Did you realize that an openly lesbian House candidate is within striking distance in SC?

[Seen the light]

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/25/14186/494/711/642035

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/20-22. Likely voters. MoE ±5% (no trendlines).

Brown (R-inc) 48
Ketner (D) 37

While you never want to see a double-digit lead for the Republican, these are actually pretty terrific numbers for a couple reasons.

First, incumbent Republican Henry Brown is under 50% reelect. That's always reason for optimism, especially so in an R+10 district, where Bush won by 22 points in 2004.

Second, Democrat Linda Ketner's favorables are actually quite strong - 40% favorable, 35% unfavorable. She even gets 25% favorables from Republicans, which is quite remarkable for an openly gay, progressive Democrat in a conservative South Carolina district. She has raised plenty of money, and spent lavishly in an effort to increase her profile; it appears to have been successful.

Third and perhaps most importantly, fully 32% of black voters polled are undecided. Black voters made up 22% of the sample used.

Ketner is getting 29% of the white vote, five points higher even than Obama.

If undecided black voters end up going for Ketner in the same proportion that decideds have - or to the same degree that they're going for Obama - that could be worth anywhere from an additional 5-8 points for Ketner. This would put her numbers in the low-to-mid 40s, and solidly within striking distance of Brown.

Brown got a free ride in 2002 and 2004, and had a token challenger in 2006 against whom he pulled 60% of the vote:

In case you weren't aware (and I wasn't aware myself until I saw this reposted on SSP), Linda Ketner is lesbian.

So we're currently in a political climate where a candidate that happens to be lesbian can potentially win a congressional seat in a solidly red South Carolina district and there are still people worried about Senator Obama's chances nationwide? :rofl:

Go Linda go! ::applause: :applause: :applause:

Ketner's ActBlue page in case you want to help her knock off Henry Brown:
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/19434