What does a person mean when saying "Claire MCCaskill shouldn't be within 15 pts of the Republican."

[Honeycombe8]

It was on Morning Joe, talking about how meaningful it is that McCaskill has moved ahead of her Repub opponent by 3 pts, for McCaskill's third term. Someone said, "Wow...this will be a Democratic coup if this is pulled off. She ordinarily shouldn't be within 15 points of her opponent..."

I don't know if that means it was that unlikely for her to be re-elected, or if she should be such a shoe-in. I think he meant that it was very unlikely for her to be re-elected. They said something about her last win was partly because of her opponent, Akin?

Just wondering.

[jcgoldie]

1. They mean that Missouri is about as REDneck as they come

In 2012, Todd Akin helped get her elected because he said that pregnancy does not occur if it was a "legitimate rape." A misogynist bridge too far for even redneck Missouri.

[Honeycombe8]

3. Oh, I see. Yeah, I think that's it. I remember that rape statement!

I remember that rape statement! It was like, "Did he really say that?!"

[Ace Rothstein]

2. Probably because Trump won Missouri by 20 points in 2016.

They must be forgetting that the other Senate election there in 2016 was pretty damn close.

[Honeycombe8]

4. Thanks. nt

[Garrett78]

7. I was born and raised in St. Louis. Moved away in 2003. MO used to be a bellwether.

As a presidential candidate, you won the White House if you won Missouri. Sadly, Missouri has gone downhill fast.

[beachbum bob]

5. The problem not with McCaskill, it's with hawly, why isn't HE 15 pts up?

If Missouri is all things trump, he should be trouncing her and he is not. All the momentum is with democrats across America. We feel it, they know it.

[marylandblue]

6. She won in 2012 partly because Akin self-destructed

Justifying his anti-choice stance even for rape, he said, " “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

That was before Trump made the gaffe obsolete.