Johnson-Feingold Is Prototypical 2010 Race

The Senate contest between Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold (pictured) and Republican challenger Ron Johnson in Wisconsin mirrors many other races for Congress this year. Feingold, once thought to be a lock for re-election, is being threatened by a tea party-backed candidate who didn’t even consider running for office before last year, Politico reports.

Johnson, a successful businessman, says President Obama is trying to turn us into a "socialist, European-style" state, and the message is resonating. “I guess I can’t think of [one good thing Obama has done in office],” he says. And local talk radio helped Johnson launch his agenda. Johnson believes the government must be curbed or America will lose its greatness.

Now, the last four public polls show Feingold trailing Johnson. So the Republican, like tea-party-backed GOP candidates elsewhere, is now poised to pull off the upset.