Missouri United States Senate election, 2006
Encyclopedia
The 2006 United States Senate election in Missouri was held on November 7, 2006 to decide who would serve as senator for Missouri
between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013. The incumbent was Republican Jim Talent
. Talent was elected in a special election in 2002 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat
Jean Carnahan
. Carnahan had been appointed to the Senate seat following the posthumous election of her husband Mel Carnahan
, who had died in a plane crash shortly before the 2000 election
. Talent's Democratic opponent was Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill
. Early on the morning of November 8, Talent conceded defeat to McCaskill. Talent lost the election with 47% of the vote, to 50% of the vote for McCaskill.
, a Democrat, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator John Ashcroft
50% to 48%. Two years later in a special election held for the seat, incumbent Senator Jean Carnahan
lost an even closer election to former Congressman Talent, 50% to 49%.
state throughout the twentieth century. It has voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1900, except in 1956, when the state narrowly favored Adlai Stevenson over Dwight D. Eisenhower
, and in 2008, when it narrowly favored John McCain
over Barack Obama
. Missouri's bellwether status was due to the fact that it not only voted for the electoral victor, but that its returns usually mirrored national returns.
The state itself is a central state, bordered by both the edges of Southern and Midwestern regions. In statewide contests for much of the twentieth century, Missouri favored the Democratic Party
. In recent elections, the Republican Party
(GOP) has emerged in statewide contests. The election of 2004 was an important one; as George W. Bush
was re-elected he carried Missouri. But this time his margin in the state was greater than it was nationwide. Bush won the Presidency
51% to 48%, he carried Missouri 53% to 46%. This trend had begun in 2000, when Bush lost the national popular vote to Al Gore
47% to 48% but still won Missouri, 50% to 47%. Bush's victory also saw Republicans triumph in several statewide contests; Senator Kit Bond
was re-elected by a decisive 56% to 43% margin and Matt Blunt
won the election for Governor, narrowly defeating state auditor Claire McCaskill
51% to 48%. The GOP also captured control of the state legislature for the first time in eighty years.
had briefly entered the race early in the year, but dropped out soon after. However, on August 30, 2005, Democrat Claire McCaskill announced her intention to run for Talent's Senate seat.
McCaskill started with a large financial disadvantage, but she was also an experienced candidate with high name recognition. McCaskill had run two successful campaigns for state auditor. She was also a candidate for governor in 2004, where she defeated the incumbent Democratic Governor Bob Holden
in the primary election
but lost with 48% of the vote in the general election.
Both Talent and McCaskill faced unknowns in their respective primaries on August 8, 2006 and defeated them soundly.
Talent started statewide advertising on August 1, 2006, forcing some observers to suggest that Talent was on the ropes and therefore needed to reassert his image (damaged recently by his "flip-flopping" on stem cell research, his opposition to raising the minimum wage and a general feeling of antipathy from the body politic regarding his lack of notable achievements while in the Senate) and pull ahead in a statistical dead heat.
McCaskill and Talent agreed to debate each other on Meet the Press
on October 8, 2006.
; as a toss-up election between two strong candidates, the race was expected to attract a lot of interest as well as money spent on ads and turning out supporters. If Talent won, then a Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate depended upon victories in Tennessee
, where the Republican Bob Corker won, and Virginia
, where Democrat Jim Webb won; the Democrats needed to win six seats to take control of the chamber with 51 seats. To do this, they would need to retain their 19 incumbent seats, win the four Republican-held seats of Montana
, Ohio
, Rhode Island
, and Pennsylvania
(where Democratic chances seem above 50%, and Democrats won all 4.) and two of the following three "toss-up" races: Missouri, Tennessee
and Virginia
.
Soon after a St. Louis Post-Dispatch poll was released showing McCaskill with 49% favorability to Talent's 43%.
It is believed that statewide ballot issues drove the November 2006 vote, Talent was on the opposite of the majority of voters in this poll on just about every issue: 66% of Missouri voters favor raising the minimum wage
to $6.50 an hour; 62% of Missouri voters favor raising taxes to replace Medicaid
funding cut by the current Republican Governor, Matt Blunt
; 54% oppose a law that will require all Missourians to show a photo ID before they vote; 58% favor campaign donation limitations; and 66% favor restoring Medicaid coverage to about 90,000 Missourians who lost coverage when Blunt and the Republican legislature tightened eligibility requirements.
