Monday Open Thread [4.2.12]

Did anyone else get tired of April Fools Day after the first prank? I did. Especially when it involved political stories. Because our world is so screwed up and so insane now that no one can tell a made up “Onion”-style story that serves as a practical joke from the truth.

Anyway, tomorrow there are primaries in D.C., Wisconsin and Maryland. And then after that, the next primaries are on April 24, which serves as a sort of “Greater Northeast” primary. The states holding elections that day are our own first state, Delaware, as well as Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York.

Romney is going to win Maryland and D.C., and in a few weeks he will win New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For Santorum to continue any semblance of a campaign, and for him to have any reason at all to continue, he should really win Wisconsin, and he absolutely has to win Pennsylvania. If he does not win his home state, then he should be dragged from the race kicking and screaming.

So, we are down to Frothy’s Last Stand. It was fun while it lasted.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — PRESIDENT
NATIONAL (Gallup Tracking): Romney 39, Santorum 28, Paul 11, Gingrich 10
NATIONAL (YouGov): Romney 31, Santorum 31, Gingrich 11, Paul 9
PENNSYLVANIA (Franklin & Marshall): Santorum 30, Romney 28, Paul 9, Gingrich 6
PENNSYLVANIA (Wenzel Strategies): Santorum 46, Romney 26, Paul 10, Gingrich 9
WISCONSIN (NBC/Marist): Romney 40, Santorum 33, Paul 11 and Gingrich 8.
WISCONSIN (Rasmussen): Romney 44, Santorum 34, Gingrich 7, Paul 7.
WISCONSIN (PPP): Romney 43, Santorum 36, Paul 11 and Gingrich 8.
WISCONSIN (We Ask America): Romney 39, Santorum 31, Paul 16, Gingrich 15
MARYLAND (Rasmussen): Romney 45, Santorum 28, Gingrich 12 and Paul 7.
MARYLAND (PPP): Romney 52, Santorum 27, Gingrich 10 and Paul 9.

GENERAL ELECTION — PRESIDENT
NATIONAL (Gallup): Obama 49, Romney 45
NATIONAL (Rasmussen Tracking): Romney d. Obama (46-44); Obama d. Santorum (45-43)
NATIONAL (YouGov): Obama d. Paul (44-42); Obama d. Santorum (47-45); Obama d. Romney (46-43); Obama d. Gingrich (51-40)
SWING STATES (Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin) (USA Today / Gallup): Obama 51, Romney 42.
WISCONSIN (Rasmussen): Obama d. Romney (52-41); Obama d. Santorum (51-39)

GENERAL ELECTION — U.S. SENATE
FLORIDA (Quinnipiac): Sen. Bill Nelson (D) 44, Connie Mack IV (R) 36
OHIO (Quinnipiac): Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) 46, Josh Mandel (R) 36
MASSACHUSETTS (Boston Globe): Sen. Scott Brown (R) 37, Elizabeth Warren (D) 35, with another 26% still undecided.

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — U.S. SENATE
PENNSYLVANIA (Wenzel Strategies for Citizens United): Tom Smith 26, Sam Rohrer 18, David Christian 4, Steven Welch 2, Marc Scaringi 2