Endangered Kelly Ayotte digs in, refuses to even consider meeting with Obama SCOTUS nominee

Given the newly released polling showing just how underwater Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) is, she might want to reconsider her fealty to Mitch McConnell and his obstructionist ways.

In an interview, Ayotte said abstaining from a sit-down meeting with a prospective Supreme Court justice would be consistent with her and much of the Senate GOP's position to not take any action at all on President Barack Obama's nomination.

"No, no ... in terms of the advise and consent process, I believe we should wait to have the people weigh in on who the next president is. And to weigh in, obviously, based on who ... that next president will nominate," Ayotte said on Wednesday morning. 

This is the line that all the conservative groups have been pushing—prevent a Supreme Court appointment from President Obama at all costs. That cost could be the New Hampshire Senate seat (among others). So Ayotte has two elections to consider—the filing deadline for primary challenge in New Hampshire is June 10. If she waivers from the GOP line, she risks a primary challenge—a threat that's been hanging over her head for months. She has to hold this line for the next few months to stave off a challenge, and if one emerges through September when the primary is held.

That gives her no time to pivot in the general election to a less extreme position. It gives her Democratic challenger, current Gov. Maggie Hassan, months and months to tie Ayotte to McConnell's extreme obstructionism. Right now, PPP pegs Ayotte's approval at an anemic 42 percent (McConnell's is 14 percent) and 51 percent of voters say they'd be less likely to vote for her if she sticks with McConnell on Obama's potential nominee. Which means, this seat is more than ripe for Hassan's picking.