Perhaps most importantly, 62% favor a ballot proposal that would allow all types of embryonic stem cell research allowed under federal law - a measure Talent recently announced that he is against.
which would ban all forms of human cloning
, including the cloning and destruction of human embryos.
On February 10, 2006, Talent withdrew his support for the bill, citing the need to balance research and protection against human cloning. This move followed criticism by Talent's Democratic opponent in the 2006 election, Claire McCaskill
, as well as pressure from Missouri business interests that oppose restrictions on stem cell research. Though this reversal was widely criticized as being due to politics, Talent told the Associated Press, "The technology is changing all the time and so I'm always considering whether there is a better way to strike the balance.". Talent suggests that moral concerns might be put to rest through a possible future scientific breakthrough - replicating embryonic stem cells without the use of cloned embryos.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2
would amend the state constitution and allow, in line with federal law, stem cell research and treatment. On May 1, 2006, Talent announced his opposition to the proposed ballot-initiative. Stem cell research and treatment is working up to be a divisive issue for many Republicans and is taking a particular prominence in Missouri. In the senate, he subsequently voted against expanding federal funds for embryonic stem cell research in July 2006.
, who has Parkinson's disease
, frequently appears in political advertising to support candidates with a history of supporting embryonic stem cell
research. In 2004, Fox appeared in a television commercial for Republican Arlen Specter
's 2004 Senate campaign. In the commercial, sponsored by Arlen's re-election campaign, Fox says Arlen "gets it" and Arlen's voice is heard saying "there is hope."
In late October, he appeared in a television campaign commercial for Claire McCaskill
. Her opponent, Talent, is against both taxpayer- and privately-funded embryonic stem cell research, and in the commercial Fox correctly states that Talent wants to criminalize such research.
The commercial has made national headlines. The commercial has a statistical impact on the way voters vote.
, conservative radio talk show host, commented on the TV commercial, saying that Fox was "really shameless" and that he was "either off his medication or acting." Limbaugh was speculating that Fox may have intentionally not taken his medication. According to the Washington Post, Limbaugh also has told his listeners that Fox was "exaggerating the effects of the disease... he's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act."
Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist, has stated her opinion, "Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease
. Any other interpretation is misinformed."
Limbaugh followed up on October 25, 2006 saying "When you wade into political life you have every right to say what you want, but you cannot in turn argue that no one has the right to take you on."
On October 26, 2006 Fox said, "The irony of it is that I was too medicated," Fox told Katie Couric
, adding that his jumpy condition as he spoke to her reflected "a dearth of medication — not by design. I just take it, and it kicks in when it kicks in." He further laughed, "That's funny — the notion that you could calculate it for effect."
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013. The incumbent was Republican Jim Talent
Jim Talent
James Matthes "Jim" Talent is an American politician and former senator from Missouri. He is a Republican and resided in the St. Louis area while serving in elected office. He identifies with the conservative wing of the Republican party, being particularly outspoken on judicial appointments,...
. Talent was elected in a special election in 2002 when he narrowly defeated incumbent Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Jean Carnahan
Jean Carnahan
Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat of her posthumously elected husband, becoming the first woman to represent Missouri in the Senate.-Biography:Born...
. Carnahan had been appointed to the Senate seat following the posthumous election of her husband Mel Carnahan
Mel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
, who had died in a plane crash shortly before the 2000 election
United States Senate elections, 2000
In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred In 2000, elections for one-third of the seats in the United States Senate occurred (they coincided with the election of George W....
. Talent's Democratic opponent was Missouri State Auditor Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
. Early on the morning of November 8, Talent conceded defeat to McCaskill. Talent lost the election with 47% of the vote, to 50% of the vote for McCaskill.
Factors
The election was always expected to be very close, which seems fitting for a seat that has changed hands twice, both by very narrow margins, within the last six years. In 2000, the late Missouri Governor Mel CarnahanMel Carnahan
Melvin Eugene "Mel" Carnahan was an American politician. A Democrat, he served as the 51st Governor of Missouri from 1993 to 2000. He died in a plane crash on the Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri border during a campaign for the U.S...
, a Democrat, narrowly defeated incumbent Republican Senator John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
50% to 48%. Two years later in a special election held for the seat, incumbent Senator Jean Carnahan
Jean Carnahan
Jean Anne Carpenter Carnahan is an American politician and writer who served in the United States Senate from 2001 to 2002. A Democrat, she was appointed to the Senate to fill the seat of her posthumously elected husband, becoming the first woman to represent Missouri in the Senate.-Biography:Born...
lost an even closer election to former Congressman Talent, 50% to 49%.
