The Question On Everyone's Mind. . . .

What's Happening in Oklahoma?

OK, so maybe that isn't the question on everyone's minds, but there's actually something mildly interesting happening in the Oklahoma senate race and we have to talk about something while waiting for that special text message from the Obama campaign.

According to the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, this very red state's Republican incumbent, Senator James Inhofe, is facing what could amount to a real challenge this fall.  Oklahoma State Senator Andrew Rice is running on the Democratic ticket and isn't polling half bad.  Back in June his pollster had him at a not-very-impressive 33%. But then he hired David Eichenbaum of Struble Eichenbaum Communications to make him a couple of ads. Now he's polling at 41% to Inhofe's 50%.  Not bad work by Mr. Rice and Mr. Eichenbaum.

The question is, are Mr. Eichenbaum's ads so good and is there such a need for change throughout the country that Republican Sooners will vote for this Christian missionary whose brother was killed in the 9/11 attacks?  Can any ad be THAT good? Of course not. And does a need for change mean that the senate freshman class next year will include 35 freshmen? I really don't think so and neither does anyone else. My guess, even though Inhofe doesn't usually win with much more than 55%, the senior senator from Oklahoma will be back and the GOP can rest easy in Oklahoma . . . but you never know.