The Nevada Senate race is possibly the most closely followed in the country – and the closest.
Harry Reid, the Democratic majority leader of the Senate, is Target No. 1 for many dissatisfied Republicans in the country, and a victory over him would be a major coup.
It’s no surprise that Nevada has been the starting point for most of the Tea Party Express bus tours, including the most recent.
Sharron Angle, his Republican challenger, is a tea party favorite whose primary victory was a surprise. A political newcomer and conservative Republican, Ms. Angle is in some ways a weak opponent who has been prone to missteps and gaffes (like last week’s comment to Hispanic students that some of them looked “more Asian"), but Senator Reid is gaffe-prone himself.
Angle’s mistakes may not matter much, since this contest is primarily a referendum on Reid – whose approval ratings are dangerously low for an incumbent. One thing that may help Reid: Nevada ballots have a “none of these” option, which will allow some voters to express their dislike of Reid without actually casting a vote for Angle.
Despite huge amounts of money and the best efforts of both campaigns, the race has remained consistently close in the polls. Many pundits now give a
slight edge to Angle, but it’s truly a toss-up.
