Harry Reid's Sneaky Plan To Destroy Mitch McConnell's Reelection:

[Are_grits_groceries]

According to Talking Points Memo:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said he won't campaign against his arch rival, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is up for reelection in 2014.

"Oh, no. No, I -- that -- I'm a traditionalist here, and that isn't anything I've ever done and will not do," he told Bloomberg's "Political Capital with Al Hunt" in an interview set to air Friday night.

At first I was a bit surprised, even disappointed. First, there's no love lost between Reid and McConnell. And secondly, Kentucky Democratic senatorial candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes is really in a winnable dogfight that the would knock the sitting Senate Minority leader not only off his chair, but out of the senate all together. This contest sets up to be the most watched in recent history at the Senate level.
<snip>
Reid is being cagey like a fox. He's not avoiding this showdown. He's actually, by drawing attention to his not taking sides, helping Alison Lundergan Grimes. What he's doing is very smart. He's appearing to back his comrade McConnell by not only ignoring the urge to say politically damaging things about the Minority Leader, he's making it sound like they're friends. They agree on a lot of things. They can work together. Talk about backhanded praise. There isn't a conservative Republican or Tea Party member in Kentucky who wants to accept compromise and a willingness for their representative to work WITH the Democrats.

Therefore, a vote for Mitch is to vote for the democratic way of thinking and of compromise. Or at least that's the vapors Harry Reid is putting out to Kentucky.

Republicans would rather stay home, than vote for a Mitch McConnell republican the way he's being painted. Democrats will turn out to support a change -- to Alison Ludergan Grimes.
<snip>


Ha!
Harry Reid is a sneaky bastard when he wants to be.

[BlueStreak]

1. Well, that seems a bit far fetched

It is a lot simpler than that. Reid has to work with these guys, and he doesn't want to make the relationship so bad that it becomes totally dysfunctional if McConnell wins.

I don't follow a like of reasoning that says if Reid is too nice to McConnell, that will make KY Republicans want to help Grimes. That is silly.

I'm sure there are ways Harry can help her behind the scenes. One thing he can do is to get Senate Democrats to come strong on the offensive regarding the ACA. That is a big success story in Kentucky, and it will be easier for Grimes to use that if all her fellow Dems aren't hiding in a bunker hoping the issue will go away.

[Are_grits_groceries]

7. I don't think it's far fetched at all.

Harry gets to kill 2 birds with one stone. He can appear to be taking no sides in deference to McConnell. At the same time, he is praising him and making The Turtle appear to be his best buddy and partner. The TP folks don't want ANY fraternizing.

In addition, it would hurt ALG if he openly campaigned for her. McConnell is desperately trying to make her look like an Obama puppet. She is stressing her independence because I believe Kentuckians are fed up with people playing politics and not really looking out for them.

She will be very careful about commenting on the ACA. If it will make her seem to be in league with 'liberals' because everything she will say will be twisted back on her, she will not touch it. I wouldn't either. I would talk about going in with a clean slate. That may disappoint some people, but she wants to win. She has some very good positions on a lot of issues.

[Politicalboi]

2. With a Dem Gov who has implemented ACA

By Nov 2014 people will be saying Who's Mitch McConnell?

[politichew]

3. Yep. Reid supporting Grimes will not help her in Kentucky.

He's doing her a favor and hurting Mitch at the same time.

[tkmorris]

4. I think it far more likely Reid was simply being honest

[Gothmog]

5. I like this analysis

I hope that McConnell loses to Allison Grimes and Reid's "endorsement" of McConnell may help

[Blue Owl]

6. Reid it and weep, McTurtle

n/t

[Jim Lane]

8. Add that McConnell has a Tea Party challenger.

If Reid is being sneaky, it's probably aimed more at the primary than at the general election. I'm sure Reid believes that Grimes would have an easier time against Matt Bevin than against McConnell, and that Republican primary voters will be more likely to back Bevin if McConnell is perceived as a Washington insider who's on friendly terms with "socialists" like Reid.