Some GOP U.S. Senate poll observations

The Review-Journal’s latest statewide Mason-Dixon Polling & Research survey is out with few surprises emerging from the crowded GOP primary field.

Sue Lowden continues to expand her lead over Danny Tarkanian. Hard-working Sharron Angle is fading fast. Chad Christensen must be asking himself a couple questions. New York banker John Chachas, I suspect, can barely believe his eyes.

The numbers: Lowden, 45 percent; Tarkanian, 27 percent; Angle, 5 percent; Christensen 4 percent; Chachas, 3 percent, and Undecided, 16 percent.

Lowden clearly is benefiting from her decision to ignore Tarkanian’s daily insults and focus as the foregone favorite to face Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Her TV spots have been just right, in my opinion, and she has showed just enough money to push Tarkanian out of the game.

Tarkanian, meanwhile, has seemed more marginal as his frustration has grown. Free advice to Tark: Use the next few weeks to position yourself for a future office. Make those contacts, shore up those relationships. Hike the high road because if this poll is anywhere near accurate, you’re toast this time around.

Angle has to wonder what a real conservative sister has to do to get some love at a time the supposed conservatives are demanding their kind lead the GOP. She has worn out a few pairs of shoes on the campaign trail. Unlike Lowden, those are all the shoes Angle owns.

Christensen’s entry into the race still has me scratching my head. If he believed his candidacy was in any way necessary, why not actually built a campaign to go with it? He has some retail political skills, but getting in so late makes him look like scattered.

Then again, he pools a point higher than rich guy Chachas.

Here’s a candidate who already has fallen into the “What Might Have Been” category. Chachas is bright and talented, but like most people who dabble in politics he failed to appreciate the depth of commitment he’d need to be competitive. At 3 percent in the R-J poll, he’s burnt toast.