It's Getting Harry Out In Nevada

Carol Platt Liebau | October 29, 2010 10:41 PM

Obviously, it would be a big deal if Harry Reid loses Tuesday -- the first time in 58 years that a Senate Majority Leader has been sacked by home state voters

(although Democrat Tom Daschle was defeated by John Thune while serving as minority leader, after being majority leader).

That being said, it isn't as though up until now, the Reid-Nevada relationship has been all roses and lollipops. Reid defeated John Ensign (now the state's other senator) in 1998 by a mere 428 votes (47.88% to 47.77%) in 1998 -- which was hardly a banner year for Republicans, as voters seemed annoyed by their response to the Clinton-Lewinsky fiasco. One would have thought that a long-time politician would be able to do a little better in a relatively favorable year.

One wonders why Senate Democrats have persisted in recent years in electing leaders from red states to be their leaders -- perhaps the perception that they will be best able to communicate with all the hicks and red necks out in flyover country? At any rate, all it seems to bring is misery for the leaders.

Obviously, this won't be a problem going forward . . . if Chuck Schumer wins the post he's seeking. Then, at least, a party with left-liberal sensibilities will be led by a senator from a left-liberal state. Less cognitive dissonance, I guess.