* We have a new statewide poll from Research 2000. The poll was conducted 1/26-28 for Daily Kos, a Democratic website. R2K does good work, however, so don’t rule out these numbers. 600 likely voters. MoE +/-4% for the general election and +/-5% for party primary questions.

Democratic Primary

Burris 26
Schakowsky 12
Giannoulias 11
Undecided 51

Lots of room for movement by anybody. As Dan Hynes found out during his 2004 US Senate bid, down-ballot constitutionals are just not well known in Illinois. That may help explain Giannoulias’s low showing. An Obama endorsement would help immeasurably, but we just don’t know yet what the big guy is gonna do.

More…

Favorable/Unfavorable/No opinion

Burris 35/35/30
Schakowsky 33/10/57
Giannoulias 36/15/49

Even-Steven favorable/unfavorable for Burris is not a good thing.

* Now, onto the Republican primary…

Kirk 27
Roskam 17
Undecided 56

And…

Favorable/Unfavorable/No opinion

Kirk 37/41/22
Roskam 19/23/58

Quite high unfavorables for Kirk. Still, something to look at further.

…Adding… Strange that more people have an opinion of Kirk than of Burris.

* General election head-to-heads…

Burris (D) 37
Kirk (R) 30

Burris (D) 38
Roskam (R) 25

Schakowsky (D) 36
Kirk (R) 30

Schakowsky (D) 37
Roskam (R) 25

Giannoulias (D) 38
Kirk (R) 30

Giannoulias (D) 38
Roskam (R) 25

These are basic hardcore party ID numbers at this point, with Kirk doing a tiny bit better than Roskam on that front. But it goes to show you that even with the Blagojevich craziness, the uproar over the Burris appointment and the refusal to hold a special election, the Republicans have an uphill climb in this state.