Watch out, Harry Reid!
We have an angry crowd of Republican-sounding readers this morning who disagree strongly with columnist Dana Milbank's assessment that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, up for re-election, drew the easiest possible opponent when the Nevada Republican primary produced Sharron Angle, whose views on many subjects are somewhat to the right.
A strong majority of those who have commented at this writing declare Milbank wrong and predict an Angle victory. They point out that Reid is not exactly popular himself, sometimes suffers from foot-in-mouth disease and besides, is an incumbent, a dirty word for many this election year.
But as Milbank writes, Angle, "among other things, favors bringing more nuclear waste to Nevada, floated the idea of outlawing alcohol, and wants to abolish the Education Department, the Energy Department, the EPA, the United Nations and most of the IRS. She's not so keen on Social Security, Medicare or unemployment insurance, either."
We'll start with rachelrwelch wrote, "Oh Mr. Milbank, I am so glad to hear that Mr. Reid and Ms Lincoln are relaxed after the primaries. As human beings, I wish them some comfort. However it is short-lived. You will see that in November. By the way, those 'wacky' ideas of Ms. Angle? You'd be 'oh-so-surprised' to know just how many of Americans agree with her. It's okay, we'll show you how many in a few months..."
And JimHale1 said, "Milbank - Don't be too sure of this analysis. Reid is pretty much an embarrassment to Nevada voters, too."
Ombudsman1 predicted, "Won't it even be funnier when Reid loses. The Republicans are testing my theory that they could put anyone on the ballot and beat Reid. I think she'll beat him."
releggneh1 wrote, "Harry Reid, so many people dislike you, I will even vote for Satan before I would ever vote for you again. Let the mud slinging begin, since you can't win anything on your principles because you have none... Tarp, how many earmarks did you have in there? Health care take over,how many bribes & back door deals did you do[?]...We will send you into retirement!..."
JPMcC said, "Oh, I wouldn't be so glib, Dana -- I am one Republican who is not too fond of the howling wing of the T-Partiers, but Reid is in trouble for a different reason -- he is an active co-conspirator in the bankupting of the United States -- and is rather a whacko himself, on the other side, dontcha think?"
terps77 wrote, "Harry & Nancy have been disastrous leaders of Congress since 2006! (little publicized by liberal left media). For the sake of moderate dems & independents hopefully Nevadans will stop this beedy eyed partisan hack from inflicting more financial damage on the next generation that will have to pay for the radical left's current follies."
PACIFICENV said, " 'Dingy' Harry Reid is the most hated politician in the history of Nevada. He is toast! While all you Marxists are trashing the tea party, remember that they put several thousand people in Searchlight, while Reid was able to garner about 200 partially paid supporters. This guy is finished, and given his shining personality, I suspect he is finished by a mile."
AnnsThought wrote, "The Republicans aren't just the party of "no", they are the party of "no good candidates". Too bad they allowed the tea party people to divide and destroy. It would be good to see Reid go."
diesel_skins_ said, "Don't celebrate too early, Dana Milstank. Angle may be nuts, but you forget that your hero Reid makes plenty of moronic comments himself. Remember "the war is lost" an "negro dialect"? It's not like Angle would be a step down in intelligence."
lostinthemiddle wrote, "She is running on the self-destruction platform. Win or lose, she is bad for the Republicans. Win being against all odds."
dryrunfarm1 said, "...Milbank left an entire spoonful of tea leaves unexamined in his assessment of Reid's chances this fall. Looney or not, Angle got Reid's opposition's nomination. She goes into the the fight with a proven level of support, and even with everything Milbank holds against her, the polls are still showing a very competitive race..."
srowe wrote, "Only a leftie like Milbank would think that Angle's positions are "oddities." Perhaps he should revisit the Constitution."
We'll close with ignoranceisbliss, who said, "...Reid...has been a major player in the advancement of the failed policies of the Obama Administration. For a progressive liberal extremist, Reid is the obvious choice. For everyone else its Angle..."
All comments on Milbank's column are here.
By
Doug Feaver
|
June 10, 2010; 9:05 AM ET
| Tags: Angle, Democratic Party, Nevada, Reid, Republican Party, Senate
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Posted by: Mateo7972 | June 11, 2010 1:12 AM | Report abuse
WHY are we still talking about anti-incumbent sentiment sweeping the nation when 82 of 84 incumbents won in their primaries on Tuesday? Come on, media! Do your job!!!
Posted by: damascuspride04 | June 10, 2010 11:37 PM | Report abuse
Fascinating to read the words of those claiming to be Nevadans and saying, oh, isn't Angle a nice person? Nice people don't want to eliminate Social Security. Nice people don't want to kill fellow citizens with nuclear waste. What nice people do is try to help the less fortunate and leave the world a better place than when they arrived. That describes Harry Reid. He will win. But he will have a tough race because Nevada, like any state, has its share of hateful, racist hypocrites who will vote for a Tea Partier who's a right-wing whack job.
