Wednesday Open Thread [4.25.12]
Aficionados of the Etch a Sketch will recall a certain flaw in the toy: If you use it often, some of the lines drawn no longer disappear when you shake the device, instead leaving an indelible trace of where you have been.
This is the problem Mitt Romney is encountering: He is shaking the device, trying to erase impressions left during this year’s primary contest. But he just can’t shake away the image of Russell Pearce.
Pearce, the former Republican president of the Arizona Senate, is the author and self-described “driving force” behind S.B. 1070, that state’s law — endorsed by Romney — cracking down on illegal immigrants. Pearce told The Post’s Felicia Sonmez this month that Romney’s “immigration policy is identical to mine,” and he told reporters this week that Romney “absolutely” gave him the impression that he saw the Arizona law as a national model.
President Obama’s job approval:
Mitt has no hope of defeating the President if Obama’s approval is 50 or more. Meanwhile, Mitt continues to prove that he is a historically weak nominee:
“Over the last 40 years there have been nearly 80 contests in which the presumptive Republican nominees played out the string after their last credible challenger exited the race. In every one of these contests, the GOP frontrunner won at least 60 percent of the vote, even when ex- and long-shot candidates remained on the ballot. But on Tuesday, Romney won only 56 percent of the vote in Delaware and 58 percent in Pennsylvania, home to Rick Santorum who dropped out on April 10th.”
POLLING GOODNESS
——————————————————————
One of these is not like the other:
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT (Gallup Tracking): Obama 49, Romney 42
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT (PPP): Obama 49, Romney 44
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT (Rasmussen Tracking): Romney 48, Obama 44)
… and for some reason….
TEXAS–PRESIDENT (PPP): Romney 50, Obama 43
NEW HAMPSHIRE–GOVERNOR (WMUR/Univ. of New Hampshire): Maggie Hassan (D) 34, Ovide Lamontagne (R) 29; Hassan 29, Kevin Smith (R) 24; Jackie Cilley (D) 31, Lamontagne 30; Cilley 30, Smith 23
NEW MEXICO–SENATOR (PPP): Martin Heinrich (D) 48, Heather Wilson (R) 43; Hector Balderas (D) 44, Wilson 43
VIRGINIA–SENATOR (Rasmussen): George Allen (R) 46, Tim Kaine (D) 45
Interesting story out of the GOP: Priscilla Rakestraw read the writing on the wall and will bow out as national committeewoman in favor of Ellen Barrosse of Rose and a Prayer fame.
Panicked Priscilla even switched horses as they raced to the Primary finish line. She jumped from winner to loser in an attempt to save her job. Barrosse helps state GOP leadership take a right turn while voters prefer Mitt, who doesn’t know(or care) whether he should go right, left or straight ahead. Four more years (or longer) of state GOP figuring out which way to go.
Wow. Texas could be in play soon. If not this year, then soon, if those hispanics get up and actually vote in large numbers.
MW: I expect this to help the GOP, if only because Ellen is an upstater who runs a science-based copy shop while simultaneously fighting on the front lines of the anti-abortion movement. In short, she might be conservative, but she’s not a deluded, damn-the-facts O’Donnell sort. If the Delaware GOP had more like her, it wouldn’t be as irrelevant as it is now.
From today’s Christian News…Mitt Romney Adds Openly Gay Adviser to Team; Mormon Beliefs Questioned:
Likely Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has named an openly gay man to his team of campaign advisers on national security and foreign policy issues in a move that is drawing criticism from some conservatives questioning his Mormon beliefs.
BTW – It was nice seeing everyone last night. Contributors, lurkers and commenters, God bless us everyone.
Seriously, that was fun. Thanks again to Pandora for pulling it together.
well based on the questions asked by the SCOTUS members today – AZ SB 1070 lasting is not looking real good,,,,
Arpiao, Pearce and Kobach all in bed togetherr
Pearce got his – was removed from office
Arpiao is next
then Kobach
good times
You’re welcome. I had a blast last night. We really have to do this more often!
Have they quit over at DP?
Maybe they were busy getting the two dozen voters out yesterday.
Latest Arizona poll has Obama pulling ahead of Romney (42% to 40%).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/polls-suggest-arizona-a-dead-heat/2012/04/25/gIQAp7OZhT_blog.html
That state is definitely in play.
Anyone have any news on HB290 (the sherrifs bill?). I know it failed in committee but don’t know who voted up/down.
Whats the next step?
it didnt fail- the republlicans struck it Rep Short struck it
it done gone nO mas!!
I dont know what to do except show support to the council,
make OUR voices br heards
its the Latinos – they broke for McCain BUT after Pearce and Arpiao – they discovered the vote
and their voice good times
just in from Wall Street Journal
“Health insurers are expected to rebate more than $1 billion to consumers and employers this year, under a provision of the federal health overhaul that forces them to offer refunds if they don’t spend enough of the premium dollars they take in on health care.”
That is $1 billion that can’t go into Romney’s SuperPAC
ObamaCare wins in a landslide!
Damn you ACQ. You comment woke them up from their Gingrich-inspired coma.
There are some next steps but this is not the appropriate place to state them.
However, an informed citizenry is important to any next steps and the report needs be very visible in the public domain. Also ensuring that the SC Council knows everyone’s mind, even when we don’t get on our knees with hat in hand.
Ensuring that the financial, legal, and physical risks are highlighted and understood.
Oh yeah, and also explaining what a “concurrent resolution” will and will not do.
The rest of needs to be done off line.
It done gone no mas … Is that redneck Spanglish?? 😉
Paul Ryan throws Ayn Rand under the bus.
It didn’t wake them up too much Nemski.