Mason-Dixon Georgia 2012 Presidential Poll
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
- Newt Gingrich 43%
- Mitt Romney 21%
- Rick Perry 7%
- Ron Paul 4%
- Michele Bachmann 3%
- Jon Huntsman 2%
- Rick Santorum 1%
- Undecided 19%
GENERAL ELECTION
- Mitt Romney 55%
- Barack Obama 38%
- Undecided 7%
- Newt Gingrich 50%
- Barack Obama 41%
- Undecided 9%
Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama’s job performance as president?
- Approve 43%
- Disapprove 55%
Survey of 625 registered voters, including a subsample of 400 likely Republican primary voters, was conducted December 12-14, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points among all registered voters; +/- 5 percentage points among likely GOP primary voters. Party ID: 38% Republican; 35% Democrat; 27% Independent/Other
–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
Jon Huntsman has finally received some attention from the pool of New Hampshire endorsements he has courted with such fervor:
The Keene Sentinel and the Valley News both praised the former U.S. ambassador to China in editorials on Sunday.
…Huntsman has held well over 100 campaign events in the small Northeast state and polls suggest his message has started to catch on with New Hampshire’s independent voters.
In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Huntsman predicted an upset victory in the state and said his competitors are “running for panderer in chief more than anything else.”
…In endorsing Huntsman, the Keene Sentinel praised the candidate’s international affairs and capacity for “flexibility and nuance.”
“His principal qualifying distinctions include a boldness in economic policy that belies his temperate personal demeanor and a belief that the country’s divisions cannot be closed by bulldozers moving in only one direction,” the paper said.
The Valley News, the largest newspaper in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley region, termed Huntsman “a candidate whose views are solidly conservative, but not myopically so.”
While this obviously comes as welcome news to the Huntsman camp, he still has a long way to go in his quest to snatch victory in Granite State from Mitt Romney. Indeed, Huntsman has little, if any, chance of winning unless one of the following chains of events occurs: 1. Romney’s recent resurgence gets overshadowed by Iowa Republicans’ continued resistance to his candidacy, dropping him to fourth or fifth in the caucus results and prompting the party establishment to throw their support to Huntsman; or 2. Romney places well in Iowa, and in an unexpected twist-of-fate, the Tea Party-led GOP base rallies around Huntsman in a last-ditch effort to deny Mitt the nomination.
Both contingencies remain long-shot possibilities, but Team Huntsman has to feel at least somewhat buoyed by the former Ambassador’s recent uptick in the polls and, now, a couple endorsements.
This Op-Ed appeared in today’s edition of The State:
“Why I Support Mitt Romney”
By Governor Nikki Haley
The State
December 18, 2011As a state representative four years ago, I supported Mitt Romney for president. What I’ve learned since becoming governor has led me to once again support him for president this year.
I did not make this decision lightly. In the end, the things I cared about most were a focus on jobs and the economy, having the executive experience to deliver results to the American people, and finding someone who has never been a part of the destructive chaos that is Washington. Using those criteria, I have no doubt that Mitt Romney is the best choice.
The central issue facing South Carolina is our economy. Under President Obama’s failed leadership, America has seen its credit rating downgraded and unemployment rise to new heights; our national debt has shattered all records. We are heading in the same horrible direction as the dismal economies and bankrupt governments of Europe. In order to save our country from this catastrophe, we need to change directions fast.
Any Republican president would try to do that. But Mitt Romney knows how to turn things around — he’s done it before. He knows what it means to make decisions — real decisions — and not simply cast a vote. He is not a creature of Washington. And he knows how the private economy works, and how to fix it.
As governor, I’ve also seen how Washington’s policies have an enormous impact on South Carolina. From the unfunded expansion of Medicaid, to challenging our immigration law, to the outrageous attempt to intimidate Boeing from creating jobs in our state, the degree to which Washington is wreaking havoc on our budget and economy is something I did not fully appreciate before I became governor. I’m not sure anyone can appreciate it without sitting in this office. As a former governor, Mitt Romney has had the same experience. He knows the challenges that face our states, and understands what it will take to get the burdens off our backs.
