CNN/Time poll puts Strickland/Kasich in dead heat

By William Hershey

Dayton Daily News

COLUMBUS— Support among likely voters for Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland and Republican challenger John Kasich now appears to be roughly even in the governor's race, according to a CNN/TIME/Opinion Research Group poll released Wednesday.

That poll and a Quinnipiac University poll also released Wednesday both showed a double-digit lead in the U.S. Senate race for Republican Rob Portman over Democrat Lee Fisher, the lieutenant governor.

In the governor's race, Strickland support was at 48 percent to 47 percent for Kasich, within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

It was an improvement for Strickland who trailed Kasich, 51-44 percent in a September poll by the same group.

The results in the governor's race contrasted with a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday that showed Kasich, a former Columbus-area congressman, leading, 51-41 percent.

Analysts such as political scientist John Green, director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, have cautioned that 'all polls should be viewed with caution '.especially in the last days of a hard fought campaign.'

In the Senate race, the CNN/TIME/Opinion Research poll showed Portman leading Fisher, 55-40 percent, an improvement for Portman from the September poll when he led, 52-41 percent.

In the Quinnipiac poll, Portman, a former Cincinnati-area congressman and top aide to President George W. Bush, led Fisher, 55-34 percent, about the same as the 55-36 percent lead Portman had in a September Quinnipiac poll.

The CNN/TIME/Opinion Research poll was taken Oct. 15 '“ Tuesday with 863 likely voters, with the plus or minus 3.5 percent margin of error.

The Quinnipiac poll was taken Oct. 12 '“ Sunday with 1,188 likely voters and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.