DELAFIELD- Kevin Nicholson is a conservative who may be running for U.S. Senate in 2018. Nicholson, a former Democrat, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2000, and served as president of the College Democrats of America. A poll conducted by Victory Processing, a firm based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, describes a candidate with a striking resemblance to Nicholson. The poll then proceeds to contrast different candidates whose qualities match up with different aspects of Nicholson’s past.
It is certainly possible that this is simple coincidence, but if it is not coincidence, then it appears that Nicholson is directly testing how to best present his past to Republican voters.
Daniel Bice at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
Early in the poll, respondents are asked which qualities they prefer in a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate. These include successful business leader, husband and father of three children, highly decorated Marine, Wisconsin native, political outsider and a former Democrat — all qualities that could apply to Nicholson.
Then voters are then told specifically about two unnamed candidates, according to audio of the 10-minute poll obtained by the Journal Sentinel. The first is a former captain in the Marine Corps who “was the president of the College Democrat National Committee and spoke at the 2000 Democrat Convention on behalf of Al Gore and voted for a Democrat for president in 2008.”
They are asked to choose between this candidate and one who is a conservative business leader.
Then respondents are told in some detail how the former Marine captain came to switch political parties. But this question suggests, contrary to the earlier one, that the candidate did not vote for a Democrat in 2008 presidential primary.
“(This candidate) recognized the Democratic Party changed into one that turned their back on economic opportunity, ignored the middle class and pushed the progressive agenda,” the poll says. “By 2008, he had evolved into a conservative Republican where he voted ‘no preference’ in the Democrat primary for president.”
Respondents are told the unnamed candidate gave money to and voted for Republican presidential candidate John McCain in 2008. They are then asked to choose between this combat vet or the business leader.
Read more at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
