Analysis by Nate Silver seems to show one clear and dramatic impact of FBI Director James Comey’s re-injection of the Clinton email investigation into the election: Damage down ballot, where control of the U.S. Senate hangs in the balance.
Speaking of the presidential race, one of the clearest trends this cycle has been that Democratic chances of taking back the Senate have generally run hand-in-hand with Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning the presidency.
The past few weeks have been no different. Democrats, who in the middle of October held a clear advantage in their fight for a Senate majority, have seen their fortunes fall as the presidential race has tightened.
Silver says it’s a coin toss which party will remain in control of the Senate.
An interesting sidelight on that: The NRA is pouring massive sums into Republican control of the Senate. Polling shows they’ve been a negative force. Reason: An enormous majority of voters favors some sensible gun safety measures such as universal background checks. The NRA position now is NO gun safety laws. This could be important in some key races.