Friday, August 27, 2010

None of the above: Harry Reid vs. Sharron Angle



The Las Vegas Review Journal has an interesting poll out today showing that Nevada voters would prefer someone other that Harry Reid or Sharron Angle. 
Two-thirds of voters who say they back Sharron Angle wish another Republican had won the nomination, according to a poll for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and 8NewsNow that shows deep dissatisfaction with both the Tea Party pick and U.S. Sen. Harry Reid. 
Nearly eight of 10 voters who remain undecided or who don't like Angle or Reid say they, too, would have preferred if the staunch conservative hadn't won the June 8 primary over her more moderate foes. And 58 percent of such nonaligned voters say they wish Reid hadn't won the Democratic nomination, suggesting a majority of Nevadans are unhappy with their choices.  [MORE] 
While this may sound like very bad news for Sharron Angle, Legal Insurrection points out what is really going on. 
The latest Mason-Dixon Poll released by the Las Vegas Review-Journal shows Reid up 1 point, 45-44.
The headlines are screaming that 68% of voters would have preferred another GOP candidate, but that seems like a meaningless number since the choice is between Reid and Angle, and on that choice voters are largely split.  If anything, that number may reflect that voters wanted a stronger GOP candidate to get rid of Reid, hardly a measure in which Reid should take comfort.
Here are the key numbers:  Reid still is only polling at 45%, an abysmal number this late in the game for a multi-term incumbent.  Despite two months of pummelling Angle, Reid still has higher negative numbers: 

It isn’t surprising to me to see that Nevada Republicans are less than enthusiastic about Angle. Angle’s problem is that she simply was not ready for the hot glare of the national media. Just like Rand Paul, once Angle emerged the winner, the media quickly set out to paint her as extreme. Angle’s inexperience with dealing with a lopsided media quickly provided tons of fodder that could be used to paint her as extreme. 

Angle could have benefited greatly from a media consultant who could have helped her quickly define herself, rather than having herself defined by the Reid camp and the media.

Fortunately for Angle, she is running against Harry Reid, the Democrat Senate Majority leader. All the bad stuff over the last two years can be instantly tied to Harry (Bailouts = Harry, Stimulus = Harry, ObamaCare = Harry, backroom wheeling and dealing = Harry). Angle simply needs to keep driving this message home and then ask the simply question, does Harry really deserve another term after all of that?

For Harry Reid, time is running out. There is just a little over 60 days before midterm elections and he is still below 50% and only one point ahead of  Sharron Angle. There really isn’t much more Reid can do other than to keep going negative on Angle. Everyone knows who he is and what he has done. Reid simply cannot run from his record.

To add insult to injury, the NRA has now declared they will not be endorsing Reid’s re-election bid. This is coming after a recent e-mail praising Reid on guns!

Via: NRAPVF

7 comments:

Steverino said...

Reid hasn't been all that bad on guns, and the NRA actually had a decent strategy in considering endorsing him. It's not very likely that the Republicans will gain the Senate, and if Reid is still in office, he'll still be the majority leader. He hasn't been very effective in that role, and if he's ousted but the Dems retain the Senate, a stronger and more effective (and almost certainly more anti-gun) Democrat than Reid would be the majority leader.

Just a conservative girl said...

On the Nevada ballot there is an option that says none of the above. That may just get Reid re-elected.

Just a conservative girl said...

Ok, I was sitting next to a couple from Nevada at the Beck rally. They are really upset that Angle won the nomination. They don't want to vote for her, they are hoping someone (I didn't know the name) will get on the ballot as independent. Very bad news.

Tyrone said...

Well that sort of attitude is what got Obama elected. Sadly it may keep Reid in office too. I'm of the mind to vote out incumbents and take my chances on the unknown at this point.

spc said...

Angle was on Medved a few weeks ago and she did surprisingly well- My guess is that the smear job works just like it has with Palin. I do wonder what reasons some conservatives have for not liking Angle. She didn't seem bad from what I heard. Have to love how people don't think the media would have an effect on voters, but this Angle story is a pretty good example of the power of the MSM.

I hope she wins- taking out the majority leader by a nobody on the national stage (although she has plenty years in politics) would be a tremendous victory.

Anonymous said...

HOW ABOUT, "ANYBODY BUT REID"?
AND I MEAN "ANYBODY".
HOW THE GOOD FOLKS OF NEVADA COULD EVEN CONSIDER RE-ELECTING THAT MONSTER IS UNBELIEVABLE.
ANGLE MAY NOT BE PERFECT BUT BY GOD----ANYONE IS BETTER THAN REID.
DO NOT REWARD HIM WITH RE-ELECTION, PLEASE!

Hot Sam said...

I met a campaign staffer of Angle when I was in Las Vegas. He had previously run for public office several times and failed.

He was a moron, completely comfortable with his warped view of the world. If Angle shares any of his frothing conspiracy theories, she's cooked.

Clark County is largely democrat, and it represents most of the state population. It's a wonder Republicans have done as well as they've done in the state until now.

I certainly hope Reid loses, but I also hope Angle doesn't embarrass herself and Republicans in the process.

We need a new Contract with America but one that is more action and less talk.

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