MSNBC’s Jose Diaz-Balart and NBC News Correspondent Luke Russert argued that recent remarks by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) on Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst’s appearance were “terrible” and a “huge gift” for Ernst on Monday.
“This is the last thing Braley needs right now. I mean, Clinton helped, clearly this is not helping” Diaz-Balart declared.
Russert agreed, adding “it’s a terrible unforced error, Jose. This is Bruce Braley’s day to make his closing argument…that comment did not sit well with, I would presume, a lot of women here in the state. Will it change the race? Probably not. But, the fact is the media narrative towards the end we’re talking about that instead of Bruce Braley’s positions and Joni Ernst’s positions. That’s a huge gift for the Ernst campaign as this race closes out.”
Russert added that a poll by The Des Moines Register showing Ernst leading by seven was “a colossal, sort of, gut punch” for Braley, saying “The Des Moines Register poll is considered the sort of gold standard of polling here in Iowa. And the fact she’s up 7 is something that was a colossal, sort of, gut punch, one could say, to the Braley campaign on Saturday night.”
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