A liberal blogger from Montana’s Flathead Valley says Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is in trouble.
James Conner with The Flathead Memo has this:
Now, the advantages of incumbency notwithstanding, Tester has for the last 18 months trailed GOP challenger Denny Rehberg by a few points. Rehberg’s lead is small, often within the sampling margin of error, but consistent, and the probability that he’s actually leading is high.
As November approaches, the frequency of polling will increase, giving us a better sense of who’s in the lead, but Tester’s trailing in the polls while leading in campaign contributions suggests that something fundamental is amiss with his campaign.
All this, as The USA Today reports that control of the US Senate could rest with the US Senate race in Montana.
“There is no path to a majority without North Dakota, Nebraska and Montana,” Rehberg told USA TODAY in an interview before a speech at a Lincoln Day dinner in Pondera, a conservative county where he enjoys a strong base of support. “I think the Democrats know that. I clearly know it. I feel the pressure,” he said.
Tester apparently continues to struggle to pull himself out from under the cloud of Obamacare. A caller to the talk show today summed up his thoughts: “a vote for Tester is a vote for Obama.” But, as The Western Word points out, you can continue to look for Tester to try and suck in naive reporters with the “hey I’m just a farmer” routine. Better to milk the same puff piece than to actually have to answer on the issues.