PrintOctober 9, 2010
Are the Dems giving up in Missouri Senate race?
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is pulling out of Missouri, according to this report in Hotline on Call:
The DSCC is moving TV ad money out of Missouri, a sign that the Senate race may be moving beyond Democrats' grasp.Four Republican sources who monitor media buying and three Missouri TV stations have confirmed to Hotline On Call that the DSCC has canceled reservations from Oct. 11 to Oct. 25. The DSCC still has reservations in Missouri for the last week before Election Day."Yes, the weeks of Oct. 12 and Oct. 19 have been canceled for the DSCC in our station," Sean Kellerman of WDAF, the Kansas City, MO, FOX affiliate, said."They have requested cancellations," said Amy Warren of KCTV, Kansas City's CBS affiliate.As with all ad buy changes, it is worth keeping in mind that they are fluid and can change at any time. The DSCC could still go on the air in Missouri during this time period, but it would have to pay a higher ad rate than it first reserved.But at this point, it appears as though the DSCC moving money out of the state. The ad cancellations are an indication that national Democrats are growing bearish on Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's (D) chances against Rep. Roy Blunt (R), as polling shows Blunt with a sizable lead.
GOP candidate Rep. Roy Blount has been up by as much as 12 points in recent polls over the Democratic nominee Carnahan. Beyond that, this reflects a final change in strategy by the Democrats for the mid terms in the senate.
They will now apparently focus the bulk of their resources on keeping seats rather than trying to win any of the vulnerable GOP targets that were in play just a few weeks ago. This strategy shows that the Democrats are believers that the GOP has a realistic shot at taking over the senate unless they can defend in some key races in Nevada, Colorado, and probably California. Democratic victories in two of those states will almost certainly mean they get to keep control of the senate.
