New Fox News poll. (*SIGH*)

It seems like that four-point spread by Public Policy Polling was just yesterday.

Here’s Fox News:

In North Carolina, more Democrats than Republicans say they are extremely interested in the midterm elections (51% vs. 42%), and more Democrats also say they are extremely motivated to vote (58% vs. 50%). This enthusiasm advantage creates an edge in the Senate matchup.

Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by 53% to 44% in the race to fill the state’s open Senate seat, according to a Fox News poll of North Carolina voters.

Cooper’s gap widens to 15 points among those saying they’re extremely interested in the election (57% vs. 42%) and 13 points among those extremely motivated to vote (55% vs. 42%). The race is unchanged among those saying they’re “certain” to vote (53% to 44%). […

Cooper receives high support from moderates, voters under age 30, independents, voters with a college degree, and women. He also captures support from about one in five non-MAGA Republicans and conservatives.

Whatley performs best among very conservative voters, White evangelical Christians, White voters without a college degree, and rural voters.

There’s also an enthusiasm gap when voters are asked why they back their candidate. Some 52% of Whatley’s supporters say they’re voting for him, while 46% say it’s mainly against Cooper.By contrast, 84% of Cooper supporters say they’re voting for him rather than against Whatley (13%).

Most voters are committed to their choice: 81% of Cooper’s backers say they’re certain to vote for him and it’s 77% among Whatley supporters. Overall, one in five voters say they could switch their pick. […]

“Recent data put the average Republican advantage in North Carolina statewide races at about 3 points,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Cooper’s edge rests on almost unanimous Democratic support and commanding numbers among independents. To win, Whatley must stop the bleeding with non-MAGA Republicans and improve his standing with disaffected, less partisan Carolinians.”

Personal popularity also sets the candidates apart. Cooper’s 54% favorable rating is significantly higher than Whatley’s at 40%. In addition, Cooper is more popular than the Democratic Party by a 12-point margin, while Whatley trails the GOP by 4.

Whatley is less well known overall, as 14% of voters say they’re unable to rate him or have never heard of him, including about 1 in 10 Republicans. […]

Okay.  So we STILL have that name ID problem — after A YEAR on the campaign trail.  Almost HALF of Whatley’s support comes from people who say they are voting more AGAINST Cooper than FOR Whatley.

This is the 12th time in roughly one year that Cooper has registered 48 percent support or higher in a poll for this Senate race. This is the fifth poll in a year showing Cooper with 50 percent or more of the vote.  There are no public polls showing Whatley ahead of Cooper.  There has been ONE tie, and three polls where Cooper’s lead was within the margin of error.

I think it’s funny that Whatley’s strongest support comes from demographics that he and his Raleigh /  DC cronies loathe, mock and despise.

It’s also interesting to see that Cooper is more popular than his party, while Whatley is less popular than HIS party — which he used to chair at the state and national levels.

Word has come from Washington that some $17 million in aid has been dropped to the Whatley campaign. Months ago, there was word DC would be committing $71 million.

It’s pretty clear that Ted Budd is not worried about Mike Whatley‘s money needs.

The word we’re hearing now is that the Whatley team has until the end of August to show some actual signs of competitiveness.  If they do, there will be more money.  If they don’t, DC cuts bait and moves on.