Many Nevada Voters Wish Sharron Angle, Harry Reid Weren't Their Candidates

Here's a striking statistic out of the Nevada Senate race: 68 percent of the state's voters said in a new poll that they would have preferred if the state's Republicans had nominated someone other than Tea Party-backed nominee Sharron Angle, according to a new Las Vegas Review-Journal/8NewsNow poll.

Even more shockingly: That includes two in three people who say they are voting for Angle.

The figures aren't quite as bad for Reid, though they reflect the fact that the Senate Majority Leader is not exactly beloved in his home state: 49 percent of voters overall say they wish the Democratic Party had nominated someone else. Less than one in five Reid voters say that, however, which suggests that while Angle voters are supporting their candidate grudgingly, Reid voters are largely happy with theirs. (Worth noting, however: Reid's unfavorable rating overall stands at 52 percent.)

The poll found a tight race overall, with the two candidates essentially running neck-and-neck.

Sharron Angle and Harry Reid

/ AP / CBS

Before Angle's nomination, Republicans were salivating over the likelihood that Reid would fall in the midterm elections in what was expected to be a demoralizing, high-profile defeat for Democrats. But Angle's controversial positions on a variety of issues gave the majority leader an opening to portray her as too extreme for Nevada voters. Her nomination, coupled with Reid's relative unpopularity, appears to have forced many in the state to have to choose between a pair of candidates about whom they have little enthusiasm.

Just as Reid has done to Angle throughout the campaign, Angle and her allies have tried to drive up Reid's negatives in a pair of ads this week. The first, as CBS News' Rob Hendin reported in his Hot Ads of the Week column, tied Reid to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama in what is portrayed as "the most tragic love story of our time."

And yesterday came the ad above from the socially conservative Family Research Council, which criticizes "Harry Reid and homosexual activists" for "attempting to advance their political agenda by overturning 'don't ask, don't tell.'"

"Our military is about protection, not politics," an announcer says in the spot.

Both Reid and the president have vowed to end the policy keeping gay men and women from serving openly in the military. A CBS News poll out yesterday found 75 percent of Americans favor allowing homosexuals to serve openly.

Joe Sudbay at the gay-rights blog AMERICAblog speculates that the ad is actually less about helping Angle than "trying to make Reid delay consideration of the Defense Authorization bill, which currently includes the DADT repeal legislation."

In other Angle news, the candidate yesterday twice declined to disavow the claim that there are "domestic enemies" serving in Congress, the Washington Post reports, prompting the Democratic National Committee to call on her to say exactly who those enemies might be.

[Suzanna42]

I am wondering what Nevada Republicans think will happen to the many seniors in their State as well as the senior groups that regularly visit their casinos if social security is privatized or eliminated?

[babooph]

These elections will not matter-the Bush creeps already finished off the future of the US middle class-[notice no dem filibuster EVER arose to stop it].Even with the super majority ,the dems sold the public out to the lobbyists-the whole rotten mess has likely done so much damage it cannot be fixed.

[MurdochSucks]

How did the Republicans blow this one so badly? Morons. With all the backlash against Reid in NV, why the hell did they nominate such an extremist whackado? If they had nominated any rational, moderate Republican, that candidate would have taken NV for sure. But these idiots put this piece of feces up for nomination. Ha, it's laughably stupid!

[LIBERALS-lie]

desperate attempt by CBS to minimize Angle

[34sender]

She does it so much better all by herself!

[brnfream]

Vote for Angle. She can do no harm...Reid, on the hand..Get him OUT OF THERE. He needs to pay up for OBAMACARE!!! Nobody will take her seriously, hopefully

[34sender]

If Angle wins in Nevada, Las Vegas and the border gambling operations -- the cash cows of Nevada -- will lose a lot of business. I do know what I am talking about. Many people I know go there often and will stop on a dime, if this travesty is hoisted on the American people by ignorant Nevadans.

Americans are not going to pay the wages for idiots that give the entire country such a looney tune Senator. It IS the US Senate, Nevada, we all have to live with the other 49 States' choices. Reid may not be the best of all worlds, but he IS sane at least.

Beware Nevada. You think you have financial woes now?

[wfw3536]

Reid is the worst senator in NV history. The guy only cares about himself. He is a two face who will say anything to get elected. Folks in NV deserve better than Reid.

[comicart-2009]

Reid has done a fine job out here for the last 24 years and I'm glad that non-Nevadans like you don't have a say in our politics. Sharron Angle is such a whackjob that you would have to be in a coma to vote for her. Idiots who claim Reid is a "two face" haven't looked in the mirror lately.

Harry is going to trounce Angle on November 2nd and you crybabys will be able to whine for another 6 years.

[tsigili]

That isn't at all surprising, considering that Reid needs to allowed to leave Washington (sent packing, actually), and Angle doesn't speak for enough of the citizens.