I do not agree with Gov. Romney 100 percent of the time, nor do I support every position he has ever taken. I don’t agree with any of the candidates on everything. I don’t need to. When I look at what he has accomplished — substantially cutting taxes and eliminating deficits in a heavily Democratic state, turning around the Olympics, building successful businesses and repairing troubled ones — I see someone who has the courage, experience and knowledge to turn our economy around and get Americans back to work.
And there’s one more thing. None of the conservative agenda will be advanced if we do not defeat President Obama next year. The single biggest economic and budgetary threat to South Carolina in the years ahead is implementation of Obamacare. Gov. Romney is fully committed to repealing Obamacare, and he has told me directly that he will grant South Carolina a waiver to get out from under it on his first day in office. He has also committed to finding a resolution to the Yucca Mountain disaster, including fighting alongside me to prevent the federal government from simply pocketing the money South Carolinians have already paid.
I am convinced that Romney stands the best chance of defeating Obama. The person who convinced me of that was President Obama himself. The Democratic National Committee and the president’s campaign attack Romney on a daily basis. They don’t touch any of the other candidates. That ought to tell us loudly and clearly who they fear most.
I know some of my conservative friends and allies have a different view of the candidates. I respect their choices. From where I sit, working every day to bring jobs to South Carolina and keep our budget balanced, Mitt Romney is the best choice. He has the right agenda to get our country back on track, to get our economy moving again, and to deliver us results — and he has the experience and integrity we can count on.
Gallup 2012 GOP Nomination Daily Tracking Poll
- Newt Gingrich 28% [28%] (29%) {31%} [31%] (33%) {33%} [35%] (37%) {34%} [36%] (37%)
- Mitt Romney 24% [24%] (24%) {23%} [22%] (23%) {23%} [23%] (23%) {25%} [23%] (22%)
- Ron Paul 10% [10%] (10%) {9%} [8%] (8%) {9%} [9%] (9%) {10%} [9%] (8%)
- Michele Bachmann 7% [8%] (7%) {6%} [6%] (6%) {5%} [6%] (6%) {7%} [6%] (6%)
- Rick Perry 6% [6%] (5%) {6%} [7%] (6%) {6%} [6%] (6%) {5%} [6%] (7%)
- Rick Santorum 4% [4%] (4%) {4%} [4%] (3%) {2%} [3%] (2%) {2%} [3%] (3%)
- Jon Huntsman 2% [2%] (2%) {2%} [2%] (2%) {2%} [2%] (1%) {1%} [1%] (1%)
Survey of at least 1,000 registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was conducted December 12-17, 2011. The margin of error is ± 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conductedDecember 11-16, 2011 are in Results from the poll conducted December 10-14, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conductedDecember 9-13, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 8-12, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 7-11, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 6-10, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 5-9, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 4-8, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 3-7, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 2-6, 2011are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 1-5, 2011 are in parentheses.
–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
Bob Dole is publishing an open letter to Iowans in the Des Moines Register today:
On January 3, the Iowa caucuses will gather and take a momentous first step as the Republican Party begins the process of selecting a nominee for the position of President of the United States.
A great deal is at stake.
In the last few years, our beloved country has fallen on rough times. We have now gone 34 months with unemployment over 8 percent, the longest such stretch since the Great Depression. Nearly twenty-five million Americans are unemployed, working part-time when they would like to work full-time, or have simply quit looking. Millions of Americans have lost their homes to foreclosure. Around three out of four Americans believe our nation is headed in the wrong direction. And they are right; our nation is indeed headed in the wrong direction. We need to turn it around.
A number of my friends are currently candidates seeking the GOP nomination. But the time has now come for us to decide who among them can defeat Barack Obama in 2012. I’ve made my decision, and I believe our best hope lies in Governor Mitt Romney.
I’ve known Mitt and his family for decades. His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic, rock-solid conservative values, and a deep sense of service to others. These traits—which have shone through in both the debates and my own visits with him—will serve him well in the White House.
As President, Mitt Romney will succeed in turning this country around. He rescued a flailing Winter Olympics when it was mired in financial scandal. He was an exceptional Governor of Massachusetts, who managed to both balance the state’s budget and cut taxes while dealing with an overwhelmingly Democratic state legislature.
Before his time in public service, Mitt Romney spent his career in the private sector, solving real problems in the real economy. He has helped to start or turn around numerous Main Street businesses that you know, like Sports Authority and Staples. He wasn’t just an investor. He got his hands dirty, and one of the results was the creation of tens of thousands of jobs. He has the experience and talent to get America back on the right track.
