Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) urged Mitt Romney’s campaign to take a more aggressive posture, Politico reports.

Said Walker: “I think there’s a lot of caution. I think the mistake that they’ve made is the feeling like it can just be a referendum on the president. It’s certainly a part of it for any incumbent, it’s got to be a referendum on, do you like or dislike, not just the president, but his policies… but there’s got to be something more. People don’t just vote somebody out, they’ve got to vote somebody in.”

Alex Burns: “What’s consistent is that Romney never (or rarely) deviates from the script he’s had since 2011. Walker’s concern is that it’s not enough to close the deal.”

A new Mitchell Research poll in Michigan finds Mitt Romney edging President Obama in Michigan, 45% to 44%.

Said pollster Steve Mitchell: “Romney’s home state continues to look as though it is going to be a battleground state this year.”

Update:  A new Public Policy Polling survey shows Obama leading by 14 points, 53% to 395.

The Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action uses an Olympics themed ad to continue hitting Mitt Romney on outsourcing and using Swiss bank accounts.

The ad will run during the Olympics in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

[Read more…]

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds President Obama leading Mitt Romney nationally by six points, 49% to 43%.

“The poll also finds a resurgence of anxiety about the economy as job growth has slowed, though Obama maintains his edge on several fronts despite that. Half of registered voters feel less optimistic about the direction of the economy, with just 27% predicting the economy would improve over the next year-a sharp drop in optimism from recent months.”

“One result stands out, though: Both candidates clocked their highest count to date among Americans who now view them ‘very negatively.’ Nearly a third of voters saw Mr. Obama that way, compared with nearly a quarter for Mr. Romney.”

Said pollster Bill McInturff: “We have two candidates who are in deep, double-digit negatives. There is no precedent for that in the modern era.”

A new MassINC poll in Massachusetts finds Elizabeth Warren (D) leading Sen. Scott Brown (R) among registered voters by a two point margin, 40% to 38%, with 16% still undecided.

Rep. Don Young (R-AK) has endorsed Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in her U.S. Senate bid, “a surprising move since the seat could be in play for Republicans this fall,” The Hill reports.

“Young praises Hirono for working across the aisle in the lighthearted web ad, in which he repeatedly jokes about criticizing House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) before hugging Hirono at the end.”

[Read more…]

Joe Trippi notes the presidential race “has been a dead heat for months, and most people expect this to be one of the closest presidential races ever… But here’s the thing — the 2012 election isn’t really a two person race. There’s a third party candidate out there — and he could derail either one of the two major party candidates’ shot at the White House.”

“His name is Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico and the Libertarian Party candidate. If that seems doubtful, remember that Ralph Nader didn’t crack 3% of the popular vote in 2000 — yet he completely changed the outcome of that race.”

With more than three months to go before Election Day, a new Pew Research survey finds most voters already feel that there’s little left to learn about the presidential candidates.

“When it comes to Barack Obama, 90% say they already pretty much know what they need to know about him; just 8% say they need to learn more. A substantial majority (69%) also says they already mostly know what they need to know about Mitt Romney. Only about a quarter (28%) say they need to learn more to get a clear impression of Romney. Combining these two questions, fully two-thirds of voters say they already know as much as they need to about both presidential candidates.”

Tampa Tribune: “Strip clubs may not be the most politically correct venue for those attending the Republican National Convention, but that doesn’t mean Tampa’s well-known adult hot spots won’t be ready for the influx of visitors. One place is bringing in a stripper who looks like former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.”

The Week has three theories.