I can hardly call getting a plurality of 41% "stunning." In other states that would put her into a runoff election for the nomination. This is exactly how Sharon Angle got the Republican nomination in NV in 2010. I think it's idiotic to win a primary nomination with anything less than 50% + 1 vote.
I can hardly call getting a plurality of 41% “stunning.”
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In Nebraska, for down-ticket races, it’s a plurality that wins. This was suppose to be a slam dunk for Bruning with his money, name recognition and ground game. While Bruning and Stenberg slammed it out with hit ads, Fischer quietly took her ground game and watched the top two bloody each other. Only in the very end (when Deb was surging) did Bruning mount any kind of attack ads on Fischer.
To show how much distance she made up consult RCP:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/senate/nebraska_senate_race.html
In early May, Bruning was up by 16 points. The pundits and press were already gearing up for a Bruning vs Kerry fight.