Harry Reid’s New Website Set’s Site on Mid-Terms
By Raymond Pratt
BeatReid.com
Monday, August 17, 2009
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Re-election campaign has taken another step in preparation for the 2010 mid-term by deploying a shiny new website. The new site is a blog-style website focusing on the use of social media technologies. The goal is to enhance his popularity with Nevadans, an area that he has struggled with in recent years.
Reid’s popularity amongst his constituency has been declining since he took on the roll of Majority Leader in the senate. Nevadans have expressed their concern that Reid’s true motivation is the attainment and retention of power rather than governing on behalf of citizens from his home state. Be that as it may, Reid’s well-stocked war chest has received over $3million between April and June of 2009, topping him off at over $7 million total. Harry Reid’s re-election effort has been the recipient of more support coming from outside his home state than that coming from his local constituency! (A breakdown outlining the sources of campaign contributions shows that only about 14 percent comes from residents of Nevada.)
President Barack Obama staged a fundraising event in Las Vegas on Reid’s behalf back in May 2009. Reid had vitriolic reactions over Obama’s comments on the use of federal bailout money for executive junkets to resort destinations like Las Vegas. But, apparently that hasn’t shamed the Senator away from accepting campaign support from the President.
Now, with a re-tooled online presence focusing on blogs, links to Twitter and Facebook and a campaign contribution portal, Harry Reid is seemingly following the example set by Obama’s presidential campaign. Candidates wishing to beat Reid in 2010 will have to follow suit by staying on the leading edge of social/viral marketing strategies and taking full advantage “web 2.0″ technologies.
So, the question is, why does Harry Reid get most of his support from outside Nevada? What do Nevadan’s know that the rest of the country doesn’t? Perhaps it is that candidates rising up to the challenge of running against Reid seem to get derailed on a regular basis.
One candidate, Congressman Dean Heller (Nev2), was considered to be a very real threat to Reid in the 2010 election. Not any more. Last week Heller announced he would not run against Reid in 2010. Congressman Heller was ahead of Harry Reid by nine points in a Tarrance Group poll commissioned by the Republican Party. Heller broke the news of his no longer intending to run to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) in a phone call Tuesday.
The prevailing theory amongst Republicans on why Heller isn’t running has been the recent degeneracy of John Ensign’s (R-Nev) political career. Ensign recently confessed to having an extra-marital affair with a campaign staffer back in 2007, and subsequently relinquished a prominent committee chairmanship in the ensuing aftermath. (Beat Reid wrote of it here). Heller confirmed what Republicans were thinking during an appearance on “Face to Face With Jon Ralston”, hosted by Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston. He made it clear that the decision not to run against Harry Reid was heavily influenced by the Ensign scandal
“It just gave pause,” Heller said. “I had anticipated in a good campaign like this Senator Ensign being there with me.”
Harry Reid can breathe a sigh of relief. In an article for “Politics Daily”, writer Jill Lawrence had a moment or two with Senator Harry Reid between stops on a tour promoting green energy projects. When asked whether he considered Heller his biggest threat, Harry Reid replied “Yup,” Now gone? “Gone,” he said happily.-From Politics daily.
Meanwhile, Nevada Republican Party Chair Sue Lowden has emerged as a possible Reid challenger. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons’ (R) 2006 campaign manager Robert Uithoven, who leads a group of prominent Nevada Republicans, released a survey showing Sue Lowden ahead of Reid by six points (48 to 42 percent). The poll was conducted by Denver-based Vitale & Associates from July 29-30. Todd Vitale, who has been a pollster for 15 years, said “I’ve never seen an incumbent with numbers this bad who hadn’t had some scandal.”
Harry Reid has managed to avoid any damaging personal scandals, but his name seems to come up whenever another politician falls into the shark tank. To Quote an August 17th article from the Las Vegas Sun:
A Republican operative, granted anonymity to speak freely, speculated that Reid assured Heller that he would not stand in the way of a 2012 run and would even tacitly help him by directing his fundraising network toward Heller.
Reid’s campaign manager Brandon Hall offered his usual response to speculations that Reid may have somehow influenced Heller in his decision.
“Its a ridiculous claim. Dean Heller made the decision on his own. You’d have to ask him what led to that decision.”
This would be a win-win situation for Heller and Reid. As the scavengers circle the sky over the remains of John Ensign’s political career, Heller could swoop in and finish him off in the 2012 elections, thus avoiding a battle with Harry Reid that would undoubtedly get him a little bloody.
Another prominent Nevada politician, Governor Jim Gibbons, was also thinking of running against Harry Reid, this time back in 2004. After some consideration Gibbons changed his mind and decided not to take Reid on after all. Soon after that Reid announced his support for a statewide education initiative called Education First, a project of Governor Gibbons. It is these types of coincidences that give us pause here at Beat Reid. Harry Reid is a master of maneuvering, and in the wake of political contention has demonstrated an uncanny ability to avoid getting splashed when others around him are dripping wet.
Harry Reid must be be thrown out of the Senate as he is nothing more than the perfect example of a Senator doing the most harm to the United States and the Freedom of the American People when he believes that what He is doing is the right think in his mind. He is drunk with political power and is an embarasment to his Conservative Mormon roots. He does not tell the truth and is pushing the Constitution toward the brink of destruction. This is one game of chance that all the citizens of Nevada continue to play with no possibility of winning…… Time to know when to FOLD AND BRING HIM HOME…….