By FITSNews || Sixty-three percent of independents in South Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District say they are likely to vote against U.S. Rep. John Spratt – a fourteen-term incumbent – in the event he votes to support President Barack Obama’s socialized medicine proposal.
That’s according to the results of a new poll released Wednesday by Americans for Limited Government (ALG).
Spratt has already voted once in favor of Obamacare, and is currently the lead sponsor of the bill that’s being used to push it through the U.S. Congress over the clear objection of his constituents and a majority of the American people. Spratt’s “reconciliation resolution” passed his budget committee on Monday by a 21-16 vote, with Spratt once again voting in favor of the bill.
“These results are hardly surprising,” said ALG President Bill Wilson. “Congressman Spratt voted for the government takeover of health care in November against his constituents’ wishes, and they’re still angry about it.”
Spratt’s opponent, S.C. Sen. Mick Mulvaney, said that Spratt “had a chance to shut down this $2.5 trillion dollar Washington power grab” but didn’t.
“This is yet another reminder of where the people of the Fifth District stand on this issue,” Mulvaney said. “It is also a reminder of the fact that John Spratt clearly no longer represents us, our beliefs, or our best interests.”
Spratt has been telling Fifth District voters this week that he is “undecided” on the legislation, although at a recent Democratic party gathering he said that President Barack Obama had “done a magnificent job” on the health care issue.
Yeah … expect those words (and his votes) to come back to haunt him …
“(Spratt’s) Budget Committee has been the point of origin for trillions of dollars in deficit spending over the last three years,” Mulvaney said. “Now it is looking like it could be the point of origin for the biggest expansion of government in our nation’s history.”
The results of the ALG poll – conducted on March 16 – confirmed results from a similar poll conducted last week by Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), which found that 70 percent of voters in 35 swing Congressional Districts would “probably vote against” their representative if he or she voted for the bill. The results of the ALG survey also coincide with another poll released earlier this month by Winthrop University which showed that nearly 70 percent of South Carolina independents disapprove of the job the Democratic Congress is doing.
As toxic as the health care issue could be for Spratt, local polling in this race shared with FITS shows that the thirty-year D.C. veteran is even more vulnerable with Fifth District residents for his votes in support of Obama’s bailout and massive energy tax hike (a.k.a. “cap and trade”).
By No Name March 18, 2010 at 10:18 am
Lindsey will save Spratt somehow.
By Alf March 18, 2010 at 10:34 am
Goodbye Spratt!
By Cooter Brown March 18, 2010 at 10:58 am
ALL incumbunts shud bee voted out regardless ov how dey votes! I will, howeba, tak’ special plezure in seein’ Mr. Spratt stomped in da next ‘lectshun!
By OhNoNotAgain March 18, 2010 at 11:02 am
Nothing about the methodology of this poll, and it comes from a group that is opposed to healthcare to begin with.
As usual, I don’t trust it. The Fifth District is a Democratic district, though it is getting more conservative.
It ain’t, as the York County blowhards would like you to think, York County and a couple of people who don’t matter. I think he’ll have a fight, but I just don’t buy it.
By RockHill Independent March 18, 2010 at 2:18 pm
Yes the Fifth district is more democratic than republican but it is not more liberal. I believe Spratt will lose in 2010 if he votes yes. He is going to have it rough even if he votes no but a yes will most likely destroy him.
By OhNoNotAgain March 18, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Based on what?
I doubt those polls are calling people in Lee County, in Dillon County, in Marlboro County, etc.
I’d be shocked to find out they had hit ANY of those counties.
By roofus March 18, 2010 at 3:19 pm
The unworking, welfare-receiving, un-taxpayers will propel Spratt to victory while all you hard-working, taxpayers will work until you die–without adequate health care.
You can bank on that.
By SC History for $500 March 18, 2010 at 3:32 pm
A question for you history buffs out there: Who was the last republican to represent the 5th district?
By RockHill Independent March 18, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Well according to Public Policy Polling (a democratic party-affiliated polling firm) on January 27, 2010
“Spratt’s approval rating is in slightly negative territory with 41% of his constituents expressing support for the job he’s doing and 42% unhappy. Predictably Democrats like him and Republicans don’t, but by a 47/38 margin he’s also under water with independents”
I would assume they poll people from all over the district. But I don’t know.
Either way if he votes yes to healthcare I still say I think he is out.
But that is just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions
By Pat Hendrix March 18, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Americans for Limited Government? Now there’s an outfit with no reason to try and create a false narrative that would encourage Spratt against the bill. And yes, according to Scott Rassmussen, President McCain is enjoying his time in the White House.
By Pat Hendrix March 18, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Last Republican to hold the seat was in the decade following Reconstruction. The dude who took the Confederate ship, Robert Smalls.
By EM March 18, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Called Spratts DC office, the man I talked to said they didn’t know if how he would vote this weekend because he was against Deem/Pass and he was against the Student loan business being attached to Health Care. I laughed. The aid, did not have an answer when I said the DC office and ask questions. Ask what will happen to SC when BCBS goes out of business.
By Ynotfirst March 18, 2010 at 5:54 pm
vote out all incumbants.
By cfd007 March 18, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Fourteen-term? That explains it all. Get rid of him.