Posted by: greenm1 | June 10, 2010 11:04 PM | Report abuse
Harry's the man to bring home the bacon for Nevada. In the hardest political year imaginable, Harry Reid can point to results.
Posted by: dudh | June 10, 2010 8:54 PM | Report abuse
"When I was visiting my sister up north a few months ago Sharron Angle actually knocked on the door and asked for our support. Despite what the media is saying I found her to be a down to earth person who has the drive to do what she thinks is right and I admire that"
Thanks for the anecdote. I have read the same. It's nice to have it confirmed.
Posted by: Azarkhan | June 10, 2010 8:35 PM | Report abuse
Remember that old saying, "Be careful what you wish for"! Reid may be a jerk, but Angle is a fruitcake who wants to take every bottle of wine and can of beer out of voters' homes, make it illegal for a wife to work if she has children at home - must stay in the kitchen cooking for her man, ya know! She thinks having an abortion causes breast cancer, wants to stop using flouride on children's teeth because it is a communist plot to poison our kids, and thinks oil companies need a break. After BP? Yep, she sides with BP. Careful voters. Be very careful.
Posted by: GenuineRisk | June 10, 2010 7:57 PM | Report abuse
jameschirico says:
"She does have a voting record and platform no sane person could support. Reid gets elected again by sandbagging Lowden the candidate that could have beaten him."
Got that all figured out, James, haven't you?
Keep it up, Bud. We're counting on you!
Posted by: likelyvoter | June 10, 2010 7:12 PM | Report abuse
As someone who lives in Nevada and has endured the last several years here with the bad economy and all I just have to say that nobody is going to be running to the polls to vote for Harry to spite Sharron. I seriously doubt they he has much support beyond the diehard party partisans anymore, so the best he can do is sling mud to turn people from her and keep them home on election day.
When I was visiting my sister up north a few months ago Sharron Angle actually knocked on the door and asked for our support. Despite what the media is saying I found her to be a down to earth person who has the drive to do what she thinks is right and I admire that. I didn't vote in the primaries, because I am a registered independent and was hoping Tarkanian or Chachas would have gotten the nod, but I will vote for Sharron regardless of the fact that I don't agree with her on many things. The bottom line is I trust that she cares about the people of this state. Anything right now to get Harry out of office. He no longer looks after this state and it is time for him to go.
Posted by: Mateo7972 | June 10, 2010 6:58 PM | Report abuse
Let's see.
Harry Reid has been a Senator since 1986, so everyone in Nevada knows him.
He has already spent approximately 10 mil so far on his campaign (mostly trashing Sue Lowden).
Sherry Angle, according to the Democrats, is a complete kook. Because she is a Tea Party candidate, she has attracted a lot of media attention, so people in Nevada probably have a pretty good idea where she stands on the issues.
Sherry Angle leads Harry Reid in the latest polls 50%-39%.
What's wrong with this picture?
Posted by: Azarkhan | June 10, 2010 6:33 PM | Report abuse
She does have a voting record and platform no sane person could support. Reid gets elected again by sandbagging Lowden the candidate that could have beaten him.
Posted by: jameschirico | June 10, 2010 6:05 PM | Report abuse
Oh, and by the way, Mr. P, what a fool believes, he sees.
Posted by: likelyvoter | June 10, 2010 4:33 PM | Report abuse
"gposner" says:
"Sorry folks, but I still believe the Tea Party crowd are the same old racist, redneck, badly educated, Rush Limbaugh, black helicopter crowd from the Clinton years."
In the face of scientific polling of Nevada voters, your argument is reduced to name calling.
Right.
Thanks for showing us who you are and what you stand for, Mr. P.
Posted by: likelyvoter | June 10, 2010 4:22 PM | Report abuse
With today's polling showing Reid 11 points behind, easy to see why most see this article as a Democrat party spin. To bad you have to look at the Drudge Report to get the real story. http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2010/election_2010_senate_elections/nevada/election_2010_nevada_senate
Posted by: cbk1 | June 10, 2010 4:19 PM | Report abuse
Mr Weaver maybe they are not all angry republicans maybe they are angry dems too like me. I voted for him but as we go along I have lost all hope in this man he is in way over his head as all the polls indicate and it seems like this spill is a big nuisance to him. So don't be so quick to judge that all people mad are republicans Mr Weaver.
