'None' could be the kingmaker in Nevada Senate race

Nevada voters' disdain for both Republican Sharron Angle and Democrat Harry Reid is so high that a small margin of victory is expected.

Disdain for Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP nominee Sharron Angle is so high that a thin margin of victory is expected. Reid could benefit if enough people vote 'none,' a choice only in that state.

By Ashley Powers,
Los Angeles Times
September 22, 2010

Reporting from Las Vegas

Long before the "tea party" movement, Nevada lawmakers gave disgruntled and uninterested voters a way to tell politicians to buzz off. You don't like any of the choices? Vote for "none of these candidates."

This year, the turnout for "none" could be a decisive factor in whether Sen. Harry Reid returns to power as Democratic majority leader. The race between Reid and Republican Sharron Angle is so close, and the disdain for both candidates so high, that the victor will likely triumph by a razor-thin margin. That's where "none" comes into play.

Reid, who has the most to lose in an anti-incumbent year, has to hope that a significant number of voters will vent their anger by voting "none," instead of for Angle.

His campaign has vigorously tried to drive up negative impressions of Angle, a tea party conservative, by running advertisements that portray her positions as loony or dangerous. Angle's camp says Reid's tactics will backfire, and perhaps cause some of his voters to turn to a third-party candidate or "none."

(More here.)