MPR poll shows comments hurt Bachmann
A new MPR News/ University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute poll shows voter concerns over Rep.Michele Bachmann's recent comments have cost her support in the 6th District.
The poll of 430 likely 6th district voters shows 45 percent favor DFL challenger Elwyn Tinklenberg, compared to 43 percent for incumbent Bachmann. Support for Bob Anderson, the Independence Party candidate, was 5 percent.
The poll's margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.7 percentage points. which means the race is a statistical dead heat.
The survey was taken after Bachmann publicly questioned whether the views of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama were anti-American, and suggested the media investigate the anti-American views of Congress.
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Nearly 4 out of 10 6th district voters said they were less likely to support Bachmann because of her comments compared to 8 percent who said they are now more supportive.
Bachmann's level of support trails John McCain, and Sen. Norm Coleman, who both have leads in the heavily Republican district. Coleman's 14 point lead over Democrat Al Franken is much bigger than McCain's 3 point lead over Barack Obama in the district.
Coleman had 44 percent support in the district compared to Franken's 30 percent. IP Senate candidate Dean Barkley is polling at 17 percent in the 6th District, and 9 percent are undecided.
In the presidential race in the 6th, McCain has 47 percent and Obama has 44 percent. Seven percent are undecided.
By way of context, Bachmann defeated DFLer Patty Wetterling 50-42 percent in 2006. In 2004 President Bush won 57 percent of the district's vote compared to 42 percent for John Kerry.
The poll was conducted between Oct. 21 and Oct. 23.