Associated Press
Public Policy Polling published some discouraging news for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) earlier this week, noting that the Republican's approval rating has dropped to just 37%, making him the least popular senator in the nation.
The news wasn't all bad -- the same poll showed McConnell narrowly leading his most likely Democratic challengers -- but it had to be upsetting for the Senate's top Republican to see a poll like this one at a sensitive time in Washington, less than two years before his re-election bid.
McConnell's campaign manager, former Ron Paul aide Jesse Benton, has an explanation for the disappointing numbers: Public Policy Polling is deliberately manufacturing bogus data, as part of a larger Democratic conspiracy. Joe Sonka published a message Benton wrote yesterday:
On the first day of Republican Campaign Manager School, they teach us to ignore PPP polls. You see, PPP is a partisan Democrat polling firm, and they make their living giving the Democrat Party numbers they want to see.
Benton added, "Cooked polls are certainly only the start of the liberals' plans."
It's an interesting theory, I suppose, but it leads to some related questions. If Public Policy Polling were deliberately manufacturing bogus survey results to make McConnell look bad, wouldn't the pollster have shown him losing to his likely Democratic challengers? And if this were part of a larger Democratic plot, wouldn't PPP have shown some other, more vulnerable Republican incumbents as the least popular senators?
And if PPP polls are inherently unreliable, and its results are not to be trusted, why did it have the best year of any pollster in the country, while Republican outlets like Rasmussen were among the worst?
It's also worth noting that Joe Sonka reached out to PPP's Tom Jensen for a reaction to Team McConnell's paranoia. The pollster said:
I think one of the biggest lessons of the 2012 campaign was that when Republicans are attacking polls it's a sure sign that they're losing. GOP campaigns all over the country made these kinds of claims about us this year and we ended up calling every state in the Presidential race and Senate race we polled correctly. Nate Silver found that to the extent there was any bias in our polling, it was actually pro-Republican.
Jesse Benton himself knows well that the last time we produced a surprising poll in Kentucky it was right on the mark -- and that time it was to his benefit. In December 2009 we came out and said Rand Paul had a 19 point lead over Trey Grayson in the primary. That was an unexpected result at that point in the campaign and Grayson/McConnell's people attacked the heck out of us for several days just as they're doing now. I think that finding held up pretty well.
Benton was Rand Paul's campaign manager in 2010.
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Mitch McConnell's team sees polling conspiracy
Oh, It's WAYYYYYYYYY bigger that that. The insidious bias against the GOP goes right down to the voters themselves.
Get yer tin foil hats out.
I love that! Not only the liberal media, and the polling firms, but the voters themselves are biased against the GOP. Hilarious!
reality has a well-known "liberal bias."
Voters? The whole universe is against them. For instance, there's arithmetic. And physics. Not to mention evolution.
Ya' know, I bet it is literally true--GOP office holders are taught to ignore PPP polls, or any other reality that disagrees with the worldview of their financial supporters. Really, they had to be trained, because such irrational behavior could not be natural.
Oh DEAR GOD! Yes, it is a polling conspiracy! Whatever. This is the same party that though Romney was going to win due to their own "polling" which must have been a two-headed coin. Or, Rove having a meltdown election night and having the completely annoying Megyn Kelly (in an excuse to show off her stupid legs) to walk to the war room.
Fact... it is not a "polling conspiracy"...
Fact... Republican's were behind voter suppression!
What a bunch of nut jobs. Amazing how McConnell has taken up the "Right" flapping their gums disease over the last week or so. Shocking. Even more so than McCain and Graham.
Democrats need to publicly (even more so) call them out on their tactics.
Projection. If the teapubs claim conspiracy, you can bet they are doing it.
"Failing at traditional schools? Distrust scientific "facts?" Skeptical of the what the mainstream media reports? Have a creative imagination? Have no trouble telling lies or distorting the truth? Then we want you at the Republican Campaign Manager School."
When was the last time a state tried to recall a U.S. senator? Start the petition drive now. I would love to see him pull that fat turtle head back into his shell.
Me too!!
There is no mechanism in the Constitution to remove a Senator from office other than the Senate itself refusing to seat him. Which, despite quite a few felonies, I don't believe has ever happened. Certainly not to any recent Republicans.
