# Will Harry Reid be forced to step down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 10, 2010, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394 "2010-01-10T15:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/161 "2010-01-13T06:22:23Z")
I have to give **JM** a nod here: swing voters are notoriously impressionistic and a bad news cycle -of any sort- will eat into Reid’s positives. But there are substantial offsets: some independents will think the story merits a shrug and moreover this is the kind of thing that tends to blow over after several months. Does anyone think this is grist for a decent attack ad? Now if there are 4 stories of this caliber between now and Nov 4, that could pose a problem. What won’t make a difference is nuances like who Reid related the remarks to and in what context. Such details are substantively relevant but tend to get missed when somebody is listening to the news while cooking dinner. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/162 "2010-01-13T06:49:33Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > I agree. But the Republicans forced him out because they had to. The left made it near impossible to not do so. In 2002? Please. The Dems were at their absolute nadir at that point, having spent the year cowering behind the GOP and having just had their collective ass handed to them in the election. The idea that they made anybody do anything at that point is ridiculous. Lott could have survived just fine. The GOP forced him out because Bush wanted someone else in the leadership post, and Lott’s remarks were a good excuse. If they had kept on supporting him like they did initially and waited for the story to die down it would have been a footnote within a week. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/163 "2010-01-13T07:15:17Z")
It was Karl Rove, in the library, with the dagger, in the back. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/164 "2010-01-13T11:58:36Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > What scandal is that? Maybe **John Mace** means voters will decide Reid acted like a taint. Reid was already seen as a vulnerable incumbent for this year, and this can’t possibly help him. But Nevada is 99 percent white and no major black leaders are going after Reid, and I’m guessing he has enough money to get re-elected anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/165 "2010-01-13T12:56:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Maybe **John Mace** means voters will decide Reid acted like a taint. **Senataint** : Noun - a “shit in one hand, wish in another” politician. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/166 "2010-01-13T15:25:21Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Maybe **John Mace** means voters will decide Reid acted like a taint. Reid was already seen as a vulnerable incumbent for this year, and this can’t possibly help him. But Nevada is 99 percent white and no major black leaders are going after Reid, and I’m guessing he has enough money to get re-elected anyway. I _think_ I read the black population in Nevada makes up 10% of the electorate. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/167 "2010-01-13T15:57:55Z")
Just to clarify, I didn’t mean to imply that this “scandal” will be a major factor in the next election. The mere fact that it’s 10 months away will make this rather stale news by that time. But I think dismissing it out of hand is rather silly, and might be true if all the voters were as informed as most of us here are. Like **MfM** says, there’s a large segment of the electorate who don’t delve much below the headlines. And if the Pubbies were able to get Reid booted from his leadership position (a long shot, for sure), that would carry over to the election. You know what they say-- you miss every pitch you don’t swing at. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/168 "2010-01-13T16:05:30Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I _think_ I read the black population in Nevada makes up 10% of the electorate. They’re [8.1%](http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32000.html) of the general population of Nevada, so they’re almost certainly less than 8% of the electorate (African-Americans are disproportionately likely to be: a) under 18, b)barred from voting, or c) eligible but unregistered). ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/169 "2010-01-13T16:07:51Z")
Yes, I looked at the wrong line on the demograpic table. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/170 "2010-01-13T17:08:47Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > there’s a large segment of the electorate who don’t delve much below the headlines. Harry could easily win those back by limiting senatorial holds on Obama’s nominations and making moves to defang the filibuster. If Reid wants to stay in office, that milquetoast image he’s got has got to go. ---
**Author:** ![Paleface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f19dbf/32.png) [@Paleface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paleface)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/171 "2010-01-13T17:28:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Not a single person is going to change their vote in November because Harry Reid said “negro.” Not a single person in America is even genuinely offended by it, least of all Republicans. You still don’t get it. The ones who are “offended”, are offended by the double-standard that the Left holds over the Right. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/172 "2010-01-13T17:33:42Z")
> [@Paleface](#): > > You still don’t get it. The ones who are “offended”, are offended by the double-standard that the Left holds over the Right. No, I think it’s you who don’t get it. Trent lot wished for the election of a segregationist president. The statements aren’t remotely comparable. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/173 "2010-01-13T17:59:57Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > There is no outrage at all. It’s compltely pretended and phony. There’s plenty of outrage all very real. > [@](#): > > There is also no double standard. There _is_ a double-standard Hey–these retarded one-or-two line “Debate over” posts you make are fun to do and take no effort at all! I see why your posts have so many!! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/174 "2010-01-13T18:07:18Z")
Of course! And if Obama isn’t offended at being described as a “Negro”, why does he keep insisting that he was born in Kenya? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/175 "2010-01-13T18:26:38Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > There _is_ a double-standard Yeah, it’s totally unfair that Republican leaders can’t say “negroes shouldn’t be able to attend white schools” when Democratic leaders can say “negro dialect”. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/176 "2010-01-13T18:31:47Z")
You’re wrong. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/177 "2010-01-13T18:53:03Z")
Er… okay, it’s not totally unfair. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/178 "2010-01-13T18:55:10Z")
> [@Paleface](#): > > You still don’t get it. The ones who are “offended”, are offended by the double-standard that the Left holds over the Right. No double standard has been demonstrated. Lott said something offensive, Reid did not. If you disagree, please explain what Reid said that was offensive. And it was the Reoublicans who forced out Lott, not the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/179 "2010-01-13T18:57:22Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > There’s plenty of outrage all very real. > There _is_ a double-standard > > Hey–these retarded one-or-two line “Debate over” posts you make are fun to do and take no effort at all! I see why your posts have so many!! Reported. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394/180 "2010-01-13T18:57:37Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Er… okay, it’s not totally unfair. Well done. Now the debate is over. Stop debating. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-harry-reid-be-forced-to-step-down/524394.md?page=10)