	22%	18%	692 RV	± 3.8
MPR¹	May 7-9, 2007	29%	32%	18%	21%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you have a favorable, unfavorable, or neutral opinion of ... Al Franken?"

Jesse Ventura Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	36%	62%	2%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression of Jesse Ventura?"

Mike Ciresi Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	February 16, 2008	46%	42%	12%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	October 31, 2007	43%	40%	16%	500 LV	± 4.5
Rasmussen¹	September 6, 2007	40%	43%	17%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do you have a very favorable, somewhat favorable, somewhat unfavorable, or very unfavorable impression of Mike Ciresi?"

Mike Ciresi Favorability Rating

Poll	Date	Favorable	Unfavorable	Neutral	No opinion	Sample	MoE
SurveyUSA²	October 24-28, 2007	12%	18%	27%	43%	692 RV	± 3.8
MPR¹	May 7-9, 2007	18%	13%	34%	35%	625 RV	± 4.0

1 "Do you have a favorable, unfavorable, or neutral opinion of ... Mike Ciresi?"

2 "Is your opinion of Mike Ciresi favorable, unfavorable, neutral, or are you unfamiliar with Mike Ciresi?"

Candidate Image

Norm Coleman's Ties to President Bush Impact on Vote

Poll	Date	More likely	Less likely	No impact	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	April 22, 2008	24%	51%	22%	3%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Will Senator Norm Coleman's ties to President Bush make you more or less likely to vote for him?"

Al Franken's Lack of Experience Impact on Vote

Poll	Date	More likely	Less likely	No impact	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	April 22, 2008	20%	43%	33%	4%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Will Al Franken's lack of experience make you more or less likely to vote for him?"

Al Franken's Political Satirist Background Impact on Vote

Poll	Date	More likely	Less likely	No impact	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	April 22, 2008	24%	36%	37%	2%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Will Al Franken's years spent as a political satirist make you more or less likely to vote for him?"

Al Franken's Controversial Writings

Attentiveness to Controversy Over Al Franken's Writings

Poll	Date	Very closely	Somewhat closely	Not very closely	Not at all	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	25%	37%	25%	12%	1%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "How closely have you followed recent news stories about Al Franken's controversial writings earlier in his career?"

Impact of Writings On Vote for Franken

Poll	Date	More likely	Less likely	No impact	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	11%	38%	45%	6%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Do the things written when Franken was a comedian make you more likely or less likely to vote for him in the senate election?"

Writings Changed Opinion of Franken

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	15%	67%	18%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Have these earlier writings changed your opinion of Franken?"

Sincerity of Franken's Apology for Writings

Poll	Date	Yes	No	No opinion	Sample	MoE
Rasmussen¹	June 11, 2008	41%	31%	28%	500 LV	± 4.5

1 "Franken has recently apologized for these writings. Were his apologies sincere?"