Excellent idea...several other turkeys...or turtles...can go with him
The problem is, when teapubs do something wrong, illegal, or morally wrong, they get a standing ovation in Congress from their teapub brothers. When dems do something wrong, illegal or morally wrong, they have to resign or get impeached.
It's become obvious to more people that McConnell has nothing to offer as a leader or legislator - he's a man of no ideas who's chief function is to shake down the president like a small time cook. He's a bland Spiro Agnew.
With a pocket full of gold.
Oh, ouch! Spiro was pretty damn bland.
To call Mitch a bland Spiro Agnew is giving Agnew a bad name! Ok...a worse name...
I am not quite sure how to classify this...
On one level It's like a child throwing a tantrum going "NONONONONONONO!!!!!" but on another level their response is in perfect keeping with their message that "The democrat party is up to something" and trying to feed and galvanize the artificially induced paranoia of their base.
So I guess I can't say I am at all surprised but rather a bit sad that any elected official rather than try to change to reflect the wishes of their constituents would rather just make them afraid of some sort of imaginary conspiratorial apocalypse.
But I guess when you are looking into the abyss of ideological extinction and irrelevance anything is understandable if not expected
It's called "projection" rethugniCons do it all of the time! Rather than do any actual introspection the GOTP would rather blame the democrats because it's easy and the lame-stream media falls for it every time!
McTurtle is a traitor both to his constituents and to this nation! Wasn't he just saying the other day that when it comes time for the "debt ceiling" to be raised he'll just take America hostage to get his way - that right there is exhibit A on why this disgusting, self-centered old man needs to be voted out of the Congress!
Where oh where did we get this bunch of self-centered, temper tantrum throwing 13 year olds, and can WE send them back to what ever bridge they were living under?!
The real problem is that the Republican base is so gullible. No amount of factual information will sway them once Fox or Rush or Drudge tells them something is true.
Reality just needs to match Fox News better, is what they're saying.
Like watching a junkie head down a path that has no ending other than tragedy but can't take any other because in the near term it's too awful.
They know that winding up their base is a long-term ticket to the dustbin of history, but without winding up their base they lose the next election -- and in the famous words of Louis XV, "après moi, le déluge."
Please proceed, Senator.
I'd have thought the election results would have shut the "polling truthers" up. Apparently I was wrong.
In their fantasy land, none of those bad things ever happened. Their polls told the truth and the Democrats stole the election because everyone knows Americans are naturally Republicans given any real open chance.
What is baffling me is their confidence...do they know something we don't...Are they taking heart in the efforts of the Heritage Foundation and the Koch brothers ALEC? We, as Democrats, need to focus on the State Legislatures, look what happens when the wingers get in power...
They get Chuck Todd spewing winger talking points...they get David Gregory softballing on one of the most prestigious show on tv...and he is ruining it, as well as his producers...Fox Light...I don't want to see or hear the lying sacs of @!$%# on the only tv show I can watch with out vomiting...
You mean like Romney and all his supporters were confident until about 11:18 on election night when Ohio was called?
Whenever McConnell bloviates I am reminded of Foghorn Leghorn from the old MGM cartoons. You can find him on Youtube if you are too young to have seen him in a theater.
I always see him as one of those Ninja Turtles, but a weak and cowardly Ninja Turtle.
FogHorn Leghorn was a Warner Brothers Cartoon character...just sayin...but the analogy is correct!!
That's the funniest thing I've heard all week! Thanks for the good laugh. I intend to use that analogy often when discussing McConnell. LMAO.......
Trivia question...who was first, Foghorn Leghorn from toons or Senator Claghorn from Allen's Alley?
Senator Claghorn.
What did I win?
Wait didn't they already try this? And how'd that work out for them the last time? Polling Conspiracies is as about as creditable as saying I can see Russia from my house, as having Foreign Policy Experience. Mitch you are suppose to poison the well to make your base stupid, not drink from the same well. But I guess he likes to lead by example.
Kentucky and the nation deserve a much better senator than McConnell. He main job in Congress has been to get himself on tv and talk about his obstructionist views. He is one of the leaders "do nothing Congress."
