Harry Reid Losing to Someone Who's Not Even Running Yet

Harry Reid better starting checking the casinos in Vegas to see if one will give him a job as a greeter or something. He's on his way to being "Daschled":

Republican Sue Lowden would defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Harry Reid by 6 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup, according to a poll of likely Nevada voters.

Unfortunately for Reid-bashers, Lowden isn't running -- at least not yet.

On Monday, Lowden supporters, including political strategist Robert Uithoven, disclosed the results of a poll commissioned as part of an effort to persuade the Nevada Republican Party chairwoman to run, especially if Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., decides not to challenge Reid.

The poll by Denver-based Vitale & Associates was conducted July 29-30 and showed that 48 percent of respondents favored Lowden to 42 percent for Reid. Ten percent were undecided. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.

Of the 510 poll respondents, 44 percent identified themselves as Democrats, 38 percent as Republicans, 15 percent as independent or non-partisan, and 3 percent declined to state an affiliation.

The findings reaffirm the notion that Reid is in trouble in his home state, despite expectations that he will raise as much as $25 million to maintain his grip on the seat, said those behind the poll.

"Sue would have plenty of money to win this race," Uithoven said. "She doesn't have $25 million, but she wouldn't need it."

Pollster Todd Vitale said the most telling numbers might be the ones related to Reid.

In three Reid-related categories -- image, approval and whether they would vote to re-elect -- respondents gave the senator a thumbs down. Just 39 percent viewed Reid favorably, and 34 percent said they would vote to re-elect him.

Tom Daschle was the liberal Democrat Senate Majority leader, badly out of touch with his own state's voters, when he was dumped in 2004. Harry Reid is Daschle with even less personality.