Today's installment of campaign-related news items that won't necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* It's obviously still early, but a USA Today/Gallup poll found Americans feeling more negative than positive on Paul Ryan's addition to Mitt Romney's ticket, 42% to 39%.
* The Republican base seems to have a far more favorable impression: Team Romney claims to have raised another $3.5 million in the 24 hours following Saturday morning's announcement.
* The Obama campaign wasted no time putting together this video, with a focus on Florida, emphasizing the Romney-Ryan plan to end Medicare.
* The latest Politico/George Washington University Battleground poll shows President Obama with a very narrow lead in the key swing states, 48% to 47%. In May, those numbers were reversed in Romney's favor.
* In case you were wondering -- I know I was -- Ryan will be able to appear on the ballot in his district as a candidate for both the House and vice president. If he wins the national race, Ryan would resign from Congress and there'd be a special election to replace him in Congress.
* The moderators were announced this morning for the upcoming presidential debates, and for a change, there's some gender diversity: PBS's Jim Lehrer, CBS's Bob Schieffer, and CNN's Candy Crowley will each have a turn. ABC's Martha Raddatz will moderate the vice presidential debate.
* Over the weekend in Virginia, Romney accidentally endorsed Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling over his GOP primary rival, state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, in the upcoming gubernatorial race. Romney walked it back soon after.
* And former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will not have a speaking role at this year's Republican convention.
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"PBS's Jim Lehrer, CBS's Bob Schieffer, and CNN's Candy Crowley will each have a turn"
I just checked my calendar, and no, it is NOT April First! ( Lehrer, at least, tries to be an objective professional.)
"President Obama, some say you hate America."
Governor Romney, how did you get so handsome?"
Schieffer is senile, and Candy Crowley lacks frontal lobes. But they both have kneepads.
In my fantasy world, kindly Dr. Rachel Maddow would moderate at least one of those debates, but in this real world there aren't many candidates who'd have the guts to let that happen.
;-)
I'm a Rachel fan, but when she goes on Meet the Press she seems to be unable to keep herself from getting into a situation where she and another are talking over each other. In getting into that sort of situation, she fails to make her point. How would she do as a debate moderator? I'm not sure.
Interesting that you saw it that way.
I saw a Republican, calling himself a journalist, that could not adequately defend his point, so he talked over Rachel in an attempt to keep her from making hers.
He did it to convinced viewers to think exactly what you posted.
The moderator of t.v. panel shows and debates should have the ability to cut the mics of those that talk beyond time or over the others. It should be in the rules.
I wish to hell they would do that on MTP (and others) and let us hear one at a time. There are supposed to follow etiquette, but they all get pushy (admittedly it is usually a hot discussion) on Bill Mahr, Matthews, all of them get to the point of "unwatchable", which I also think is the idea.
I saw that clip of "hecklers" at Ryan in Iowa, the sign holders tried to use their Rmoney signs to cover it up/hide from cameras. The "hecklers" get taken away and arrested, they don't get heard, they get escorted away in handcuffs. Are they having rights violated? Maybe they could get an answer instead of handcuffs. If it were me that yelled out a question to a candidate and I got handcuffed in public, I might talk to a lawyer. I might also ask: is this heckling or is it asking the candidate a valid question?
So Ryan can run for both offices. I wonder if he's smart enough, cowardly enough or disloyal enough to campaign for both offices.
"And former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) will not have a speaking role at this year's Republican convention."
Damn. Her cover's blown.
In case you were wondering -- I know I was -- Ryan will be able to appear on the ballot in his district as a candidate for both the House and vice president. If he wins the national race, Ryan would resign from Congress and there'd be a special election to replace him in Congress.
So be sure to contribute to his congressional opponent, so that when he loses the VP election he loses his congressional seat and he can then go off to his welfare position at Koch Industries (Screwing the Planet Since 1900).
Were I Ryan's opponent I think I would say "Why do we need a special election that will cost Wisconsin additional money if Ryan is elected VP. Just elect me. In the likely event that RomRy loses why would you want someone the rest of the country doesn't want?"
President Obama's health care program is almost indistinguishable from the one Governor Romney enacted in Massachusetts. Perhaps it would be in our interest to give credit where credit is due and refer to it as Romboma care.
Only one of those two proudly accepts the credit - the other (Rawmoney) tries to pretend he had nothing to do with it.
So, if you want to call it Obama-cares-and-Rawmoney-doesn't, I'd be OK with that.
;-)