Well, that's not quite fair. McConnell did propose a good policy about the debt ceiling recently. But then, he had to filibuster his own proposal.
Logic has never been a Republican forte.
Not since Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt , anyway ...
McConnell is finally getting his due. Remember folks, this man fillibustered the Dream Act, fillibustered rewarding companies who do not outsource or offshore, and then fillibustered his own idea. He led the lie brigade on the ACA, and has fought every single attempt to reign in banksters. There is literally nothing positive to say about a man who feels the truth is inconvienent.
Don't overstate the case. Lots of us find the truth inconvenient (among others, all of us who are divorced!) but that doesn't mean that we respond by refusing to acknowledge it.
When living in one bubble is not enough, build an addition.
The toughest architectural puzzle is the staircase in the house built in the clouds .
What about the Lunatic Conspiracy? You know, the folks who banded together and elected McConnell.
I am so looking forward to the mid-terms. It's like watching a guy standing on the tracks, talking so loud and fast he doesn't see the train coming. I can see it, you can see it, but neither of us is going to tell him. Lets' just watch.
His poll numbers are not good so rather than do something about that, he yells conspiracy and unfair polling.
This is just like overweight people suing restaurants. No matter what the problem is, it is not due to what you are blaming.
Why do people find it easier to blame the external and not the internal?
If it is external you are relieved of the responsibility to do something. So if you are fat, you sue the restaurant while you sit home in front of the TV pounding down the cupcakes.
And if you are a Republican you blame everyone else and continue to believe the fabricated nonsense proffered by the Right Wing.
See how simple it is?
johndevine,
Thank you for being able into words what my mind was inarticulating screaming.
Wasnt this their same reaction to all the polling in the presidential election? All the polls were cooked and biased and inaccurate?
Same with the jobs numbers, those were cooked too...
The right has to continually save face by insisting that everyone around them is lying. Those they accuse are getting a bit tired of being the GOP fall guy.
Fifty years ago, the Republican Party (led, to some extent, by WF Buckley) repudiated their wacked-out conspiracy theory fringe.
Today, the wacked-out conspiracy theory fringe leads the Republican Party.
I hope Mitch and team continue to believe this delusion. Ashley Judd will be laughing all the way to Washington and he can stay home and drink Mint Julips.
Why does this man have 7 offices with staff? He has 1 in Washington and 6 in the state of Kentucky. Who the hell is paying for all this and who does he think he is? Please 2014 can not come soon enough to get some of these Obstructionist out and replaced with moderates who understand compromise and will not put Party or personal advancement before Country.
That was the same attitude when it came to the polls regarding Romney's campaign and how they viewed the polls, look at the end result - Romney lost - Obama won. When will they learn?
The one thing I have noted about the fine state of Kentucky is...they sure don't know to vote and those people and when it comes to government they are just too easy to sucker. Expressly, when it comes to Senators. Secondly, Someone needs to teach those people about Blue Dog Democrats.
Hopefully they won't! Please, keep doing what you're doing! Make no adjustments for the will of the people, dismiss polls that have a history of accuracy & keep listening to those that tell you what you want to hear, whether it's based on reality or not. PLEASE! I'll hold the door for you on your way out.
Pot calling the kettle.....
Pretty soon the Repukes will have no where to run and no where to hide.I don't like either party.They are all criminals.I will take the lesser of to evils.
Respectfully, humanity isn't perfect, but that doesn't mean it isn't capable of doing good things. Throwing everyone in government under a criminal heading is not giving credit to those who do good for our nation. It's easier, but it isn't fair.
No, our government isn't perfect, but I do prefer it over a heck of a lot of other ones.
This nation of free thinking individuals is a conspiracy against the GOP!! Voting straight Democratic from now on. The GOP has officially lost it.
Last week he denied a vote on his own proposal and would not accept a majority vote on his own measure. This first and only time this has happened in Senate history!
Mitch McConnell is his own conspiracy in itself for he is his own personal russian nesting doll. Stupid is as stupid does and he does it to himself in spades.
Stay Calm and Trust Nate Silver.
Why let reality get in the way of your perception? I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories as a rule, nor do I give credence to those that do.
"Cooked polls"? Really?? Because a poll effects you how? Shiny things can be so distracting...