New Insider Advantage Georgia Poll: Democratic Race

Former Gov. Roy Barnes enjoys the same boost from name advantage on the Democratic side as does Oxendine for the GOP, just at a higher level.
The results from 664 registered voters who said if the election were held today they would choose a Democratic Ballot

Barnes: 36%

Baker: 7%

Porter: 3%

Poythress: 2%

Other: 4%

No opinion/Undecided: 48%

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7% and was weighted for age, race and gender.

Much like the GOP contest, many voters don’t know any of the candidates well enough to have formed an opinion. Barnes has been out of office almost eight years, but the residual name identification he holds makes him the strongest of the candidates.

I will note that in conducting this survey, we once again learned that the Democratic primary, if it were held today, would be made up of a majority of African-American voters. Barnes does well among black voters, but should Attorney General Baker have enough money to mount a decent television effort prior to the primary, my guess is that this race could become closer than some guess. Barnes would then have to find wedge issues to bring in the African American vote in a runoff

New poll from Strategic Vision.

Poll From Strategic Vision: If the Democratic primary for Governor was held today, for whom would you vote, Thurbert Baker, Dubose Porter, or David Poythress? (Democrats Only)
Thurbert Baker 41%
David Poythress 8%
Dubose Porter 5%
Undecided 46%

But with Roy Barnes included in the poll, it has Barnes with 56%, Baker 29%, Poythress 4%, Porter 2% undecided 9%.

But this maybe even more important:

Do you approve or disapprove of President Barack Obama's overall job performance?
Approve 55%
Disapprove 39%
Undecided 6%

Do you approve or disapprove of President Obama's handling of the economy?
Approve 54%
Disapprove 41%
Undecided 5%

If President Obama can remain over 50% here in Georgia going into 2010, that bolds well for democrats & shows that Georgians are not as hostile to the new president as some may have thought.

IA poll: Barnes could threaten the GOP streak

Insider Advantage is out this morning with a statewide poll showing former Gov. Roy Barnes could seriously threaten Republican intentions to continue their rule over the state Capitol.

The survey posits three match-ups against Republicans. In only one, against Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, does the former democratic governor trail 39% to 35%.

Against John Oxendine, he leads 38% to 33%.

Against Karen Handel he leads 34% to 29%.

The March 17 poll queried 550 Georgia registered voters, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

For Casey Cagle, that not a big lead for a republican in a state that is so called solid reoublican. Cagle will have problems against Barnes. He will have to defend the last 8 years of Sonny Perdue & his own work as Lt. Governor & the work of the GOP led Legislature.