I saw Kander's ad this morning, its powerful & clever.
Race in GOP-friendly Missouri could determine Senate control
BY ERICA WERNER, ASSOCIATED PRESS October 22, 2016 at 5:17 PM EDT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The clamor for change fueling Republican Donald Trump’s presidential campaign may help a little-known Democrat upset a powerful GOP senator in red-state Missouri on Election Day. And with just a handful of competitive races around the country, the outcome in Missouri could help determine control of the Senate.
The contest between Missouri’s secretary of state, Democrat Jason Kander, and Sen. Roy Blunt did not start out high on either party’s list of competitive Senate races in a state Trump is likely to win. But Kander, a 35-year-old veteran, has proved to be a smart and aggressive campaigner, challenging Blunt’s attempts to brand him a liberal by running an ad in which he assembles an AR-15 rifle blindfolded and describes his combat service.
Kander also has sought, unapologetically, to exploit the outsider mood that’s propelled Trump to the fore, criticizing the 66-year-old Blunt as a Washington insider who is part of a failed system.
“Really Donald Trump’s entire message is that people like Sen. Blunt are the problem,” Kander said before a recent rally in Kansas City where Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared on his behalf.
“Washington’s broken and we’re not going to change Washington until we change the people we send there,” Kander added, “and here in Missouri folks recognize that and they’re looking for a new generation of leadership.”
Missouri is one of three GOP-friendly states, along with North Carolina and Indiana, that have emerged as top battlegrounds as Democrats fight to gain a Senate majority. Democrats need to pick up five seats to accomplish that, or four if they hang onto control of the White House, because the vice president casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate.
Trump’s slide in the polls has sparked growing fears among Republicans that he could cost them majorities in the Senate and even the House. Yet operatives on both sides say the top Senate races remain very close, and thus far, at least, GOP candidates have not cratered in the polls as a result of Trump’s problems.
more:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/race-gop-friendly-missouri-determine-senate-control/
DO SOMETHING!
| 