Quinnipiac Poll: FL Governor--Scott (R) 45% (-4) Sink (D) 44% (+1)

[WI_DEM]

Closing the Florida governor's race to a dead heat, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democrat, now has 44 percent of likely voters to Republican Rick Scott's 45 percent, compared to the Republican's 49 - 43 percent lead October 1, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.


Ms. Sink's surge could be tied to voter belief, 44 - 28 percent, that she was a more ethical businessperson than Scott when both were in the private sector, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey finds. A total of 89 percent of likely voters say a candidate's record in business is either somewhat or very important to their vote choice.


By a 42 - 37 percent margin, Florida voters have a favorable opinion of Sink, while Scott gets a negative 39 - 46 percent favorability rating. This compares to the October 1 survey showing her with a split 39 - 39 percent favorability, compared to Scott's split 41 - 40 percent.


"In the last two weeks, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink has moved into a statistical tie with Rick Scott. Her image has improved while his has deteriorated. It would seem that the debate through television ads about their respective business careers may be the reason," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "At this point she is winning that debate handily and it is having an impact on the race.


"How the voters feel about the economy is also directly tied to their vote: Among those who think the economy is improving, Ms. Sink leads 69 - 22 percent, while Scott leads 58 - 25 percent among voters who see the economy getting worse."


Only 20 percent of Florida likely voters say the state economy is getting better, while 34 percent say it is getting worse and 43 percent say it is about the same.


Florida independent likely voters say 50 - 24 percent that Sink, the former president of Bank of America's Florida division, was more ethical in business than Scott, the former CEO of Columbia/HCA, the nation's largest hospital chain.


In the horse race, Sink leads Scott 82 - 7 percent among Democrats while Scott leads 83 - 8 percent among Republicans. Independent voters, who backed Scott 46 - 40 percent October 1, now back Sink 51 - 34 percent.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1297.xml?ReleaseID=1515

[Lochloosa]

1. I can't believe it's this close. Scott is a fucking crook that should be in jail.

But he is a "good boy".

[peekaloo]

5. He's gonna give us all jobs in his big dough nut shop.

lots o' crazy in this state

[DCBob]

2. This is going to be a barn burner.. we need this Gov slot to be Dem..

FL is likely to be the key state again in 2012.

[Doctor_J]

3. Have blacks been re-enfranchised in FL yet?

or are the voter rolls being purged still?

[RockaFowler]

4. Nothings changed

I'm sorry to say, but Florida is still disenfranchising a lot of residents. We have the worst "taxation without representation" in the country. My husband did his time, but still cannot vote. It's a travesty!!! Oh yeah and because he said he was a democrat I'm even more sure that this is the reason he hasn't gotten his voter's rights back.

[Doctor_J]

6. Probably everyone else with your husband's name

has also been stripped of voting rights too. especially if he has a black-sounding name.

[DCBob]

7. Things are looking up.

Nov 2 could be a good night.