National media weighs in on Reid victory

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid defied the polls, survived an anti-Democratic wave and won re-election to a fifth term.

How did he do it?

The Wall Street Journal suggests this morning that it was a combination of factors but his claim to saving Las Vegas’s CityCenter project likely resonated with voters whose jobs depend on it.

They also quoted Republican Reid supporter Sig Rogich, who summed up the victory this way: “It was a combination of good messaging, good data and the ground game.”

The Los Angeles Times saw Latino voters as a key to Reid's re-election.

Nevada Latinos were motivated to support Reid because of “racially charged rhetoric” used by Angle’s campaign. A CNN exit poll showed Reid winning the Hispanic vote 68-30 percent.

Over at Slate magazine, they lumped Sharron Angle’s loss to Reid with that of Delaware’s Christine O’Donnell saying it was “the curse of the Mama Grizzly.”

Both Senate Republican candidates were endorsed by Sarah Palin and the Tea Party, and laid claim to feminism while denouncing most feminist ideals, Slate said. CNN exit polls showed Angle losing the female vote on Tuesday, 53-42 percent.

The Times also blogged that Reid’s knock out punch may have been delivered by Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, a champion boxer and member of congress in the Philippines, told the Times that his endorsement of Reid helped. Before campaigning with Reid, the senator trailed in the polls by 4 percent, he noted.

“There’s a lot of Filipinos in Las Vegas,” Pacquiano said.

About 30,000 Filipinos live in Las Vegas, according to Census figures.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum also believes Pacquiao should get some of the credit for Reid’s victory, according to the web site Doghouse Boxing.