State politics
Missouri was seen as the nation's bellwetherMissouri bellwether
The Missouri bellwether is a political phenomenon that notes that the state of Missouri voted for the winner in all but two U.S. Presidential election since 1904 . While states like Ohio, Iowa, Nevada, and New Mexico have been arguably stronger indicators of political trends in recent years,...
state throughout the twentieth century. It has voted for the winner of every presidential election since 1900, except in 1956, when the state narrowly favored Adlai Stevenson over Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, and in 2008, when it narrowly favored John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
over Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
. Missouri's bellwether status was due to the fact that it not only voted for the electoral victor, but that its returns usually mirrored national returns.
The state itself is a central state, bordered by both the edges of Southern and Midwestern regions. In statewide contests for much of the twentieth century, Missouri favored the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. In recent elections, the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) has emerged in statewide contests. The election of 2004 was an important one; as George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was re-elected he carried Missouri. But this time his margin in the state was greater than it was nationwide. Bush won the Presidency
Presidency
The word presidency is often used to describe the administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation...
51% to 48%, he carried Missouri 53% to 46%. This trend had begun in 2000, when Bush lost the national popular vote to Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
47% to 48% but still won Missouri, 50% to 47%. Bush's victory also saw Republicans triumph in several statewide contests; Senator Kit Bond
Kit Bond
Christopher Samuel "Kit" Bond is a former United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, he defeated Democrat Harriett Woods by a margin of 53%-47%. He was re-elected in 1992, 1998, and 2004...
was re-elected by a decisive 56% to 43% margin and Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
won the election for Governor, narrowly defeating state auditor Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
51% to 48%. The GOP also captured control of the state legislature for the first time in eighty years.
Early campaign
Talent, anticipating a tough re-election battle and attempting to dissuade challengers, had accumulated a large campaign fund. For most of 2005, he had no opposition. State Senator Chuck GrahamChuck Graham
Chuck Graham is a Democratic politician who formerly represented the 19th Senate District in the Missouri General Assembly, which includes the city of Columbia, Missouri, where he lives. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1987 with a B.S...
had briefly entered the race early in the year, but dropped out soon after. However, on August 30, 2005, Democrat Claire McCaskill announced her intention to run for Talent's Senate seat.
McCaskill started with a large financial disadvantage, but she was also an experienced candidate with high name recognition. McCaskill had run two successful campaigns for state auditor. She was also a candidate for governor in 2004, where she defeated the incumbent Democratic Governor Bob Holden
Bob Holden
Robert Lee "Bob" Holden, Jr. is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 53rd Governor of Missouri.-Early life:...
in the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
but lost with 48% of the vote in the general election.
Both Talent and McCaskill faced unknowns in their respective primaries on August 8, 2006 and defeated them soundly.
Talent started statewide advertising on August 1, 2006, forcing some observers to suggest that Talent was on the ropes and therefore needed to reassert his image (damaged recently by his "flip-flopping" on stem cell research, his opposition to raising the minimum wage and a general feeling of antipathy from the body politic regarding his lack of notable achievements while in the Senate) and pull ahead in a statistical dead heat.
McCaskill and Talent agreed to debate each other on Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
on October 8, 2006.
Significance
The Missouri contest was seen as vitally important to control of the United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
; as a toss-up election between two strong candidates, the race was expected to attract a lot of interest as well as money spent on ads and turning out supporters. If Talent won, then a Democratic takeover of the U.S. Senate depended upon victories in Tennessee
Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 7, 2006. The election winner, Bob Corker, will serve between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013. Corker replaced Republican Bill Frist in the Senate, who retired upon the end of his second term in 2007. Corker was the...
, where the Republican Bob Corker won, and Virginia
Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb.-Background:...
, where Democrat Jim Webb won; the Democrats needed to win six seats to take control of the chamber with 51 seats. To do this, they would need to retain their 19 incumbent seats, win the four Republican-held seats of Montana
Montana United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Montana was held November 7, 2006. The filing deadline was March 23; the primary was held on June 6. Incumbent Republican U.S...
, Ohio
Ohio United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Ohio was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mike DeWine was running for re-election. Democratic congressman Sherrod Brown defeated DeWine. - Background :...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Rhode Island was held on November 7, 2006. The election was won by Sheldon Whitehouse whose term in the United States Senate will run from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013...
, and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Bob Casey, Jr. Casey was elected to serve between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013. Santorum trailed Casey...
