Having been to Las Vegas both recently (since my parents live there) and a decade ago, I can attest that I have never seen a city make such a transformation. Now I am not talking about the strip, but the parts of Vegas most people do not see. Mayor Oscar Goodman has done quite a bit to improve the infrastructure of the city by cleaning up neighborhoods and bringing investment to some of the parts of Vegas that were in desperate need business. A poll out today gave me confidence that the Nevada seat is still winnable by a Democrat.
According to RealClearPolitics:
NV Sen Poll: Goodman Outpolling Reid
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman continues to outpoll Nevada Sen. Harry Reid when matched up against potnetial Republican general election foes, according to a new Daily Kos/Research2000 poll (Jan. 18-20, 600 LV, MoE +/- 4%). Goodman leads former state GOP chair Sue Lowden and Danny Tarnkanian, son of the famed UNLV basketball coach, while Reid trails both by an average of 10 points.
Reid's favorable rating is upside down (34% fav/55% unfav), as is President Obama's (45% fav/50% unfav). Other Democrats tested include Rep. Shelley Berkley and Secretary of State Ross Miller.
Reid 41 - Tarkanian 52 - Und 7
Reid 42 - Lowden 51 - Und 7
Goodman 44 - Tarkanian 41 - Und 15
Goodman 44 - Lowden 40 - Und 16
Berkley 40 - Tarkanian 46 - Und 14
Berkley 40 - Lowden 45 - Und 15
Miller 36 - Tarkanian 44 - Und 20
Miller 37 - Lowden 43 - Und 20
For me, I would want to avoid the embarassment of not only losing the NV Senate Seat but for our Majority Leader to lose on election night (See Thune's defeat of Daschle in 2004). I also have always felt that Dick Durbin or even Chuck Schumer would do a much better job than Harry Reid who has been ineffective to say the least. What is the big risk to Reid Retiring?
What say all of you?