Open Thread

Two major polls from NBC and ABC show the same thing: Mitt Romney's favorability has dropped dramatically over the course of the Republican primary. In one poll, among independents, 51% don't view him favorably while just 23% do. That is mind-blowingly bad. Sarah Palin bad. Dan Quayle bad. Jack the Ripper bad. So in the end, it doesn't matter who is the nominee of the Republican Party anymore. Whether it is Romney or Gingrich, both are going to lose, and probably lose big, to President Obama.

Two polls yesterday indicated two things: 1) that the Democrats are heading for a takeover in the House, and 2) Romney now has toxic favorability numbers that make him, and Gingrich, unelectable in the general. Meanwhile, President Obama has a 53% favorability rating.

From the files of "What Could Go Wrong:" Romney's new debate coach is Brett O'Donnell, who had been working as a strategist for Michele Bachmann. Gingrich has raised $2 million since South Carolina. Which was only this past weekend, but for some reason feels like a lifetime ago now.

The radical Christian right is dying: Put simply, the Christian Right is getting old. According to the largest and most recent study we have of American religion and politics, by…

Newton Leroy Gingrich is headed for a massive blowout win in South Carolina. In last night's polling, PPP had Gingrich racing away at 40%, with Romney stuck at 26%. In their final three day sample, the PPP poll has Gingrich leading with 37%, followed by Mitt Romney at 28%, Rick Santorum at 16% and Ron Paul at 14%. So you can see the obvious trend. I would not be surprised if Gingrich gets well above 45% tonight. If he gets a majority, then the GOP primary will be rocked to its core.

Tomorrow's the big day: the day when Newt Gingrich actually wins a Presidential primary. I never thought I'd see this day come. Truly horrifying and utterly hysterical all at once.

So long Rick Perry. We hardly knew thee. Thank God for that. What is with Presidential candidates quitting in the middle of the week, only days before the next primary. I understand dropping out right after a poor or less then expected showing in a primary, but why right before a primary? You would think that Perry and Huntsman would like to have see how they did in South Carolina. Meanwhile.... Newtmentum II?

One thing that really stands out in the new PPP poll is the extent to which President Obama has claimed the middle. He's up 68-27 on Romney with moderates. He also leads by 20 points with voters under 45, a group there's been some concern about slippage with, and he has a 66-30 advantage with Hispanics. If that's true, the election will not be close.

So apparently there was another godforsaken Republican debate on last night. I was watching Betty White's roast so I missed it. Not that I have ever watched a GOP debate live (I see the clips afterwards though, and that is painful enough). But I hear that Romney had his worst debate, was painfully evasive even for him, and that Gingrich was throwing red meat to the lions and getting a raptureous response for it. Some pundits now think the performance will boost Gingrich as we head into Saturday's primary.