(where Democratic chances seem above 50%, and Democrats won all 4.) and two of the following three "toss-up" races: Missouri, Tennessee
Tennessee United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Tennessee was held on November 7, 2006. The election winner, Bob Corker, will serve between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013. Corker replaced Republican Bill Frist in the Senate, who retired upon the end of his second term in 2007. Corker was the...
and Virginia
Virginia United States Senate election, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George Allen ran for re-election to a second term, but lost to Democrat Jim Webb.-Background:...
.
November ballot propositions
A June 19–22, 2006 Research 2000 poll shows Talent's favorability rating is 47%-46%, with 7% having no opinion.Soon after a St. Louis Post-Dispatch poll was released showing McCaskill with 49% favorability to Talent's 43%.
It is believed that statewide ballot issues drove the November 2006 vote, Talent was on the opposite of the majority of voters in this poll on just about every issue: 66% of Missouri voters favor raising the minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
to $6.50 an hour; 62% of Missouri voters favor raising taxes to replace Medicaid
Medicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
funding cut by the current Republican Governor, Matt Blunt
Matt Blunt
Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...
; 54% oppose a law that will require all Missourians to show a photo ID before they vote; 58% favor campaign donation limitations; and 66% favor restoring Medicaid coverage to about 90,000 Missourians who lost coverage when Blunt and the Republican legislature tightened eligibility requirements.
Perhaps most importantly, 62% favor a ballot proposal that would allow all types of embryonic stem cell research allowed under federal law - a measure Talent recently announced that he is against.
Embryonic stem cell research
Since joining the Senate in 2002, Talent had supported federal legislation that would ban stem cell research. This included co-sponsoring a bill (S.658) sponsored by Senator Sam BrownbackSam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...
which would ban all forms of human cloning
Human cloning
Human cloning is the creation of a genetically identical copy of a human. It does not usually refer to monozygotic multiple births nor the reproduction of human cells or tissue. The ethics of cloning is an extremely controversial issue...
, including the cloning and destruction of human embryos.
On February 10, 2006, Talent withdrew his support for the bill, citing the need to balance research and protection against human cloning. This move followed criticism by Talent's Democratic opponent in the 2006 election, Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
, as well as pressure from Missouri business interests that oppose restrictions on stem cell research. Though this reversal was widely criticized as being due to politics, Talent told the Associated Press, "The technology is changing all the time and so I'm always considering whether there is a better way to strike the balance.". Talent suggests that moral concerns might be put to rest through a possible future scientific breakthrough - replicating embryonic stem cells without the use of cloned embryos.
Proposed Constitutional Amendment 2
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 (2006)
Missouri Constitutional Amendment 2 is a state constitutional amendment initiative that concerns stem cell research and human cloning in Missouri...
would amend the state constitution and allow, in line with federal law, stem cell research and treatment. On May 1, 2006, Talent announced his opposition to the proposed ballot-initiative. Stem cell research and treatment is working up to be a divisive issue for many Republicans and is taking a particular prominence in Missouri. In the senate, he subsequently voted against expanding federal funds for embryonic stem cell research in July 2006.
Minimum wage
Proposition B would raise the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 per hour, or to the level of the federal minimum wage if that is higher, with subsequent adjustments for inflation. This is another issue where Talent was opposed to majority opinion in Missouri, which Democrats hoped would hurt him at the polls.Fundraising
Talent had a huge cash-on-hand advantage over McCaskill. Because of the way FEC filing works, Talent's numbers include the money he raised during his 2002 special election campaign. Totals are through July 19.| Candidate | Funds Raised | Cash On-Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Talent (R) | $19,602,725 | $6,921,577 |
| Claire McCaskill (D) | $4,572,707 | $2,684,766 |
Overview
Actor Michael J. FoxMichael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
, who has Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, frequently appears in political advertising to support candidates with a history of supporting embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cell
Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, an early-stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells...
research. In 2004, Fox appeared in a television commercial for Republican Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
's 2004 Senate campaign. In the commercial, sponsored by Arlen's re-election campaign, Fox says Arlen "gets it" and Arlen's voice is heard saying "there is hope."
In late October, he appeared in a television campaign commercial for Claire McCaskill
Claire McCaskill
Claire Conner McCaskill is the senior United States Senator from Missouri and a member of the Democratic Party. She defeated Republican incumbent Jim Talent in the 2006 U.S. Senate election, by a margin of 49.6% to 47.3%. She is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri in her own...
