Dayton Daily News...
Poll: Sen. Brown has double-digit leads over GOP foes - but Brown’s approval slips
By William Hershey
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 

Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has double-digit leads among Ohio voters against potential 2012 Republican challengers, but Brown’s approval rating has slipped since May, according to a Public Policy Polling survey released Wednesday. 

Public Policy Polling is a Raleigh, N.C.-based Democratic polling company but the poll was not authorized or paid for by any campaign or political organization, a press release said. 

Here’s how Brown stacks up against two GOP rivals pursuing the nomination: 

*Brown over Treasurer Josh Mandel, 48-33 percent. 

*Brown over former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin of Cuyahoga Falls, 47-33 percent. 

The poll also pitted Brown against U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, who so far isn’ t running for the Senate. Brown led, 47-35 percent. 

Against an even more unlikely candidate, former Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel, Brown prevailed, 46-34 percent. 

In the survey, 37 percent approved Brown’s performance, while 34 percent disapproved and the rest weren’t sure. 

That’s down from May when 39 percent approved and 28 percent disapproved, with the rest unsure. 

Brown benefits from a field of “unknown and disliked” potential opponents, a PPP analysis said. 

“Sherrod Brown continues to show a persistent double-digit advantage,” Dean Debnam, PPP president, said in the press release. 

“He’s not completely unbeatable but this is definitely looking like a second-tier pickup opportunity for the GOP.” 

PPP surveyed 792 Ohio voters from Thursday, Aug. 11 to Monday, Aug. 14. The poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. 

Read it at the Dayton Daily News