Rasmussen: Nevada Senate race is dead heat, Harry Reid is very unpopular and Brian Sandoval is very popular

Rasmussen Reports released a poll this morning, which actually has a surprisingly Democratic-friendly sample, that shows Dean Heller and Shelley Berkley tied, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid disliked by more than half of the state and Gov. Brian Sandoval with huge numbers, especially for a chief executive in a devastated state.

The survey by the firm, often criticized as leaning GOP, showed Heller at 42 percent and Berkley at 41 percent -- Berkley was down by nine points in July by the same firm, so the trend isn't good for Heller. But for a Republicanm-leaning firm, the sample sure was Democratic. To wit:

---11 percent African-American? That's way high.

----Democrats up by 38-31 in sample -- that's 2 points higher than their registration advantage.

----53-47, female. Also probably a bit high.

So, yes, the trend matters and is not good for Heller. But that sample does not favor him.

On favorable/unfavorable, Heller is at 43/46 and Berkley at 38/54. She should be dead with that number, if it's right. So either the poll numnbers are lagging, the poll is just wrong or the muddying of the ethical waters by her campaign has worked.

Bottom line: Hard to take anything away from this poll, as with many others, because of weird sample. Oh, reliable polling, where art thou?

----The Reid numbers are abysmal: 44/51. Luckily, he's Harry "I have nothing to lose" Reid these days, so those numbers are meaningless.

---Sandoval is a juggernaut in this poll: 63/28 job approval. And a Democratic-slanted sample? Wow.

(Rasmussen says it will release presidential race in Nevada numbers later today.)