First Read: “Our new NBC/WSJ poll clearly shows that there are two forces at play in this presidential election: the economy (which is a drag on Obama) vs. likeability/values (which is a drag on Romney). Which force is stronger? The answer to that question will likely decide the election.”
Adviser Says Obama Doesn’t Appreciate Anglo-Saxon Heritage
Just before Mitt Romney arrives in London for his international trip, a Romney adviser told the Daily Telegraph that President Obama has not been good friend to Britain because he doesn’t “fully appreciate” America’s “Anglo-Saxon heritage.”
The adviser said Romney would be different: “We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special. The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have”.
Romney Seeks Probe Into Virginia Voter Drive
Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is asking Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) “to launch an investigation into voter-registration forms that are being sent to Virginia residents and addressed to deceased relatives, children, family pets and others ineligible to vote,” the Richmond Times Dispatch reports.
“The errant mailings from the Washington-based nonprofit group Voter Participation Center have befuddled many Virginia residents, leading to hundreds of complaints.”
Romney Aide Has a Secret
Beth Myers, who is leading Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate, explained the difficulty of leading such a secretive process, ABC News reports.
Said Myers: “Wherever I go, and it’s been very strange, I can’t tell — because I’m a pretty open person — but I can’t tell anybody about this at all. My children and husband are really kind of upset, because they — they’ll start — I can sort of tell they’re plotting against me, and they’ll have like — dinner table — just a casual conversation, ‘Gee, who would be a good VP?’ And I just sit there silently.”
Walker Urges Romney to be Less Cautious
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.”
Michigan Looks Like a Battleground
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.
Ad Mocks Romney at the Olympics
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.
Obama Maintain Edge Despite Negative Ratings
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.”
Warren Holds Small Lead in Massachusetts
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.
Cuomo’s Approval Hits New High
A new Quinnipiac poll finds New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) with a staggering 73% to 16% approval rating, an all-time high.
Perhaps even more striking, Cuomo holds a 69% to 19% approval rate among Republicans.
Young Endorses Hirono For Senate
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.”
Million Dollar Donors are Half of GOP Super PAC Funding
The Fix: “About four dozen donors and families have given at least $1 million to super PACs this election cycle, with three-quarters of them giving to the GOP. Combined, these four dozen donors have provided $130 million of the $308 million super PACs have raised this cycle (more than 40 percent) — a reflection of how much these outside groups are funded by extremely wealthy donors.”
“And that goes double on the GOP side, where nearly half of the $228
million raised by super PACs has come from about three dozen
million-dollar donors.”
Voters Do Not Like Targeted Ads
A new study from the Annenberg School for Communication found that 86% of voters do not want political campaigns to match ads to their interests.
New York Times: “The results of the study come at a time when national and local political campaigns are steadily increasing their use of technology that traditional marketers use to tailor advertising. For political campaigns, the process is called microtargeting. Information about voters — like the charitable donations they make, the type of credit card they use and the Congressional district they live in — is combined with voter registration records, and the result allows campaigns to send certain types of messages to voters.”
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Could Gary Johnson Be a Spoiler?
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.”
Legislator Likes to Photograph Himself
Florida state Rep. Peter Nehr (R) apparently likes to take pictures of himself in bathrooms, according to photos leaked to the Tampa Bay Times.
Votes for Sale
Jack Abramoff: “During the years I was lobbying, I purveyed millions of my own and clients’ dollars to congressmen, especially at such decisive moments. I never contemplated that these payments were really just bribes, but they were. Like most dissembling Washington hacks, I viewed these payments as legitimate political contributions, expressions of my admiration of and fealty to the venerable statesman I needed to influence.”
“Outside our capital city (and its ever-prosperous contiguous counties), the campaign contributions of special interests are rightly seen as nothing but bribes. The purposeful dissonance of the political class enables congressmen to accept donations and solemnly recite their real oath of office: My vote is not for sale for a mere contribution. They are wrong. Their votes are very much for sale, only they don’t wish to admit it. The reason they don’t feel they are being bought is that the interaction seems so normal. In fact, were they not public servants, it would be very normal.”
Most Say They Know Enough About the Candidates
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.”
