"New Senate polls offer three lessons and some hope for Democrats"

New Senate polls offer three lessons and some hope for Democrats

By David Lauter at the LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-three-lessons-new-senate-polls-20140423,0,2742996.story#axzz30KfxN7XK

"SNIP.....................

That leads to the second lesson: Despite all the attention they have received, the money poured into early campaign ads by the Koch brothers and conservative groups has made relatively little difference.

North Carolina provides a good example. Republicans hope to unseat Sen. Kay Hagan, the Democratic incumbent, and already outside groups have spent more than $5.5 million in the state, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

But although opponents have run several ads attacking Hagan for her support of Obama’s healthcare law, liberal groups have also spent heavily in support of Hagan.

The result: pretty much a wash. Several polls over the last couple of months have shown the matchup between Hagan and her most likely Republican opponent, Thom Tillis, the speaker of the state House, in a toss-up that roughly matches the state’s nearly even partisan division, which is what one would have expected even if no money had been spent. The latest poll follows suit, with Hagan leading Tillis, 42% to 40%, essentially a tie.


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