Mark Kirk's Support Shaky Among Conservatives: Rival Poll

There are chinks in Mark Kirk's conservative armor, but are there enough to keep the Republican Congressman from winning his party's 2010 Senate nomination?

A new poll released by rival candidate Patrick Hughes, a Hinsdale developer, shows pronounced ambivalence among conservatives to support Kirk, the GOP frontrunner in the race for Barack Obama's former seat.

The poll of 500 likely Republican Primary voters, conducted September 14-15 by Market Research Insight, found Kirk's favorability rating at just 27 percent, with only 23 percent of respondents willing to commit to voting for him in a primary with seven other candidates.

The polled voters labeled themselves as 69 percent conservative and 26 percent moderate, a potentially troubling number for Kirk, who voted in favor of the president's cap-and-trade bill and supports abortion rights.

A full 63 percent said they oppose the cap-and-trade bill and only 12 percent support it. Upon being told that Kirk was one of eight Republicans who voted for the cap-and-trade bill, 68 percent said that makes them more likely to vote against him. Kirk has since walked away from his vote, saying that if the same bill comes to a vote in the Senate he would vote against it (which could have its own consequences in a general election).

Perhaps most revealing of the gulf between Illinois Republican voters and the national party were the answers to this question:

"If most of the top Republicans in Washington supported Kirk's Senate bid would that encourage you to vote for or against Mark Kirk?"

Only 19 percent of respondents said the national push would encourage them a lot to vote for Kirk and 24 percent said encourage them a little. Another 13 percent wanted to vote against Kirk should Washington Republicans back him, with 44 percent saying the Washington support would have no influence on them.

The survey had a 4.5 percent margin of error.

Read the poll memo:

Patrick Hughes Campaign Polling Results -

Comments

[supertim]

11:35 PM on 10/22/2009

i find it highly offensive that HP continues its use of the negative ethnic pejorative "chinks", i am sure with all the ivy league educated people on the HP staff, they could find an alternative phrase to describe his shortcomings

[Frank Jenkins]

08:37 PM on 09/28/2009

Just read an article in the Sun-Times on how this bozo is trying to link the unions SEIU in particular, to ACORN. What a tool. I've never understood why the republican party is just flat-out against working people. Oh I remember now, they don't vote for them because helping people against corporations isn't a republican thing.

[Diana24]

03:52 AM on 09/25/2009

Well good, let the GOP nominate a total right winger. The truth is Kirk is probably there best shot at picking up the seat. But hey as a Democrat if they want to self destruct that's fine with me.

[JohnnyWalkerBlueLabel]

04:10 PM on 09/24/2009

I just sent Kirk's campaign a C note. Guess he's conservative enough for me.

[ekoorb]

10:25 PM on 09/24/2009

Wow! Why have you pro-choice, pro gay rights conservatives been hiding? Or are you expecting him to flip?

[nowarpleez]

12:19 AM on 09/24/2009

Pat Buchanan is not conservative enough for the monsters that have become the GOP. How about David Duke? Maybe they can get him to move to Illinois so he can run for office. If only Strom Thurmond or George Wallace were still alive.

[MovingtoNorway]

07:39 PM on 09/23/2009

Good. I hope they nominate some no neck mouth breathing birther who doesn't believe in evolution. More nails in the coffin of the rethugs.

[Lakeview Greg]

03:33 PM on 09/23/2009

Kirk not conservative enough? Wait a minute or two, he will say something to appease conservatives. Then he will tell liberals he was just saying that to the cons to get elected. Then he will tell the cons he just said that to appease the liberals and on and on....

Just because he's for it now does not mean he will be for it later. He said as much himself.

ack, what a crackpot.

[mamala4]

09:23 PM on 09/23/2009

Thank you LG...that poomplet thing is out spewing stupidity about Kirk....it's fun listening to those room temp IQ's...good for a laugh or two...

[timmmahhhh]

03:29 PM on 09/23/2009

I think the real question to ask would be what percentage of Illinois voters consider themselves to be Republican. Simply because Republicans may not like Kirk does not mean he would not do better among the moderates and even some liberals in the state. I think Kirk is banking on the state overall being more conservative than his district. That may win him votes in southern Illinois but not in most of the Chicago area where the bulk of the population is. DuPage County is bluer than it used to be and Denny Hastert's old district seems to be safe for Democrat Bill Foster.

[studmoose]

01:30 PM on 09/23/2009

As in...

Conservative enough = K-razy enough!

[poomplet]

11:54 AM on 09/23/2009

I knew voter & mamala would come here spouting false/misleading generalities (i.e., "...voted with Bush XX% of the time when DEMOCRATS all voted with him over 50% of the time). So I thought I'd drop in some actual facts:

Kirk is the only GOP politician EVER to get a 100% rating by planned parenthood. Not only did he vote for the min. wage hike, he led the charge to strip the "Del Monte Loophole" from the bill so it would apply to territories like Guam & Samoa. He lead the Stem Cell bill thru the House in 2005. He's fought for veteran aid & funding at every step. He served w/honor and is STILL a naval reservist, and completed a tour of Afghanistan in Jan '09 (the first time a US congressman has served in an area of danger since WWII). Kirk was one of two Republicans to vote against an amendment to the Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights that allowed the people to carry guns in the National Park System. And he was one of only EIGHT republicans to vote for the Clean Engergy & Security act.

