Better (call it) Red than (admit your campaign is) Dead

It's nice to come back from dinner and find a news story like this:

Wisconsin Senate GOP candidate Tim Michels complained Friday about "communistic" polls that he says are skewing results toward his opponent, Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold.

Michels specifically cited a recent Chicago Tribune/WGN poll that reported Feingold with a lead of 57 percent to 33 percent among Wisconsin voters, with 10 percent undecided. Those results were published in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story Friday [scroll to the end].

"What are they polling - just Madison?" Michels said during an appearance on Milwaukee radio station WTMJ's "Midday with Charlie Sykes."

"I call them communistic polls that are coming out," Michels continued.

Indeed, a 24-point spread is probably unrealistic, but every poll save one since the primary has put the race at double digits. The news Thursday of the NRSC pulling its money coupled with the news today that Michels is down 24 points and Feingold topped $10 million for the cycle has got to hurt, really dampen morale. Invoking communism may work to excite a certain part of Michels's base, but it will not help him among the undecideds or persuadables. This race really is over.