How could this have happened? The Harry Reid era was over and done. His grand arrival on the national stage highlighted his every foible and magnified his failures to the point that he was un-re-electable. It was just a matter of waiting for November.
So how it that Harry Reid is leading the latest Mason-Dixon poll of likely Nevada voters? There’s a perfect 4-part storm swirling about that could easily sweep “Dingy Harry” back into office.
Part 1 – A Weak Opponent. It all started with the Republican Party of Nevada. It would have been a relatively simple thing to select a candidate with more appeal than the Democratic Senator. Instead, they inexplicably chose Sharron Angle.
Part 2 – Big Money. Reid has deep pockets and a big podium. He’s the face of the Democratic Party in Congress with the full backing of their considerable war chest. He’s been able to run a lot of ads in Nevada, none of which are about Harry Reid. Which brings us to the next part of the cocktail…
Part 3 – Going Negative. Reid’s campaign has been on the attack from the beginning. Instead of running on his merits as a long-term senator, he’s going for the “I’m the lesser of two evils” approach. As dopey as that sounds to an outsider, this strategy has been a proven winner in American politics.
Part 4 – None of These Candidates. Nevada is the only state in the Union that offers “None of These Candidates” as an option on every ballot. With voter dissatisfaction with both candidates at historic levels, “None of These Candidates” will probably secure a record high vote. That option cuts into the anti-incumbent vote that would normally go to Angle by default.
Take those four ingredients, swirl in a stinging series of news article continuously ripping Angle while keeping relatively mum about Reid, and top with a liberal dose of voter apathy. That could be a recipe for re-electing the un-re-electable in November.
