Bayh said in his departure speech that his reelection was not in doubt, yet Chuck Williams, the Republican chairman in nearby Porter County (actually former), said the senator was probably vulnerable because of growing dissatisfaction with Obama and the Democratic-led Congress, particularly over federal spending and the faltering economy.
Bayh's departure "puts the seat in play," asserted Williams, who said internal GOP polling is showing "quite a bit of shift" toward Republicans in party identification after a steady slide toward the Democrats.