…
I’m not sure how much weight our unsuccessful 1996 standard bearer’s opinion has in Iowa, but his endorsement certainly can’t hurt.
In a normal year, endorsements really don’t mean a whole lot in the Presidential campaign. People will have made up their own minds. Endorsements might sway a handful of percentage points, but they seldom have any great effect except in close elections.
This year just might be different. At this late stage, there are still a large number of voters undecided on whom to vote for. Even when they state a preference, polls have shown large numbers of them unsure, uncertain and likely to change their minds before casting their vote. One would think that this sort of unsettled environment would tend to give endorsements more weight than they normally would, especially when they come from “serious” sources.
It’s been fun to play the game, but the time has come to get serious about choosing the next President, and Mitt seems to be gathering nearly all the “serious” endorsements as of late.
The Oklahoman was the second major Newspaper to endorse Mitt Romney in less than 24 hours. The first was the Des Moines Register.
From the Oklahoman’s endorsement:
In 2008, we were among the voices of the Heartland that warned of the perils of a Barack Obama presidency. These were voices crying in the wilderness. County by county, until all 77 were included, Oklahomans rejected the rhetoric of hope and change peddled by Obama.
Voices of common sense, not anger and entitlement, spring from the Heartland. We must raise our voice again because America is in trouble. We stand and watch as our country plummets deeper into polarization. We are divided by a divisive president — Republicans and Democrats, wealthy and poor, employed and unemployed.
We in the Heartland wait and watch as the Republican debates rage on — as if we will all text in our votes and pick a winner to stay on the island. This must stop! It is maddening to those of us with strong conservative convictions in the middle of the country. It is enabling Obama to fatten what is already the plumpest campaign war chest in history while the Republicans drain their resources battling each other.
We believe in the primary system, but even a good system can be detrimental when carried too far. To unseat the incumbent, we need total focus on November, not sideshow politics that will dilute the Republican efforts.
Stop inane bashing
Today we call on those in the Heartland to stand united. Let’s put a stop to the inane bashing going on in the Republican presidential race. Let’s unite behind a man who can beat Obama and let’s do it sooner rather than later.
That man is Mitt Romney.
… (more…)
Today, the Des Moines Register has endorsed Mitt Romney. In 2008, they endorsed eventual nominee John McCain. Here’s an excerpt:
Sobriety, wisdom and judgment.
Those are qualities Mitt Romney said he looks for in a leader. Those are qualities Romney himself has demonstrated in his career in business, public service and government. Those qualities help the former Massachusetts governor stand out as the most qualified Republican candidate competing in the Iowa caucuses.
Sobriety: While other candidates have pandered to extremes with attacks on the courts and sermons on Christian values, Romney has pointedly refrained from reckless rhetoric and moralizing. He may be accused of being too cautious, but choosing words carefully is a skill essential for anyone who could be sitting in the White House and reacting to world events.
Wisdom: Romney obviously is very smart. He graduated as valedictorian at Brigham Young University and finished in the top 5 percent in his MBA class at Harvard, where he also earned a law degree. Romney also exhibits the wisdom of a man who listened and learned from his father and his mother, from his church and from his own trials and errors in life. He does not lack self confidence, but he is not afraid to admit when he has been wrong.
Judgment: Romney disagrees with Democrats on most issues, but he offers smart and well-reasoned alternatives rather than simply proposing to swing a wrecking ball in Washington. He is a serious student of public policy who examines the data before making a decision. His detailed policy paper on the economy contains 87 pages of carefully crafted positions on taxes, energy, trade and regulatory policy, complete with 127 footnotes.
HT to commenters Matthew Kilburn / teledude
In 1996, the Dallas Morning News interviewed Congressional candidate and former Congressman Ron Paul. About what? About newsletters written under his name, specifically, comments made regarding the African-American community. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Dr. Ron Paul, a Republican congressional candidate from Texas, wrote in his political newsletter in 1992 that 95 percent of the black men in Washington, D.C., are “semi-criminal or entirely criminal.” He also wrote that black teenagers can be “unbelievably fleet of foot.”
