Wall Street Journal: Sharron Angle could ignite strong Republican turnout

"…Reid could be getting the match-up he wants [in Sharron Angle]," said David Damore, a UNLV political-science professor. "This is his dream."

“But several people close to the Reid camp say they have begun to question that assumption because Ms. Angle's (http://www.sharronangle.com/, insertion mine) grass-roots approach could ignite a strong Republican turnout, especially in a state with a tradition of support for limited government, they say. Also, they say they have been surprised to see Ms. Lowden make the missteps that Democrats were able to capitalize on with chicken costumes.

"Up until few weeks ago, I would have told you 100% without a doubt we prefer Sharron Angle," said a person close to the Reid campaign. Now, although Ms. Lowden still appears the stronger challenger, that calculation has become somewhat more uncertain, he said.

“…So far, Ms. Angle has been running a bare-bones operation. Her campaign has just three paid staffers who partly work out of her Reno house, her campaign spokesman said. Ms. Lowden's paid campaign staff includes around a dozen people, including six field operators and three people involved in finance, her campaign spokesman said.

How’s that for REAL fiscal conservatism? Sharron Angle walks the talk.

“…In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, she said she was proud of her lone "No" votes in the state assembly, such as on a 2005 bill to cap property-tax increases at 3% a year for residential owners and 8% a year for commercial owners. Ms. Angle said she thought the structure was unconstitutional (emphasis mine). "No one would challenge it because of the benefits that they perceived they were getting," Ms. Angle said. "For me the end doesn't justify the means."

“She also maintains her privatization stance.

“Mr. Weber, the GOP strategist, said her positions might not be as extreme as her critics might think in the current political climate. ”I think there is a real antispending mood right now in the country that makes ideas that might have seemed out of the mainstream a few years ago more acceptable," he said.

“…"I think she is a divisive person," said Mr. Raggio, who backs Ms. Lowden. "She would vote 'No' to everything. If everybody did that, nothing would get done in a legislative body."

And Mr. Raggio, that might not be such a bad thing.

“Ms. Angle said she doesn't mind being branded as someone who is unwilling to work toward compromises with people of different views. "I don't think that we're elected to be popular," she said. "That kind of thing went out with high school. We are elected to do the right thing, to keep our oath of office, and to uphold and defend the Constitution (emphasis mine)."

“…Meanwhile, the Lowden campaign continues to stumble. In an interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal, Reno Mayor Bob Cashell, a Republican, called her "Suicidal Sue" after the chicken statement and her response to criticisms of it, as well as other campaign bungles.

See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703630304575271551970063286.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us

Even “The Atlantic” thinks Lowden has run an “atrocious” campaign:

“Remember, it's one of the two "mainstream" Republican candidates in the race, Sue Lowden, who had problems explaining how the state's residents could barter for their health care. Lowden may pull off a win next week, but she's run a fairly atrocious campaign (emphasis mine), one that a competent Democrat could exploit with ease.”

See: http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/06/harry-reids-getting-an-angle-on-his-survival-chances/57560/