Posted by: efdelaney | June 10, 2010 3:25 PM | Report abuse
I just read a good number of the posts on Milbank's article, and as always I am astounded by the obvious ignorance and lack of education of those posting in favor of the Tea Party candidate.I know that we have already had one poll claiming that Tea Party supporters are wealthy and educated, but what I see on this web site does not support that conclusion. Sorry folks, but I still believe the Tea Party crowd are the same old racist, redneck, badly educated, Rush Limbaugh, black helicopter crowd from the Clinton years.
Posted by: gposner | June 10, 2010 3:21 PM | Report abuse
These comments attacking Milbank show that teabaggers are boobs who would vote for a Nazi if the Nazi were a self-proclaimed Repub. What a bunch of boobs.
Posted by: alamo2 | June 10, 2010 3:19 PM | Report abuse
In other words, the Republican sounding posters are saying the devil they don't know is better than the one they know.
That makes sense.
Posted by: arancia12 | June 10, 2010 12:17 PM | Report abuse
-------------------------------------------
Which, incidentially enough, is the exact opposite from how most people approach the "devil you know/devil you don't" conundrum.
The only way I believe a challenger can beat an incumbent, even an unpopular one, is to convince most voters that the challenger isn't in actuality "the devil you don't know" by demonstrating that they are a superior, middle of the road, non-risky candidate - if not, the incumbent will win, regardless of how unpopular they are (see Bush v. Kerry).
With Angle's past views (prohibition!!? really?!!!), it shouldn't be too hard for the democrats to paint her in a sufficiently bad enough light.
Also, on the topic of prohibition can a tea party person please explain to me how banning the sales of alcohol is not an outright contradiction of the tea party's limited government philsophy?
Posted by: cjpotter19 | June 10, 2010 1:30 PM | Report abuse
Harry Reid has been in politics in Nevada since 1964 and has service in the Senate since 1986 and currently has favorability rating at or below 40%. Considering that everyone in Nevada has an opinion of Harry Reid I don't see his favorability rating ever recovering. He has never gotten reelected by any large margin, normally barely crossing the 50% mark. The people of Nevada simply can't stand the guy. So Reid's only hope for victory is to pull his opponent down, as he has always done in his past elections, by using his massive liberal infused war chest to sling mud, lie, cheat, steal whatever he can to get reelected. To Reid nothing is out of bounds. That is why top of the line Republicans have always been afraid to take him on, including this year, because they know the Reid machine will come after them no holds barred. Thing is this year is different. People are so disguted with incumbents that I think no amount of Reid campaign cash is going to save him. I think the Republicans could have run satan himself against Reid and satan would beat him. People are disgusted with politicians and that's all Reid has ever been.
Posted by: RobT1 | June 10, 2010 1:24 PM | Report abuse
I think it was P.T.Barnum who said "no one ever went broke from underestimating the intelligence of the average person." I wouldn't gloat yet.
Posted by: browneri | June 10, 2010 12:31 PM | Report abuse
With all the retirees living in Nevada, do you think they'd vote for someone who wants to do away with SS and Medicare? Press on Harry, just remind them what she stands for...insanity.
Posted by: clairevb | June 10, 2010 12:26 PM | Report abuse
In other words, the Republican sounding posters are saying the devil they don't know is better than the one they know.
That makes sense.
Posted by: arancia12 | June 10, 2010 12:17 PM | Report abuse
Nevada voters would seem to disagree with "whistling" and "LABC":
"Election 2010: Nevada Senate
Nevada Senate: Angle 50%, Reid 39%"
- Rasmussen Reports, Thursday, June 10, 2010
Posted by: likelyvoter | June 10, 2010 11:50 AM | Report abuse
The nasty Tea Party lost big.
Anti incumbent fever? 42 of 48 incuments won.
Saral Palin? She only endorsed candidates that were way ahead. Calls that victory.
The tea party candidates...only sharron what's her name who'se too goofy to win a general...she saved Harry Reid.
And we hve to hear that the Tea Party is alive and well? Only to hold demonstrations to yack yack yack.
Like theLOSERS they are.
Posted by: whistling | June 10, 2010 10:52 AM | Report abuse
Ahhh...the sounds of republicans spinning. Trust a teabagger to wrest defeat from the jaws of victory.
Posted by: LABC | June 10, 2010 10:42 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.
@greenm1
Fascinating to read the words of those who don't live in Nevada claim that somehow Harry deserves to be re-elected.
As I stated before I don't agree with everything Sharron stands for, but at the least she can be trusted to do what is right for this state, unlike Harry.
And since you brought up race I'll just take a second to make it clear that I am Latino and I'm really tired of white liberals playing the race card. It's really sad that you guys have both houses and the executive branch and instead of rattling of a convincing list of accomplishments to persuade people to vote for your party all you can do is race-bait, call names and point fingers.