Harry Reid Is Too Weak

Does Harry ReidHarry Reid annoy anyone else here?

He annoys the hell out of me.

Harry Reid, the senior Senator from Nevada is the Senate Majority leader. He’s been a Senator since 1987, winning the seat in ’86. Prior to that he was a Congressman for the state.

To me Harry Reid represents the old Democratic Party. Do you remember them? They did things like “pussy out” on everything the Republicans fought back on.

The newer Democratic Party, that is still developing, is closer to a Howard DeanHoward Dean, Pelosi and Grayson.

Not only does the newer Democratic Party have a bark, but as seen recently by Pelosi and Grayson, it seems like they have a bite as well.

Let’s Talk Numbers

Harry Reid will be up for re-election in 2010, unless he evolves a spine sometime between now and election time, I wouldn’t be too disappointed if someone else replaces him as the Senator from Nevada.

The thing that annoys me the most is Reid’s inability to lead. He seems to be an awful leader.

Case in point, health care reform.

There’s a new poll conducted by Research 2000, asking Nevada voters what they thought of their Senator.

Only about 36% of the voters polled thought favorably of him, 52% thought unfavorably. Within the Democrat voters he is 55% in the favorable but 39% in the unfavorable (which seems pretty accurate I’d assume).

Research 2000 asked if you favored a public health insurance option similar to Medicare and 54% said yes, 39% said no and 7% said they were undecided.

When asked if people thought Harry Reid was too liberal or not liberal enough.

Overall say Reid 47% for to far to the left, 41% said not far left enough and 12% said they were unsure. These are the overall percentages; these include Republicans, Democrats and Independents.

When you look at the numbers closer, you see obviously that the Republicans think he is too far to the left. Obviously.

But when you breakdown the numbers between the Democrats and Independents the numbers are different.

When looking at polls, Harry Reid usually equates the publics unhappiness as a sign that he is too far to the left and needs to scoot to the center more. Now Reid can move to the center all he wants but Republicans will always view him as a liberal. So ignore the Republicans, Reid, pay attention to the Democrats and the Independents, your political career may depend on it.

When asked if they thought Reid was too far to the left or too far to the right, 55% of the Independents (the people that decide election victories) said that Harry Reid was not progressive enough. As opposed to 40% that thought he was too far to the left.

Did you hear that Reid? 55% of the Nevada Independents think that you are too far to the right.

Well Reid’s people had heard about the Research 2000 study and said that they were “offended” by the poll.

That’s right Nevadans, Harry Reid is insulted by your opinion of him.

Reid when it comes to voters that decide the elections, you are too far to the right, how about scooting over to the left a little.

Research 2000 also asked if they thought Harry Reid was a strong leader or a weak leader.

52% say he is weak, 22% say he is strong and 24% are not sure.

Among Democrats 47% say he is weak, 39% say he is strong.

Among Independents, 53% weak, 22% strong.

I can see how this offends you Reid (I don’t know why I’m writing this as if he is reading this) but it’s what people think of you.

People think you are weak and too conservative. Stop being offended and do something about it.

When asked if they are more likely to vote for Reid if he gets a healthcare reform bill passed without a public option, 17% of the Independents say they are more likely to vote for him. 31% say the will not vote for Harry Reid if he doesn’t pass a bill with a strong public option in it. Among Democrats the answer is 7% and 46%, respectively.

So Senator Harry Reid, Mr. Majority Leader, have you learned anything from what the people want and what the people are saying in Nevada.

They want a strong public option. They want you to deliver it. And if you don’t deliver it, they want someone else to occupy your seat.

It’s choice for you to make. Do you want to appease the Republicans and the extremists on the right, or do you want to appease the people that voted for you (Democrats and Independents)?

Psst, here’s a tip, make the Independents happy.

Before I finish this article I want to tell everyone a story about Harry Reid and his leadership skills. This took place a few days ago.

Arlen Spector, having just finished his career in the Republican Party and starting a new one with the Democrats, Spector was amazed by how the Democrats functioned.

Spector, inside the Democratic Caucus, pretty much assumed that all the Democrats would be together to stop a Republican filibuster.

He practically came out and asked everyone there, in full hopes that the answer was going to be “yes, of course we will stick together and get the healthcare reform passed”.

The answers was not a unanimous “yes”. Some Democrats came out and said that they might end up helping the Republicans to filibuster healthcare reform.

This amazed Spector, who was use to the way the Republican Party worked, in unison. Republicans never join Democratic filibusters.

In response Spector asks everyone to stick together, but fails.

Afterward Harry Reid spoke with Spector privately.

Reid says, “Thanks for saying that, I was reluctant to make the same point myself.”

This is the leader of the Democratic Caucus, the Senate Majority leader, saying that he was reluctant to tell Democrats to stick together against a Republican filibuster.

Reluctant to tell Democrats to stick together? Really. The leader of the Democrats in the Senate was reluctant to tell them to stick together on one of the most important bills ever in American history and future.

This is the Democrat’s Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who if he doesn’t figure out what is expected of him will no longer be a Senator after 2010.

And good riddance.

I really have to question the Democrats for picking such a weak person as a leader. It’s sad.