In case you missed it, the Democrats have decided to cancel their advertising in Kentucky next week after a number of public polls continue to show Dr. Rand Paul dominating liberal trial lawyer Jack Conway by double digits.
Hotline OnCall’s Jeremy Jacobs reports:
The DSCC has canceled some ad reservations in Kentucky, a likely sign that the Democratic committee is re-evaluating whether it is worth spending money there this year. A Republican source who monitors ad buys told Hotline On Call that the DSCC has canceled reservations there for next week. The DSCC had reserved about $292K worth of air time during that time span. The move may indicate that Democrats view the race between AG Jack Conway (D) and ophthalmologist Rand Paul (R) as moving outside their grasp.
It is worth noting, however, the Democrats reserved $1.6M in Kentucky and had yet to go on the air there. Therefore, the DSCC is not completely pulling out of the state. They could still use their later reservations to air ads. The DSCC declined to comment on its ad buy strategy. The cancellation is another indication that the DSCC is re-evaluating its spending strategy as some states that were believed to be sure things have become increasingly competitive. Earlier Wednesday, the DSCC reserved air time in Connecticut, a state the was firmly in the Democratic column at the beginning of the cycle. The DSCC reserved $250K in Connecticut, roughly the same amount it is canceling in Kentucky. The cancellation also comes a day after the DSCC unexpectedly went up in West Virginia, a sign that that race has also tightened. Not all the news this week has been bad for Democrats, though. In Washington and California — two races that looked like pick up opportunities for the GOP just a month ago — Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) appear to be opening up leads in recent polls.
In reporting on these developments today, please consider the following response from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC):
“Clearly, the national Democrats realize that Jack Conway’s support for President Obama’s reckless spending agenda and health care bill in Washington has cost them the race in Kentucky, as Dr. Rand Paul is running a campaign focused on reining-in runaway government spending and restoring accountability in Washington. Meanwhile, the Democrats are being forced to spend precious resources on Dick Blumenthal’s behalf, who has squandered a massive lead and is running neck and neck against successful businesswoman Linda McMahon. Instead of investing in key races in Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Arkansas, or New Hampshire, the Democrats have been forced to play defense in Connecticut, West Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere with only 33 days until voters cast their ballots.” – Amber Marchand, NRSC Press Secretary
I hope you’ll take a moment to remember the Democrats’ spin last week while Rand Paul was leading Conway in the polls: “Democrats say it’s a sign that Republicans are increasingly nervous about ophthalmologist Rand Paul’s (R) chances against Conway. They point to recent polling that shows Conway closing on Paul’s once very sizable lead and note that Paul was not the NRSC’s preferred candidate in the race.” So based on the Democrats’ own standards, they must be “increasing nervous” about Conway – who has not led a single poll in over 7 weeks. As a reminder, a new survey today has Conway down 11 percent to Paul with just 33 days until the midterm elections.
Finally, for those of you who are lucky enough to receive the Democrats’ spin that this is “just like what the NRSC did in California,” I would highly encourage you to re-read Politico’s Morning Score, which clearly states that the NRSC has not changed our financial commitment to Carly Fiorina’s campaign. The real question today is: Can the Democrats can say the same for their commitment to Jack Conway? We’ll eagerly await their confirmation.