An official with the NAACP in Texas said the comments were racist and offensive. Dr. Paul, who is running in Texas’ 14th Congressional District, defended his writings in an interview Tuesday. He said they were being taken out of context. “It’s typical political demagoguery,” he said. “If people are interested in my character . . . come and talk to my neighbors.”
Dr. Paul, an ex-congressman and former Libertarian Party presidential candidate, defeated Rep. Greg Laughlin, R-West Columbia, in April for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House. An obstetrician from Surfside, he faces Democratic lawyer Charles “Lefty” Morris of Bee Cave in the November general election. Mr. Morris, who said he was familiar with the writings in question, declined to comment about the specifics. “Many of his views are out on the fringe,” Mr. Morris said. “But voters in the 14th District have to characterize these the way they see it. His statements speak for themselves.”
According to a Dallas Morning News review of documents circulating among Texas Democrats, Dr. Paul wrote in a 1992 issue of the Ron Paul Political Report: “If you have ever been robbed by a black teenaged male, you know how unbelievably fleet of foot they can be.”
Dr. Paul, who served in Congress in the late 1970s and early 1980s, said Tuesday that he has produced the newsletter since 1985 and distributes it to an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 subscribers. A phone call to the newsletter’s toll-free number was answered by his campaign staff.
Dr. Paul also said he did not know how his newsletter came to be included in a directory by the Heritage Front, a neo-Nazi group based in Canada. The newsletter was listed on the Internet under the directory’s heading “Racialists and Freedom Fighters.”
Emphasis mine. So, in 1996 it appears that Paul admits to writing much of what’s found in the Ron Paul newsletters – which more recently he’s been trying to deny having anything to do with.
EDIT 08:23 PM – Here’s another excerpt from the article regarding who wrote certain columns:
Dr. Paul denied suggestions that he was a racist and said he was not evoking stereotypes when he wrote the columns. He said they should be read and quoted in their entirety to avoid misrepresentation.
Dr. Paul also took exception to the comments of Mr. Bledsoe, saying that the voters in the 14th District and the people who know him best would be the final judges of his character. “If someone challenges your character and takes the interpretation of the NAACP as proof of a man’s character, what kind of a world do you live in?” Dr. Paul asked.
In the interview, he did not deny he made the statement about the swiftness of black men. “If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them,” Dr. Paul said.
He also said the comment about black men in the nation’s capital was made while writing about a 1992 study produced by the National Center on Incarceration and Alternatives, a criminal justice think tank based in Virginia.
Citing statistics from the study, Dr. Paul then concluded in his column: `Given the inefficiencies of what DC laughingly calls the criminal justice system, I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.” “These aren’t my figures,” Dr. Paul said Tuesday. “That is the assumption you can gather from” the report
Again, this is all from the 1996 article / interview of Dr. Paul.
EDIT 10:27 PM – In a 1996 Houston Chronicle article, here’s another excerpt on the Paul newsletters:
A campaign spokesman for Paul said statements about the fear of black males mirror pronouncements by black leaders such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who has decried the spread of urban crime.
Paul continues to write the newsletter for an undisclosed number of subscribers, the spokesman said.
Emphasis mine. Read the two articles in full and feel free to comment.
_______________________________________________________
-Matt Newman is a conservative blogger from Maryland who blogs at Old Line Elephant / Pundit League and Tweets far too often.
Gallup 2012 GOP Nomination Daily Tracking Poll
- Newt Gingrich 28% (29%) {31%} [31%] (33%) {33%} [35%] (37%) {34%} [36%] (37%)
- Mitt Romney 24% (24%) {23%} [22%] (23%) {23%} [23%] (23%) {25%} [23%] (22%)
- Ron Paul 10% (10%) {9%} [8%] (8%) {9%} [9%] (9%) {10%} [9%] (8%)
- Michele Bachmann 8% (7%) {6%} [6%] (6%) {5%} [6%] (6%) {7%} [6%] (6%)
- Rick Perry 6% (5%) {6%} [7%] (6%) {6%} [6%] (6%) {5%} [6%] (7%)
- Rick Santorum 4% (4%) {4%} [4%] (3%) {2%} [3%] (2%) {2%} [3%] (3%)
- Jon Huntsman 2% (2%) {2%} [2%] (2%) {2%} [2%] (1%) {1%} [1%] (1%)
Survey of at least 1,000 registered Republicans and Republican-leaning independents was conducted December 11-16, 2011. The margin of error is ± 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conductedDecember 10-14, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 9-13, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 8-12, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 7-11, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 6-10, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 5-9, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 4-8, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted December 3-7, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 2-6, 2011are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted December 1-5, 2011 are in parentheses.
