Tipsheet

Uplifting Ad Watch '06: Mikayla's Back in Michigan

Campaigning for her dad, Mike Bouchard in Michigan, and she's a natural at it:


You can give money to Bouchard through Rightroots or get a list of names and start calling to get out the vote!

Mikayla's first appearance is here, in "The Date."

RealClearPolitics has Bouchard down 12, but Michigan traditionally "closes late," so there's time for him to make up the difference. Stabenow was down 17 points three weeks out of her win, and Bouchard has been down as little as 7 in one poll.

The RNC thought this race was worth a late injection of $850K. But is it a Rovian trick?

Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University political scientist, suggested the spending might be a "head fake."

"I think it's a tactical move designed to distract Democrats, to make them think there's some secret Karl Rove data out there that has the race closer than it appears," Baker said.

The ad spending comes on top of a decision by the Republican senate committee last week to transfer more than $350,000 directly to Bouchard's campaign.

"This definitely shows that the momentum is with the sheriff," said Jennifer Morris, a spokeswoman for the Bouchard campaign.

"People across the country recognize that he has the ability to win on Tuesday."

This probably isn't a great move for Stabenow.

The real show-down? Bill Clinton vs. Kid Rock. My money's on Rock. Heck, Kid Rock should bring Pam Anderson to Bouchard's campaign stop, just to lure Clinton away from the Stabenow campaign. Now, that would be a dirty trick.

Update: Mike Allen on the possibility of a Michigan upset:

The Michigan salvo is one of the NRSC's three offensive moves, along with New Jersey, where Tom Kean Jr. is profiting from corruption charges against incumbent Robert Menendez, and Maryland, where Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is running on change against Democrat Ben Cardin, a 10-termer in the U.S. House. Republicans hope for a surprise upset in Michigan because an anti-incumbent tide would benefit the GOP in a state where both U.S. Senators and the Governor are all Democrats. Bouchard is Sheriff of Oakland County, a wealthy county that includes Pontiac and is part of the Detroit metro area.

If one of these is a "head fake" or a distraction, I'd call it N.J. We always get all excited about turning N.J. red, but the bottom always falls out at the end. So, here's hoping, but I'm not as keen on that one.