. Her opponent, Talent, is against both taxpayer- and privately-funded embryonic stem cell research, and in the commercial Fox correctly states that Talent wants to criminalize such research.
The commercial has made national headlines. The commercial has a statistical impact on the way voters vote.
Reactions
Rush LimbaughRush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
, conservative radio talk show host, commented on the TV commercial, saying that Fox was "really shameless" and that he was "either off his medication or acting." Limbaugh was speculating that Fox may have intentionally not taken his medication. According to the Washington Post, Limbaugh also has told his listeners that Fox was "exaggerating the effects of the disease... he's moving all around and shaking, and it's purely an act."
Elaine Richman, a neuroscientist, has stated her opinion, "Anyone who knows the disease well would regard his movement as classic severe Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. Any other interpretation is misinformed."
Limbaugh followed up on October 25, 2006 saying "When you wade into political life you have every right to say what you want, but you cannot in turn argue that no one has the right to take you on."
On October 26, 2006 Fox said, "The irony of it is that I was too medicated," Fox told Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
, adding that his jumpy condition as he spoke to her reflected "a dearth of medication — not by design. I just take it, and it kicks in when it kicks in." He further laughed, "That's funny — the notion that you could calculate it for effect."
Polling
| Source | Date | McCaskill (D) | Talent (R) | Gilmour (L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnPoint Polling and Research | November 6, 2006 | 49% | 46% | |
| Polimetrix | November 6, 2006 | 50% | 50% | |
| SurveyUSA | November 6, 2006 | 50% | 44% | 3% |
| SurveyUSA | November 5, 2006 | 51% | 42% | 4% |
| USA Today/Gallup | November 5, 2006 | 49% | 45% | |
| Rasmussen | November 5, 2006 | 48% | 49% | |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC-McClatchy | November 3, 2006 | 46% | 45% | |
| Rasmussen | November 2, 2006 | 49% | 48% | |
| Reuters/Zogby | November 2, 2006 | 46% | 43% | 6% |
| SurveyUSA | October 31, 2006 | 49% | 46% | 2% |
| CNN/Opinion Research Corporation | October 31, 2006 | 49% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | October 30, 2006 | 48% | 47% | |
| Research 2000 | October 28, 2006 | 47% | 47% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | October 27, 2006 | 46% | 48% | |
| Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg | October 24, 2006 | 45% | 48% | |
| SurveyUSA | October 24, 2006 | 45% | 48% | 2% |
| Mason-Dixon/McClatchy-MSNBC | October 24, 2006 | 46% | 43% | |
| Bennett, Petts & Blumenthal (D) | October 13, 2006 | 48% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | October 13, 2006 | 44% | 45% | |
| SurveyUSA | October 12, 2006 | 51% | 42% | 3% |
| Rasmussen | October 7, 2006 | 44% | 43% | |
| USA Today/Gallup | October 5, 2006 | 48% | 45% | |
| Reuters/Zogby | October 5, 2006 | 39% | 43% | |
| Mason-Dixon/MSNBC | October 2, 2006 | 43% | 43% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 28, 2006 | 45% | 47% | |
| Rasmussen | September 15, 2006 | 45% | 42% | |
| SurveyUSA | September 14, 2006 | 48% | 47% | 1% |
| Zogby/WSJ | September 11, 2006 | 45% | 49% | |
| USA Today/Gallup | September 5, 2006 | 44% | 50% | |
| Research 2000 | September 1, 2006 | 47% | 46% | 2% |
| Zogby/WSJ | August 28, 2006 | 45% | 50% | |
| Rasmussen | August 15, 2006 | 44% | 46% | |
| SurveyUSA | August 15, 2006 | 47% | 46% | 2% |
| Rasmussen | July 31, 2006 | 45% | 42% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 45% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | July 20, 2006 | 45% | 42% | |
| Rasmussen | June 27, 2006 | 42% | 42% | |
| Research 2000 | June 24, 2006 | 49% | 43% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 44% | 49% | |
| Rasmussen | May 8, 2006 | 40% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | April 4, 2006 | 42% | 41% | |
| Zogby/WSJ | March 31, 2006 | 45% | 48% | |
| Rasmussen | March 6, 2006 | 43% | 40% | |
| Rasmussen | February 8, 2006 | 41% | 46% | |
| Research 2000 | January 21, 2006 | 47% | 44% | |
| Rasmussen | January 2, 2006 | 46% | 43% | |
| Rasmussen | November 9, 2005 | 47% | 45% | |
| Rasmussen | September 1, 2005 | 46% | 46% | |