–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
“Ann Coulter: Tea Party Ignores Romney Because They’re Looking At Who Is ‘Calling [Obama] A Kenyan’”:
Something fundamentally changed this week in the 2012 GOP Republican nomination race.
The weeks from mid-November have not been very good for Mitt Romney. After seeing the latest non-Romney candidate Herman Cain (remember him?) begin to implode and the media resurrect Newt Gingrich, Romney saw his front runner status once again challenged. As his standing in the polls began to look shaky to the skyrocketing Gingrich, he caught flak for a testy interview with Fox News’ Brett Bair. Almost daily there were endless stories, theories and prognostications about the impending demise of the Romney campaign.
All the negativity seemed to reach its zenith during the Saturday December 12th debate in Iowa, when Romney challenged Gov. Rick Perry to a $10,000 bet over what Romney said or wrote about using his Massachusetts Health Care plan as a national model. Of course Perry flinched and declined the bet, but the damage to Romney was apparently already done.
DNC Operatives tweeted snarky political talking points insisting Romney was an out of touch elitist with no connection to the common man. How else could someone so carelessly toss around a number which represents about 20% of Iowa caucus goers annual income? The story was all over the news Sunday and Monday.
But then something happened….
Tuesday, Romney got up off the mat, brushed off his suit, combed his hair and got back into the fight. He called on Gingrich to return his $1.6 million payout from scandal plagued mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae in an interview with Fox’s Brian Kilmeade.
Gingrich’s reckless response ended up handing Romney a political gift and an opening to contrast himself against the former Speaker. Newt castigated Romney over his years at Bain Capital in a way that would have made Saul Alinsky and couch companion Nancy Pelosi proud. Gingrich assaulted Romney (and Capitalism) by calling for Romney to return the millions he earned “bankrupting companies” and killing jobs.
Romney would later use the issue in the Thursday debate to provide a preview of how he would handle a similar attack by President Obama (whom Newt apparently called to get his talking points) and defended himself and Capitalism, quite adroitly in the process.
The Conservative Media, led by Brit Hume, Charles Krauthhammer and George Will let loose on Newt with both barrels and sent him reeling. Newt ultimately tried to back away, “apologizing” for the remarks on the Thursday night Sean Hannity show. (With all the apologizing and retractions Gingrich issues, one has to think he might have to give TWO State of the Union addresses each year if elected President. One to report out to the nation and another the following night to retract and clarify his remarks.)
Polling numbers began to show disturbing trends for Gingrich. Not only would he fare poorly against President Obama, but his GOP national numbers began tanking as well. Gallup’s daily tracking showed a 12 point decline over 8 days.
Iowa polls showed a tightening race, with Gingrich in a three way tie with Ron Paul and Romney or losing outright to Romney.
The National Review published a scathing anti-Newt non-endorsement.
During the first half of Fox News’ Iowa debate Thursday night, everyone BUT Romney pummelled Gingrich over his conservative bona fides and his Fannie/Freddie connections.
Romney put in one of, if not, his best debate performances of the campaign, emerging unscathed and with renewed vigor and confidence.
Friday saw Romney received the enthusiastic endorsement of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, before they both set about campaigning in the important early voting primary state.
So what changed this week?
Perhaps the media overplayed their hand, which they often do, in painting things sooooo bleak for the Romney campaign
Perhaps Romney’s performance in the Saturday Iowa debate was not perceived to be as bad as spun, by the people who watched it.
Perhaps most regular folks “got” the bet Romney was making, was to flush out a lying varmint.
Perhaps most people understand in business there are indeed winners and losers, but more often than not, in capable hands, there are more winners.
Perhaps people realize they don’t want a “bomb thrower” leading them here, hither and yon, because of uncontrollable bombast.
Perhaps despite months of heavy shelling from both Talk Radio (Rush & Levin) and the DNC artillery, the Romney phalanx of 20-25% voter support is actually a sturdy floor and not a ceiling. After all, all challengers to Romney have fallen back to high single or low double digits after being vetted, while Romney has weathered his storms with his support virtually intact.