Pro-choice, pro-veteran/defense, pro-science, pro-environment, pro-sane gun laws, pro labor/worker...what an insufferable BushClone!!

[fallingsky]

11:50 AM on 09/23/2009

doesn't matter,,, if he goes up against the likes of Giannoulous or any other Chicago type pol , he will win.....first, no way the AA , hispanic and youth will come out as they did in 2008 for one party , and the disgust that Illinois holds now for the Dems is pretty big right now

[poomplet]

11:59 AM on 09/23/2009

Yeah...I hope Don 'Giannoulias' gets the nod.

Cuz then Kirk can get the #1 head-honcho DEMOCRAT in Illinois, Michael Madigan, to run his campaign.

Sayeth the Dem stalwart...re. Giannoulias' mob-ties:

"Speaker Michael Madigan refuses to endorse Giannoulias and won't even put his picture on the party's campaign web site. "I want some answers. The allegations are there," Madigan said earlier this week. "My history in politics, if you were alleged to be connected to the mob, you were done. But life seems to go on."

[ekoorb]

12:00 PM on 09/23/2009

You don't think AA voters would turn out if the President rallies them to help hold his seat, the one that launched his national stature? You don't think Hispanics would turn out for the son of immigrants? You don't think youth would turn out for the first state-wide candidate to endorse marriage equality? Republicans nationally are at 28% favorable/43% unfavorable in latest NBC/WSJ poll.

[poomplet]

12:08 PM on 09/23/2009

WHO CARES about national polls.

The rest of the country wasn't abased & embarrassed on the INTERNATIONAL stage by Blago & Burris. They don't know about Rezko, Solis, Daley, Stroger...they don't know how the Dems managed to bring state govt. to an actual halt...several times...ALL BY THEMSELVES..when they controlled both houses & the gov. mansion.

And while the GOP has certainly struggled, our state has a long history of GOP leadership & is pretty evenly split along party lines. A 12 year old would be savvy enough to paint the Dems with a thick coat of BlagoTaint & remind us all how corrupt & vile the Dems have been in recent years.

THAT is why Voter & others are so scared of Kirk!!

[poomplet]

12:17 PM on 09/23/2009

Who cares about national polls!

The rest of the country wasn't abased & embarrassed on the INTERNATIONAL stage by Blago & Burris. They don't know about Rezko, Solis, Daley, Stroger...they don't know how the Dems managed to bring state govt. to an actual halt...several times...ALL BY THEMSELVES..when they controlled both houses & the gov. mansion.

And while the GOP has certainly struggled, our state has a long history of GOP leadership & is pretty evenly split along party lines. A 12 year old would be savvy enough to paint the Dems with a thick coat of BlagoTaint & remind us all how corrupt, ineffective & just plain vile the Dems have been in recent years

[dans5843]

11:32 AM on 09/23/2009

There is no way I am going to vote for this dude.

[VOTER]

01:19 AM on 09/23/2009

Even though Congressman Mark "Bush" Kirk caught grief on Cap n Trade, he
has changed his stance and is more than acceptable to Illinois Republicans.

This poll is a bunch of BS, Republican Myth Making.
It was done to promote Mark "Bush" Kirk's phony "moderate label" for all other voters in the state.
No one should buy it.
Kirk hasn't been a good Congressman in the 10th District.
Kirk was/is a Bush Loyalist.
Kirk isn't a moderate.

Illinoisans don't need another BUSH!
Congressman Mark "Bush" Kirk is on shaking ground but it isn't from Republicans.

[VOTER]

01:33 AM on 09/23/2009

Patrick Hughes is Kirk's front man for the GOP primary.
Kirk is now and has always been the Republican's Favorite Son.

[poomplet]

11:35 AM on 09/23/2009

No matter how hard you try, your constant yap ping is not going to change the fact that Kirk is so moderate, the hardcore right hates him.

"Myth making"...HAH! The only reason the GOP party is somewhat backing him is that they are actually savvy enough to realize it's better to win with a moderate than lose with an idealogue. He's being booed at GOP rallies ( http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2009/09/kirk-booed-at-dupage-gop-rally.html?cid=6a00d834515c5469e20120a568695d970b ), he's been called the definition of a 'RINO'.

Give it up, Voter....your transparent lyes have been shredded by the truth. YOU cannot define what kind of Rebublican he is...only Republicans can...and clearly, they're telling us he's too liberal.

[Lakeview Greg]

12:22 AM on 09/23/2009

There's always Helicopter Jim Oberweis!

[dugmaze]

09:50 PM on 09/22/2009

I'm a progressive democrat from Southern Illinois and Mark Kirk would be the ONLY republican I would vote for. He's more of a bludog democrat.

http://pdamerica.org/iot/

[VOTER]

01:30 AM on 09/23/2009

He doesn't have even a tinge of Dem in him, nor moderate.

VOTER from the 10th District.

[mamala4]

07:47 AM on 09/23/2009

Mark Kirk has been my congressman for 10 years...10 years of poor representation for any demorcat...Vote NO on Kirk....