Things look increasingly good for Barack Obama and Kay Hagan in North Carolina, but the thing that jumped out at me this morning came from Stuart Rothenberg in his assessment of the senate race.
Dole is increasingly regarded as political roadkill by campaign observers, but reports of her electoral demise may be greatly exaggerated.
Yes, Dole doesn’t have the financial advantage that she should at this time, hasn’t returned to her state often enough, and for too long failed to appreciate the danger that she was in. While her poll numbers were good initially, her popularity nose-dived after Democratic attacks on her ineffectiveness in the Senate.
But the National Republican Senatorial Committee’s independent expenditure effort has begun in the Tar Heel State, and Dole’s campaign has finally become more aggressive. Challenger Kay Hagan remained unscathed (and undefined) until recently, and the GOP attacks are likely to help Dole improve her position in the contest.
Still, that only means that the Republican Senator is in a dogfight and still seriously vulnerable, hardly the position Dole expected to find herself in. Of course, her state is better for a Republican than Oregon is for Smith, and unlike in Oregon, Republicans are only now starting to brand Dole’s Democratic challenger as a liberal big taxer.
This is the first time I had heard of anyone considering Dole to be in such bad shape polls notwithstanding. I was wondering if anyone else is hearing the same thing.
it’s already painfully obvious that he’s Republican-leaning.
For example, the last sentence:
non-partisan version: “Republicans are now only starting to brand Dole’s Democratic challenger.”
less R-partisan version: “Republicans are now only starting to brand Dole’s Democratic challenger as a ‘liberal big taxer’.”
noticeably R-partisan version: the one he wrote.
Dole’s ads are running heavily now – probably 3 times for every one of Hagan’s ads today. It’s funny how Hagan’s ads are smart and issue driven, but Dole’s ads are blatantly aimed at the low-information voter (since they are largely fact-free). They are hitting Hagan for increases in state spending and borrowing – as if Dole can really talk about borrowed money.
I even saw 4 yard signs for Dole today, which is a first in this campaign.