New Q-Poll Has Spitzer, Hevesi Well Ahead

We'll wrap this up quickly. There's a new Qunnipiac University poll out today, focusing on two statewide races.

Democrat Eliot Spitzer leads Republican John Faso 73% to 21% among likely voters in the governor race.

Democrat Alan Hevesi, despite the driving-Ms.-Hevesi scandal, leads GOP rival Christopher Callaghan 59% to 21%.

Once again, with the winners annointed early by the mainstream media, and the challengers unable to raise funds (though in the case of Faso, his party can be blamed for sitting on its hands in this race) name recognition is a key factor.

"The big number in Spitzer versus Faso isn't really the wipe-out depicted in the vote- it's Faso's anonymity quotient. Voters don't dislike him. Three out of four voters just don't know much about him," said Maurice Carroll, Director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Some 88% of voters said they don't know enough about Callaghan to form an opinion.