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Is There A Dr. No in the House?

By W. James Antle, III on 6.22.09 @ 12:50PM

According to a Mason-Dixon poll, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is viewed favorably by just 34 percent of Nevadans. The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza points out that Reid's numbers are even worse than those of Republican colleague John Ensign, who just admitted an extramarital affair and resigned his leadership position. Reid is up for reelection in 2010 and should be vulnerable to a Republican challenge.

Except the Republicans don't have a candidate. If Congressman Dean Heller takes a pass on the race, there is no obvious GOP challenger for Reid. Which raises the question: Might this not be an opportunity for a Ron Paul Republican?

Paul placed a distant second behind Mitt Romney in last year's Nevada Republican caucuses. His supporters did even better at the state convention, forcing party regulars to adjourn and hold a conference call instead. So we know the bodies are there. Ensign nearly toppled Reid in 1998 during a campaign where the Republican argued that most of what the federal government does is unconstitutional. There is a general anti-incumbent mood in the state right now. The same poll that shows Reid faring poorly also has President Obama dipping below 50 percent favorability and has Gov. Jim Gibbons, a Republican, at just 10 percent (which is why he is not a plausible candidate). A Paulite might be well positioned in such an environment. And did I mention that Reid voted for the Iraq war?

Unlike Gary Johnson in New Mexico, Rand Paul in Kentucky or even Peter Schiff in Connecticut, there is no obvious candidate, so the Ron Paul Republicans face the same problem as the rest of the party. But it would certainly seem like an opening if they could find someone remotely credible.

View all comments (9) | Leave a comment

Tim| 6.22.09 @ 1:28PM

" The same poll that shows Reid faring poorly also has President Obama dipping below 50 percent favorability "

Shocking, who knew that Nevada was 51 percent racists?

Ran| 6.22.09 @ 1:36PM

Because if you don't like Obama, it has to be because he's black. Isn't that racist, too?

Tim| 6.22.09 @ 1:54PM

What a perfectly racist question...

Steve| 6.22.09 @ 3:08PM

Hey Tim, have you considered the remote possibility that perhaps people don't like socialized healthcare, or the takeover of the auto industry, or the massive dilution of our currency? It's 2009, you can throw your race card away now.

GiveLaughLearn| 6.22.09 @ 4:41PM

Tweet this Tim: When the RED, RED, Robin comes a bob, bob, bobbing along and goes down in the polls - it's not because of their skin color! Your just a political party mocking bird singing the same old song. Rosie Parks is dead and that worn out seat on the bus is now owned by government motors! This news doesn't sit well with most Americans who really don't take kindly to social re-engineering from politicans who would rather hear themselves talk 24/7 than listen to voters!

Aaron| 6.22.09 @ 4:50PM

It would seem that Nevada would be the perfect breeding ground for Ron Paulites. Gambling, prostitution, fast weddings & divorces, and more Elvises than you can shake a peanut butter and banana sandwich at. Nevada is a petri dish for free wheeling, do as we wish, we don't need no stinking government intervention kinda weirdos.

Nick| 6.22.09 @ 5:55PM

Last election cycle in the district 3 Congressional race we had two Ron Paul supporters running for the nomination against incumbent Rep. Jon Porter: Jesse Law and Carl Bunce. Porter won the primary in a landslide (and went on to lose the general election), but I hope Law and Bunce turn up again in 2010.

I think Law is under 30 and if so he couldn't run for Senate, but I hope he runs for the House again against the new incumbent, Rep. Dina Titus. I think Bunce is over 30, but I'm not sure. If he is, I hope he runs against Sen. Reid.

David| 6.23.09 @ 1:18AM

Where is that Son of A Butcher, Wayne Allan Root??

Tim| 6.23.09 @ 8:45AM

Sorry dudes. I was *trying* for sarcasm but I guess it came across as troll.
The joke is that if Obama is losing popularity only racism and racists could explain it, not any fault of his holeyness (which I intentionally misspelled for ironic effect just then. Hole-yness get it?)