We've reached the point in the campaign where polling has become a big story. It’s always a big story, but with fewer and fewer voters unclear about the candidates and the issues, who's leading in the polls becomes the story.
Ohio does not see as much polling as it used to. That’s because we are no longer a presidential swing state. National polling firms and out-of-state universities don’t survey Ohio voters as much as they did in the first 15 years of this century.
But there are polls out there. One last week was particularly interesting because of its depth of questions.
The top lines were not all that surprising. Donald Trump leads Kamala Harris by seven points, which nearly matches his eight-point victory margins in 2016 and 2020. Sherrod Brown leads Bernie Moreno by four points in the U.S. Senate race, just outside the margin of error. And redistricting reform has a big lead, although there are a lot of voters unsure about Issue 1, again not surprising given its complexity.
It’s the answers to the other questions that are interesting. They give us a good idea of the mood of the Ohio voter.
Joining us is a man who helped put the poll together and tabulate the results: Bowling Green State University political science professor Robert Alexander. He also serves as the founding director of the Bowling Green Democracy and Public Policy Research Network.
Snollygoster of the week
Do you remember a time when natural disasters used to bring the country together? President Barack Obama and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie hugging after Super Storm Sandy devastated the Jersey Shore.
That was Sandy, this is Helene and now Milton. Some Republican leaders have been falsely accusing the Biden administration of ignoring victims of Helene flooding in Georgia and western North Carolina. Republican officeholders from those states have come out and said that's not true—FEMA is helping. Is it perfect? No. Is it difficult and frustrating? Yes, but FEMA is there.
One of the biggest falsehoods is the claim that victims will only get $750 in aid. President Trump said this at rallies in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
This is not true. That $750 is the initial help FEMA gives out for immediate needs like food, water, medicine and baby formula. Then victims can apply for and will receive hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in additional aid from the federal government. That will take time to make sure the claims are real to protect against that boogeyman called "waste, fraud and abuse," but the money will come to many of the people who need it.
Here's another thing: by spreading the false $750 rumor, some uninformed victims might not realize they qualify for additional aid and may not apply for it.
If you have a suggestion for our "Snollygoster of the Week" award, a question or a comment, send them to snollygoster@wosu.org.