Thanks to Sarah Palin's candidate, the Alaska Senate race has gone from a sure Republican hold to very much in play. A new poll from none other than Rasmussen shows Scott McAdams within 6 points of Teabagger Joe.
And if even Rasmussen is showing this at just 6 points ...
And there is this very telling tidbit:
Ninety percent (90%) of Democrats back McAdams while 79% of Republicans throw their vote behind Miller. McAdams holds a 22-point lead among voters not affiliated with either major political party.
(emphasis mine)
The one possible advantage that Democrats might have in this otherwise difficult election season is to what extent the GOP's dependence on its teabagger fringe will come back to bite it in Alaska, Nevada, possibly Kentucky, and elsewhere. It's a devil's bargain that has brought them an enormous amount of enthusiasm, but threatens to turn off the fickle middle.
Our job, and that of Democratic campaigns across the country, is to hammer the fact that Joe Miller, Sharon Angle, and Rand Paul are the faces and voices of your modern Republican party. And then we'll see to what degree this might mitigate the damage.
-- Stu