Virgil Goode Polls 9% in Virginia

On the ballot as the Constitution Party candidate, former Virginia Congressman Virgil Goode is pulling 9% of the vote in his home state, according to this poll from Public Policy Polling.

Goode’s presence on the ballot is bringing Romney down seven points to 35%, while hardly moving Obama at 49%.  When PPP polled on Goode as a third-party candidate in April, he was at 5%, boosting Obama to a 12-point rather than a 14-point lead.

According to the PPP numbers, that is entirely because of increased independent support for Goode.  He does not hurt Obama with Democrats, leaving him at 92% with them, but pulls Romney down from 4% to 3% of them, taking the same share himself.  Goode pulls Romney down eight points with Republicans, the same as in April, leaving Obama at 9% of the GOP and also earning 9% of them.  But with independent voters, Goode is now at 17%, up ten points over the last three months.  Most of that support has come from former Romney independents.  He pulls Obama down two points but Romney down ten with these voters, when in April he dragged them each down four.

Q8 Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Virgil Goode?

Favorable……………………………………………….. 16%
Unfavorable ……………………………………………. 25%
Not sure …………………………………………………. 59%

Q9 If the candidates for President this fall were Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney, and Constitution Party candidate Virgil Goode, who would you vote for?

Barack Obama………………………………………… 49%
Mitt Romney……………………………………………. 35%
Virgil Goode ……………………………………………. 9%
Undecided………………………………………………. 6%