Whatever the reason, there seems to have been a shift not only in the tone but the momentum of the race. The Gingrich campaign seems a little more deflated and defensive and on the same course of other high flying non-Romney candidates. Talk Radio a little more desperate and peevish about the durability, tenacity and renewed inevitability of the Romney nomination. All while the Romney campaign ship seems to have righted its course and has a strong wind back in its sails.
Can you feel it?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
-Doug NYC GOP also blogs at RightSpeak.
PPP (D) New Mexico 2012 Presidential Poll
- Barack Obama 51%
- Ron Paul 38%
- Barack Obama 53% [49%] (53%)
- Mitt Romney 38% [42%] (37%)
- Barack Obama 56% (56%)
- Newt Gingrich 39% (35%)
- Barack Obama 56%
- Michele Bachmann 36%
- Barack Obama 56%
- Rick Perry 35%
If the candidates for President next year were Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Newt Gingrich, and Gary Johnson running as a Libertarian, who would you vote for?
- Barack Obama 45%
- Newt Gingrich 28%
- Gary Johnson 20%
If the candidates for President next year were Democrat Barack Obama, Republican Mitt Romney, and Gary Johnson running as a Libertarian, who would you vote for?
- Barack Obama 44%
- Mitt Romney 27%
- Gary Johnson 23%
Favorable / Unfavorable {Net}
- Gary Johnson 45% [43%] (44%) / 39% [40%] (32%) {+6%}
- Ron Paul 27% / 54% {-27%}
- Michele Bachmann 26% [30%] / 56% [42%] {-30%}
- Mitt Romney 27% [33%] (33%) / 58% [46%] (45%) {-31%}
- Newt Gingrich 28% (25%) / 62% (56%) {-34%}
- Rick Perry 21% / 67% {-46%}
Do you approve or disapprove of President Barack Obama’s job performance?
- Approve 49% [50%] (55%)
- Disapprove 46% [44%] (40%)
Survey of 500 New Mexico voters was conducted December 10-12, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 4.4 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 52% [51%] (55%) Democrat; 29% [32%] (29%) Republican; 19% [17%] (16%) Independent/Other. Political ideology: 30% [29%] Moderate; 22% [19%] Somewhat conservative; 17% [19%] Very conservative; 16% [20%] Somewhat liberal; 14% [13%] Very liberal. Results from the poll conducted June 23-26, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted February 4-6, 2011are in parentheses.
–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
A pro-Santorum Super PAC, the Red White & Blue Fund, is going on the air in Iowa with a $200,000 ad buy with the ad below. The transcript is below the video:
We all agree Obama’s reckless agenda must be stopped.
But who is the true conservative you can really trust?
Rick Santorum.
He’s fought for conservative values his whole life.
Father, husband a champion for life.
A visionary that saw and understands the threat of radical Islam.
And a proven reformer who took on Washington and won.
Rick Santorum.
Finally a true conservative we can trust.
HT to R.S. McCain
NBP South Dakota 2012 Presidential Poll
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY
- Ron Paul 22%
- Newt Gingrich 19%
- Michele Bachmann 18%
- Rick Perry 15%
- Mitt Romney 10%
- Undecided 16%
Regardless of your voting intentions, who do you expect will win the Republican nomination?
- Newt Gingrich 24%
- Mitt Romney 18%
- Ron Paul 9%
- Michele Bachmann 9%
- Rick Perry 6%
- None of these 11%
- Undecided 23%
Rasmussen 2012 Presidential Poll
- Mitt Romney 43% {45%} [40%] (38%) {42%} [41%] (44%) {42%} [41%] (44%) {41%} [43%] (39%) {38%} [43%] {40%} [44%] (44%)
- Barack Obama 42% {42%} [42%] (44%) {43%} [42%] (42%) {43%} [43%] (42%) {44%} [40%] (43%) {46%} [42%] {45%} [42%] (44%)
Survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted December 14-15, 2011. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points. Results from the poll conducted December 8-9, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted November 30 – December 1, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted November 21-22, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted November 9-10, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted November 1-2, 2011are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted October 24-25, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted October 16-17, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted October 8-9, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conductedSeptember 28-29, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted September 18-19, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted September 10-11, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted August 25-26, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the polls conducted August 17-22, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the polls conducted between July 14-15, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted March 6-9, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted January 3-4, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted November 24, 2009 are in parentheses.
