In January of 2009 four-term US Senator Kit Bond (R-Missouri) announced he would not seek re-election in November, 2010. That made the Show Me State one of five with open seats Republicans will most likely need to hold if they want to take control of the Senate. As with most of the upcoming mid-term elections, voters' opinions of President Barack Obama and his policies will play a big roll in Missouri and as with most of the upcoming mid-term elections, that's not good news for the Democrat involved.

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According to the most recent poll, US Representative Roy Blunt (R- Missouri) leads current Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) by 6 points (48% - 42%). With 10% of voters still undecided, that is not an insurmountable lead, but the same poll also found that 57% of respondents disapprove of President Obama's job performance while only 34% approve. (source) Unfortunately for Ms. Carnahan, she and Mr. Obama share more than just a political party.

Earlier this month, the president traveled to Missouri and appeared with Ms. Carnahan at a pair of Kansas City fundraisers. During one that drew about 750 people to the Folly Theater Mr. Obama declared, "We are moving in the right direction and I know that Robin Carnahan gets it - she's going to help us keep on moving in the right direction."

Even the president seemed to realize the damage his policies and Ms. Carnahan's support for them can do to a political career as he added, "She's not going there to represent me, although she's a great friend. She's going to Washington for only one reason, to represent one constituency, and that is the people of Missouri." (source)

So either she "gets it" and is going to help Obama & Company keep moving the country to the left or she's going to represent the majority of her would-be constituents who disapprove of the Obama agenda. Lucky for the voters of Missouri, they don't have to figure out which of the president's conflicting statements is true. Instead they can choose to keep the seat in Republican hands and it looks like that's just what they'll do.