NBC’s Chuck Todd: Sen. Reid is Toast

From John Fund at the Wall Street Journal:

“In the end, I don’t believe Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will run for re-election. Whether or not the health-care bill he muscled through the Senate becomes law, the 70-year-old will bow out of his race for a fifth term.

“The major reason has nothing to do with his many verbal gaffes, the latest of which exploded over the weekend. The simple fact is that he probably can’t win re-election—almost no incumbent senator as far down in the polls has come back to win. Asked if Mr. Reid is finished, NBC Political Director Chuck Todd said yesterday, “I think so. I do—absolutely.”

“A new Mason-Dixon survey of Nevada voters finds Mr. Reid’s favorable rating at just 33%, with 60% of voters disapproving of his role in the health-care debate. He trails three major GOP opponents jostling to run against him in their party’s primary. He loses 50% to 40% to former GOP state chair Sue Lowden, to real estate developer Danny Tarkanian by 49% to 41%, and by 45% to 40% to former state legislator Sharron Angle. Extensive media buys by Mr. Reid to showcase his record of Senate accomplishment have done nothing to move his poll numbers.

“Nevada political observers say Democrats are making contingency plans in case Mr. Reid leaves office, possibly recruiting one of the state’s two Democratic congresswomen to replace him. There’s even talk of coaxing former Democratic Senator and Nevada Governor Richard Bryan out of retirement to run.”