One of the sad rituals in every election cycle began to play out yesterday as the National Republican Senate Committee declined to buy up reserved TV time in Michigan on behalf of Terri Lynn Land. The Hill‘s Cameron Joseph has the story:
The NRSC’s independent expenditure arm has canceled television reservations for the last two weeks of the campaign, pulling more than $850,000 out of the state, The Hill has confirmed.
Peters has had a consistent lead over Land in public polling since early summer in the Democratic-leaning state, with a lead outside the margin of error in most recent polling, and Republican strategists privately concede that she’s struggled.
The NRSC will not, of course, admit they’re cutting their losses in MI. To listen to the quotes the group offered to Joseph, they’re pulling out because Land has more money than she can possibly spend and is romping towards a decisive victory. I’m half surprised they don’t claim they’re shifting money to really close races like Illiinois (not!).
But still, there are decencies to be observed. There’s no sound in politics quite sadder than the thud of the checkbook being shut–unless, perhaps, it’s the sound of one’s own checks bouncing when the campaign hasn’t made payroll for a few weeks. Maybe Team Land won’t suffer from that indignity, but you have to figure there’s little love lost for the national GOP “strategists” who are probably leaving Michigan with nary a goodbye kiss or even a thank-you note.