By just another person March 18, 2010 at 6:49 pm
hugh mccoll will save him. That is his brother in law and he still has a lot of money.
By No Way! March 18, 2010 at 8:47 pm
As Cooter Brown would say ” Hez gooin’ home yall!”
By OhNoNotAgain March 18, 2010 at 10:06 pm
The Public Policy Poll showed Spratt is going to have work a little harder than he does most years.
But almost everyone took the number in that and created their own narrative, as you are doing. If you read the actual summary by the guy who did the poll, he says, from his own blog and the poll —
“John Spratt is facing his toughest reelection in years this fall, but he’s in better shape than some of his Democratic colleagues in conservative leaning Congressional districts. Here’s the bad news and the good news for Spratt from our new poll of SC-5:”
He says DEMOCRATS in Congress fare worse than Spratt fares.
Guess who fares worse than Democrats, also?
Republicans in Congress.
So you’re reading what you want to read in the poll, not what the pollster is saying.
It’s ONE poll that shows he’s got to work.
There has been talk about a lot of other polls, but most are “internal” polls where we never see the numbers. Or something reliable. As in reliably partisan and anti-Spratt and his party.
So, again, I don’t buy it.
I can see him losing York County.
But he’s lost York County before and still won the district. That’s what annoys me about this seat. Everybody focuses every two years on what is going on in York County and ignores the district and then they act all surprised when the results don’t fit the GOP narrative.
But even the RCCC had the smarts to pull the rug out from under Norman before the campaign was over the last time.
By Elliott March 18, 2010 at 10:23 pm
The results of this poll may be true, but when Lancaster County voters realize that to vote against Spratt, they must vote for Mulvaney they’ll change their minds. From what I hear after Edenmoor Lancaster County voters have had about all of Mulvaney they can stand. It’ll take more than Sic Willie’s support for Mulvaney to win this one. Perhaps if this had not been one of the rainiest springs on record, Mulvaney could have won before Lancaster County voters had known they were swindled.
By dru fisher March 19, 2010 at 7:56 am
It’s amazing that I was at a meeting with a speech by Spratt in which he in detail showed us how Bush’s fiscal policies were disasterous, as he decried them. Now he is part of the pelosi-Obama team that would make Bush fiscal policies look nickel-and-dime. I believe voters are so angry that ohnny has played his hand one times too many. He will go down in November.
By fastmouth March 19, 2010 at 8:07 am
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Spratt has done to much to help his constituants on the local level for them to turn their back on him. I’m not necessarily for him, but that’s just the way it is. Also, in this district (Spratt’s), there are so many so many Democrats (loyal I might add), it’s kind of hard for him to be defeated. Chesterfield, Marlboro, Lee, and the other rural counties usually put him back in. As long as he keeps up good constituant service, he probably won’t have any trouble getting re-elected.
By James F. March 19, 2010 at 8:49 am
I have lived in Spratts district all my life. I truly believe he will be re-elected and I have never voted for him. To say the least I am of moderate means but Spratt has always sold poor people out and delivered something just before an election that he could espouse. Anyone on Social Security and limited means should find out how Spratt and cohorts screw us. Congress got their $4700 and $5500 raises while we get nothing. They are taking $500 Billion from Medicare and adding 31 million to the rolls,tell me how that helps us and how this saves. It is going to cut care for those who need it the most but are the most expendable to the Congress. This is their way of saving Medicare by letting us die. Our premiums are going up over the next two years and all of this money is going to be put into a lock box like Social Security. Starting next year the Social Security trust fund is going to have to come up with the IOU’s they have in it that has been wasted. Obama and friends are counting the $500 Billion twice in their accounting methods and this will not work, it is a fraud perpetuated on the American public.Spratt has big banking connections and connected to Hugh McColl and a lot of the business people in this district will support Spratt because of the favors he has handed out over the years. Spratt and Clyburn both need to go.
By sid March 19, 2010 at 11:38 am
“Guess who fares worse than Democrats, also?
Republicans in Congress.”
In reality, the difference between disapproval of Dems and Reps in Congress is within the margin of error, so that’s really a push.
Good thing Spratt’s opponent will not be a “Republican in Congress,” though. Spratt’s on the wrong side of 50% for every catagory, which is generally a bad sign for an incumbent. And considering that poll was nearly two months ago, I’d be surprised if his numbers have improved, and would wager that they have gone down. I won’t wager that he’s done, but he is not on solid ground.
By lars March 19, 2010 at 12:21 pm
I would suspect that probably >60% of eligible voters in Spratt’s district do not pay taxes.
Of course, he will roll to victory.
It won’t even be close.
By Joel B. March 19, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Another Obamanation. So much for limite government. Vote ‘em all out!!! They’re detroying this great country!
By David October 28, 2010 at 2:36 pm
On March 31, 2009 I sent a message to Spratt…
“Would you mind explaining to me why you voted to pass H.R. 1586, which is a bill that enacts a bill of attainder on AIG bonus recipients and is explicitly forbidden by the Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 which provides that: ‘No Bill of Attainder or expost facto Law will be passed.’?”
He never responded. I hope this party-line voting traitor is not re-elected.