Wednesday Open Thread 9.18.13

NATIONAL–SYRIA–WaPo/ABC Poll: Large majorities of all Americans, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents, support the diplomatic deal struck this past weekend where “Syria places all of its chemical weapons under control of the United Nations, which would then destroy them.” Democrats support it 86% to 12%. Independents support it 82% to 16%. And even Republicans support it 71% to 22%. I guess it is only our media and John McCain that don’t.

Greg Sargent:

An overwhelming 79 percent of Americans support the proposed deal for international control over Syria’s chemical weapons Obama has embraced. There’s continued public opposition to strikes, with only 30 percent in support. […]

Sixty percent say [the President] “sticks with his principles,” roughly unchanged since January 2012. A plurality thinks the initial threat of missile strikes helped the situation by pressuring Syria to give up its chemical weapons — meaning Americans accept Obama’s argument about the impact of the threat (even if they oppose action) and don’t see his change of course as somehow diminishing it. A plurality also says Obama made a good case in his speech the other night — despite widespread pundit derision.

NEW JERSEY–GOVERNOR–Rutgers-Eagleton poll: Gov. Chris Christie (R) 55, State Sen. Barbara Buono (D) 35.

NEW JERSEY–GOVERNOR JOB APPROVAL RATING–Monmouth University/Asbury Park Press poll: Christie’s job performance gets a 61% to 24% job approval rating.

VIRGINIA–GOVERNOR–Quinnipiac: Terry McAuliffe (D) 44, Ken Cuccinelli (R) 41, Robert Sarvis (L) 7.

Said pollster Peter Brown: “McAuliffe is less disliked than Cuccinelli. Voters are not wild about either man, and that may be one reason why Sarvis is running so well. History tells us that third-party candidates tend to experience shrinking support as Election Day nears. If Sarvis does get 7% of the actual vote, that would reflect not just his strength but the weakness of the major party candidates.”

It is now the general consensus in that Cuccinelli is going to lose. Hell, even Jennifer Rubin, the Romney lover, says so, and says he cannot recover. So it is with that in mind that I am amazed that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said this:

“This is a precursor for what’s going to happen in 2014 and what’s going to happen after that in 2016,” the Republican Florida senator told 500 donors who each paid $50 to attend a luncheon at the Marriott a few blocks from the state Capitol. “We can’t wait until 2016 to start the work. We’ve got to start now. We’ve got to start in Virginia.”

I am starting to think that Mr. Rubio is not the smartest tool in the tool box.

NEW HAMPSHIRE–U.S. SENATE–Public Policy Polling: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) 51, Charlie Bass (R) 41; Shaheen (D) 50, Jim Rubens (R) 33, Shaheen (D) 50, Karen Testerman 31; Shaheen (D) 52, Dan Innis (R) 30.

TEXAS–GOVERNOR–According to the Austin American Statesman, Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) will announce on Oct. 3 whether she’s running for governor.

NEW YORK CITY–MAYOR–WSJ/NBC Marist Poll: Bill de Blasio (D) 65, Joseph Lhota (R) 22.