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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsOh, Bobby, I'm sorry you got a head like a potato...Jindal fails to make Romney's "final three"
Thread title hat-tip to FZ..."The present-day composer refuses to die."
*** Bold vs. cautious GOPers divided on Ryan: Politico writes that Republican observers are split on Ryan. Ryan advocates, including some of his colleagues and high-profile conservative elites, believe Romney will lose if he doesnt make a more assertive case for his candidacy and that selecting the 42-year-old wonky golden boy would sound a clarion call to the electorate about the sort of reforms the presumptive GOP nominee wants to bring to Washington. Call them the go bold crowd. On the other hand: Their opposites, pragmatic-minded Republican strategists and elected officials, believe that to select Ryan is to hand President Barack Obamas campaign a twin-edged blade, letting the incumbent slash Romney on the Wisconsin congressmans Medicare proposal and carve in the challenger a scarlet C for the unpopular Congress. This is the cautious corner.
*** Polling the over-50 crowd: Just how important could the debate over the Ryan budget, especially if hes Romneys VP pick? Just consider this AARP poll of voters over 50, in which Obama and Romney are tied 45-45% with the group (and with Obamas approval at just 42%). Per this poll, 91% believe Social Security is critical to the economic security of seniors and the next president and Congress need to strengthen Social Security so that it is able to provide retirement security for future generations. (That includes about three-quarters of Romney voters.) And on Medicare: 95% say Medicare is critical to maintaining the health of seniors and 88% say the next president and Congress need to strengthen Medicare so that it is able to provide health coverage in retirement for future generations. The poll was conducted by Hart Research and GS Strategy Group. (Disclosure: Hart Research is the Democratic half of the NBC-WSJ poll.)
*** Romney leads in CO, but Obamas ahead in VA and WI: Last week, President Obama campaigned in Florida and Ohio -- just as new Quinnipiac/New York Times/CBS polls showed him leading (and above 50%) in those two states. But today, as he begins a two-day swing through Colorado, the same polling outfit shows him trailing Romney among likely by five points in the state, 50%-45%. That said, new Quinnipiac/New York Times/CBS surveys also show Obama leading in Virginia (49%-45%) and Wisconsin (51%-45%). So out of the six battleground states that Quinnipiac has polled in the past two weeks -- Colorado, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin -- Obama leads in five of them. And speaking of polls, a new national Washington Post/ABC survey finds that Romneys fav/unfav is still underwater at 40%-49% versus Obamas 53%-43%. In fact, ABC adds that Romney is laboring under the lowest personal popularity ratings for a presumptive presidential nominee in midsummer election-year polls back to 1984.
http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/08/13180408-first-thoughts-the-final-three?lite
catbyte
(34,485 posts)I'm sold!
Diane
Anishinaabe in MI & mom to Taz, Nigel, and new baby brother Sammy, members of Dogs Against Romney, Cat Division
"Dogs Arent Luggage--HISS!
Iggo
(47,577 posts)Come on.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)I don't know if Jindal will ever be "ready for prime time." The GOP will use his ass whenever it's convenient as a "surrogate," but VP? A man can dream, I guess. Keep dreaming, Bobby.
Iggo
(47,577 posts)And I guess, in a generic way, I do feel bad for him. He's a guy who's doing everything he can to join the club, and they're never really going to make him a full member. But specifically, it's a fucked up club and he's a fucked up motherfucker for wanting to join it. So fuck him.
TlalocW
(15,392 posts)Jindal's window of opportunity is closing rapidly. I think he knew 2012 wasn't going to be his year, and I think 2016 won't be either for the same reason - republicans don't want to replace one person of color with another even if he's got an R after his name. He might get offered the VP slot in 2016. If the GOP wins that year (God forbid) then he can't really run for president until 2024 whether the GOP wins hypothetical reelection in 2020 or not. If the GOP loses in 2016, then he's got 2020 as a time to possibly run. So I think 8 to 12 years before he's even viable, and he's still going to have to deal with the GOP being haunted by a non-white person being in the White House in the recent past, and how long can you remain a wunderkind if you don't keep advancing in position?
TlalocW
Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)That would presume that Romney has principles (even twisted, racist ones). I haven't seen any evidence that he wouldn't do or say whatever his polling and focus groups indicate he should say. The guy's a human wind sock.
ananda
(28,885 posts)On the presumption that they need a token Hispanic.
Iggo
(47,577 posts)Kinda like how women didn't flock to McCain just because he chose Palin.
My guess is that choosing Rubio only gets him a specific subgroup of latinos: the Commie-hating variety of Florida Cubanos. Maybe that's a big chunk of Florida Cubanos, but that doesn't really translate nationally. And the republicans kinda already have those guys anyway. Why waste a VP pick on that?
bunnies
(15,859 posts)revolution breeze
(879 posts)I was hoping he would resign as governor to run for VP. Looks like we are stuck with him until the next election!
hifiguy
(33,688 posts)Doesn't matter which label you apply to which one, they're interchangeable.
charlie
(15,665 posts)I was looking forward to Ventriloquist and His Dummy jokes.
Lone_Star_Dem
(28,158 posts)Maybe it was in Wisconsin?
I thought after his budget proposal his favorability with Independents was tanking though.
As to Jindal being out, I'm not surprised. He didn't poll well in swing states.