Inside the numbers:
Romney holds a 47% to 36% advantage among male voters, while the president has a similar 47% to 39% lead among female voters.
Obama runs best among voters under the age of 30, while Romney draws his strongest support from older voters.
Among voters not affiliated with either political party, Romney leads by 10 points.
Evangelical Christians support Romney over the president by better than two-to one. The Republican edges Obama by three points among other Protestants and leads by 14 among Catholics. Voters of other religions prefer the president by a 59% to 30% margin. Those who attend church at least occasionally support Romney, while those who attend rarely or never lean toward the incumbent.
–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
Iowa for Christian Leaders in Government is back with another attack on Newt Gingrich, this time on abortion:
Like most everyone on this site, I spent last night watching the GOP’s final debate before the Iowa Caucus. Here are some of my own quick observations:
1: For the most part, the frontrunners were all impressive.
Romney was exceptionally strong the entire evening. Gingrich was fine when not under attack, but struggled at times in response to Freddie Mac. Ron Paul had a good debate (though not all would agree with what he said at times).
2. Rick Santorum did well.
I learned not to put too much faith in Frank Luntz’ observations during the 2007-08 election, and last night was no different. I found Rick Santorum to be very impressive last night, which is personally somewhat surprising because I have never exactly been a member of his fan club. When Santorum decided to run this election cycle, I rolled my eyes and figured that he’d be nothing more than your token pro-lifer who talks about nothing other than abortion. I was wrong. He’s been a pretty good candidate in these debates, and I have grown to like him.
3. Michele Bachmann did not.
One candidate who I have just about had enough of is Bachmann. She’s turned into nothing more than a grenade launcher. I haven’t learned a thing about her because all she has done is talk about other candidates. Everyone’s record deserves to be examined, but going by her last debates, I wouldn’t even know if she had been in office because she never talks about herself or her own accomplishments, just what’s wrong with Perry, Newt, Paul, etc…
4. I’m also sick of Hannity.
Sean Hannity sucks up to every candidate except Paul, who he asks redundant questions that have been asked every day for months. I may not agree with Paul on a number of issues, but last night’s post debate interview was cringe-worthy because of Hannity’s arrogance.
From The Hill:
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) endorsed Mitt Romney for president on Friday.
“Today is the day that I am throwing all of my support behind Mitt Romney for president,” Haley said Friday on Fox News.
Haley said she was looking to endorse a candidate to help improve “jobs, the economy, and spending.”
“What I want is someone who is not part of the chaos that is Washington. What I wanted was someone who knew what it was like to turn broken companies around,” Haley continued.
Romney’s biggest get since Christie. Bigger even than Ayotte, given Romney’s relative weakness in South Carolina and Haley’s greater credibility with the conservative base.
The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban on incandescent light bulbs.
GOP and Democratic sources tell POLITICO the final omnibus bill includes a rider defunding the Energy Department’s standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient.
DOE’s light bulb rules — authorized under a 2007 energy law authored signed by President George W. Bush — would start going into effect Jan. 1. The rider will prevent DOE from implementing the rules through Sept. 30.
Few overreaches of the nanny-state have created more ire than the ban on 100W incandescent light bulbs that was set to take effect this New Year’s Day. Signed into law by George W. Bush, it is a prime example of the so-called “elites” deciding that we mere mortals are incapable of making our own decisions, and therefore they must make them for us.
Well, it’s nice to know that the ban has been postponed to at least September 30th next year — about a month before election day.
Of course, our moral superiors didn’t give up without a fight.
Environmentalists and clean energy types have tried to mount a last-ditch defense, with plans for a Friday press conference that includes representatives from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Philips Electronics North America, Consumers Union, the Alliance to Save Energy and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Republicans for Environmental Protection also hoped to shame its GOP brethren into backing down.
“In the real world, outside talk radio’s echo chamber, lighting manufacturers such as GE, Philips and Sylvania have tooled up to produce new incandescent light bulbs that look and operate exactly the same as old incandescent bulbs, and give off just as much warm light,” said Jim DiPeso, the group’s policy director. “The only difference is they produce less excess heat and are therefore 30 percent more efficient. Same light, lower energy bills. What’s not to like?”
