For months and months, Harry Reid seemed
about as likely to be reelected to the Senate as the Orioles are to win
the American League East. But a new
poll now shows him leading all three of his main Republican rivals.
What gives?As the folks over at TPM point out, the GOP candidates have done an excellent job of knocking each other down. But there may be a bit of a hidden religious factor at work as well. At the Mormon History Association meetings in Kansas City last weekend, the word was that the leadership of the LDS Church was putting out quiet signals that it would be a good thing if Reid retained his seat. No Mormon has ever held a higher position of authority, and even if virtually all of the church's general authorities (as they're called) are Republicans, keeping a Mormon Democrat as Senate Majority Leader is preferable to having him replaced with a first-term Republican.
None of the three leading Republicans are Mormons, and though a latecomer to the field, Chad Christensen, has been playing the LDS card for all it's worth, he's not given much of a chance. Anecdotally, Reid--who is an active and enthusiastic member of the church--seems to enjoy considerable LDS support.
How much of a difference does the LDS vote make in the Silver State? According to the 2008 Trinity ARIS, Mormons constitute only 5.2 percent of the population. (Thanks to emigration from California, that's down from 9 percent a decade ago.) Still, in a close election, a few percentage points matter, and turnout among Mormons is always high.
Mitt Romney scored a huge and unexpected victory In the January 2008 Republican caucuses, racking up over 50 percent of the vote to Ron Paul's 14 percent and John McCain's 13 percent. Later that year, Obama beat John McCain handily, 55-43. With the quiet blessing of Salt Lake City, I wouldn't count Harry Reid out this year.
Uh, I'm a Mormon and I've never heard anybody talk about Harry Reid, thank you very much.
Harry Reid's works and character are clearly defined by the public record. The Iraq war was entered pursuant to a UN Resolution. Harry and Nancy were in support of the action until the 2004 Presidential Election loomed close. Then they concocted a Big Lie (ala Joseph Goebbels sp?) asserting that President Bush had misled everyone about the existence of wmds. Harry Reid knowingly lied to the American people to acquire power. After the 2006 putsch Harry and Nancy and President Oz began the looting America on behalf of their union supporters and other Socialist interests. In the Mormon vernacular Harry Reid is a Gadianton Robber and a Kingman. If you disagree, then get informed before your form your opinions. There is little room for "perspective" given the clarity of the facts in the public record.
I just have one question for you, Mr. Hill. In what sense was the Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006 a putsch?
In answer to Mark Silk's query re how the 2006 Democratic-Socialist takeover of Congress was a "putsch":
Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi began a campaign against the War in Iraq in 2003 based on the assertion that George Bush had tricked Americans into going to war in Iraq by lying about the danger of weapons of mass destruction. A reading of contemporaneous newspaper articles makes it clear that wmds were not a determining issue (actually not even an issue). Hussein did not cooperate with UN investigators when they went to Iraq to search for wmds. The UN issued a resolution authorizing the United States to take action against Iraq. Hussein was given more than one extension and opportunities to leave the country. He did not comply and the war commenced. Reid and Pelosi knowingly lied about Bush misleading the nation on wmds. The propaganda campaign escalated into the 2006 election of Democratic-Socialist legislators. The election of Obama was effected by a virtual media blackout. The myriad bonafide issues about Obama's birth political associations, African-American nationalism, Muslim affiliations etc. were not published and two years later the issues have been established as valid. Harry Reid and Pelosi effected a coup through lies made out of whole cloth and they were aided and abetted by the core of our Socialist media. "Just the facts ma'am."
"Putsch" means "coup"--an overthrow of a government. The alleged campaign of misinformation and "virtual media blackout" leading to elections that resulted in Democratic majorities and a Democratic president according to the rules established by the Constitution cannot be considered a putsch.
The mainstream media likes to ignore Reid's faith while not a single article could be written about Mitt Romney with out mentioning his faith. The double standard is so tangible it's appalling.
Tonight I googled 'Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Mormon', and not surprisingly, the only thing that popped up were articles in UT.
Mormons would LOVE it if everyone knew Reid was mormon, because it would invalidate many of the misconceptions around the faith.
However, your argument that the LDS church had something to do with Reid's resurgence and would have something to do with the win- is entirely off base, but remarkably refreshing.