The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Ohio shows Republican John Kasich barely ahead of incumbent Democratic Governor Ted Strickland 48% to 45%. Last month, Kaisch was running ahead of Strickland by 8 points, but, as you can see, Kaisch now leds by only 3 points.
I think Kaisch’s gruff appearance at the last televised debate negatively impacted voter perception. The opposite is was the case for Republican Robert Portman. His speech was as calm and professional as Obama, but not a polished and academic. His criticism of and retorts to Democrat Lee Fisher were effective, while Fisher’s sometimes seemed to stretch the “truth” about Portman a little too far. This has contributed to Portman’s 23 point lead over Fisher for the U.S. Senate race.
Source: Rasmussen Reports, October 13, 2010