Umm, the price? Those new bulbs also cost more. That seems to be a detail these busy-bodies have forgotten to mention for some strange reason. I can’t image why.
Here’s FOX News’ preview:
High Stakes, High Drama for Final Debate Before Voting Begins
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – It’s been 32 weeks since the first Republican presidential debate. Since then, a changing cast of contenders has faced off a dozen times across the country with millions watching at home.
Of the original combatants from that May 5 meeting in Greenville, S.C., only two, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, remain. There have been four lead changes in national polls, two candidates drop out, four candidates join the field and billions of pixels poured out by reporters and pundits trying to make sense of it all.
Tonight, that all culminates here on the western edge of Iowa with the 13th showdown — the last chance for candidates to make their cases before voters start the process of picking a presidential nominee. Even in a cycle that has been shaped by televised debates like no other, the stakes for the candidates this evening are enormous.
And as always, have at it in the comments!
Gallup has been following the race every day since the end of November. Here is their chart of the trends they have been seeing. It has a five day rolling average to smooth out the bumps. The top line is Gingrich. The next lower line is Romney.
These are not Iowan results where Newt’s opponents have been busy running negative ads. These are the National numbers where the vast majority has not seen any campaign ads yet. His numbers are collapsing as voters start paying closer attention to race.
Newt Gingrich’s period of being the frontrunner is in serious jeopardy of coming to an end. If the above trend lines continue, he might end up dropping below Romney nationally as soon as this weekend. *OUCH!*
All the rest of the field are clustered at ten percent or below.
With trends like these, winning Iowa becomes a must for Newt. If he doesn’t, he will find it very difficult to turn around his negative momentum.
Today, the Romney campaign announced the endorsements and support of a group of 34 people who all have one thing in common: they all served in the Reagan administration. Dubbing the group “Reaganites for Romney,” the campaign crowed:
“These individuals were part of a movement that changed America and the rest of the world. The smaller government policies of the Reagan era helped turn around a struggling economy and create millions of jobs. And the strong defense of freedom around the world led to the crumbling of empires and dictatorships. I am proud to announce this group of conservative leaders – with their help we can recreate the robust job creation of the Reagan years.”
As Republican candidates fall over one another to see who can invoke the imagery and memory of Reagan the most, having 34 former members of his political team endorsing and working for you is huge.
In addition to those folks, Romney also unveiled endorsements from one hundred officials in New Jersey. The lead paragraph of their press release pretty much says it all:
Mitt Romney today announced the support of New Jersey leaders, including 14 of the 16 Republican members of the State Senate, and 28 of the 33 Republican members of the New Jersey State Assembly, 37 of 42 members of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, and all 21 Republican county chairs.
Actually, I’ll ad what Chris Christie said earlier this week: “New Jersey is Romney country.”
ARG New Hampshire 2012 GOP Primary Poll
- Mitt Romney 35% (33%) {30%} [29%] (32%)
- Ron Paul 21% (12%) {12%} [4%] (8%)
- Newt Gingrich 16% (22%) {4%} [7%] (8%)
- Jon Huntsman 13% (8%) {10%} [0%] (0%)
- Michele Bachmann 4% (2%) {7%} [12%] (1%)
- Rick Perry 2% (2%) {13%} [2%]
- Rick Santorum 1% (1%) {2%} [2%] (0%)
- Buddy Roemer 0% (1%) {1%} [0%] (0%)
- Gary Johnson 0% (1%) {0%} [0%] (1%)
- Undecided 8% (9%) {12%} [18%] (8%)
Survey of 600 likely Republican primary voters (362 Republicans and 238 independents) was conducted December 11-14, 2011. The margin of error is ± 4 percentage points. Party ID breakdown: 60% (65%) {67%} [70%] Republican; 40% (35%) {33%} [30%] Independent. Results from the poll conducted November 16-20, 2011 are in parentheses. Results from the poll conducted September 16-21, 2011 are in curly brackets. Results from the poll conducted July 9-13, 2011 are in square brackets. Results from the poll conducted April 16-21, 2011 are in parentheses.
-–Data compilation and analysis courtesy of The Argo Journal
