David Remnick: “The knowing people who know things in Washington generally believe that, once the electoral process begins, in January, Romney will shed Cain, Perry, Bachmann, and the rest in rapid fashion. Perhaps. To look at Romney is to see plausibility. But a large portion of the Republican electorate seems determined to hop from one fantastically flawed alternative to the next rather than settle on him. A few may be loath to vote for a Mormon; others have ideological differences that make it hard to embrace him. It is Romney’s spooky elasticity, his capacity to reverse himself utterly on one issue after another– health care, climate change, abortion, gun control, immigration, the 2009 stimulus, capital-gains taxes, stem-cell research, gay rights — that seems to bother voters most. They might rightly ask if there is even one thing that Mitt Romney believes in with greater conviction than his inevitability.”

Niall Stanage: “Mitt Romney could be the Hillary Clinton of 2012.”

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds Mitt Romney has a significant advantage over his GOP rivals in just one area — electability.

“The survey tested the candidates on six attributes or characteristics. Romney has a sizable lead in just one: One-third of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents say he has the best chance of anyone in the field to defeat Obama in 2012. Running second on that question is businessman Herman Cain. About one-fifth say Cain would be the party’s strongest candidate.”

“In the other five areas tested in the new survey, Romney shows no greater strength than other GOP contenders. On empathy, 21% say Cain is the one who best understands their problems, compared with Romney’s 17%. On honesty, it’s Cain at 22%, Romney at 17%. The two also run closely on the economy and issues generally, while Newt Gingrich rivals Romney on upholding core Republican values.”

“If you all just listen for 30 seconds, I will explain this one time. We
are getting back on message. End of story. Back on message.”

— Herman Cain, quoted by Time, saying he’s he is done answering questions about sexual harassment allegations.

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) was honored for “unwavering support of the family” by the Family Research Council Action Committee even though his ex-wife says he owes more than $100,000 in back child support for their three children, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Walsh counters that he and his wife had a “verbal agreement” that he didn’t have to pay child support during years when he wasn’t earning as much.

A new Reuters/Ipsos online poll finds sexual harassment allegations have begun to damage Herman Cain’s bid for the White House. The poll showed the percentage of Republicans who view Cain favorably dropped 9 percentage points, to 57% from 66% a week ago.

Key finding: 53% believe sexual harassment allegations against Cain are true despite his denials. Republicans were less likely to believe they are true, with 39% thinking they are accurate.

David Brody: “Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich were on stage together in what was billed as a classic Lincoln-Douglas style debate. As I sat and watched the entire event, I came away with one vivid impression: Did I just finish watching the Republican presidential ticket in 2012? Cain/Gingrich? Don’t laugh. It could happen. Romney has a ceiling of support and Rick Perry seems stuck in neutral.”

“Herman Cain’s poll numbers continue to impress and like Ronald Reagan, he seems to have a Teflon quality to him. Gingrich is steadily rising in the polls due to the fact that voters are starting to realize that this guy is REALLY smart and is an idea factory. Could this be a ticket that provides both style and substance?”

A St. Petersburg Times poll of 100 of Florida’s most plugged-in politicos finds Democrats are more optimistic than Republicans about winning the White House next year. Nine percent of Democrats surveyed said they expect Obama to lose the election — and only if Mitt Romney is the GOP nominee — while nearly 29% of the Republicans predict Obama will win.

“The people who vote on taxes are the people who pay them.”

— Pollster Mark Penn, quoted by National Journal, arguing that President Obama’s drive for higher taxes on the rich will eventually bite him.

“I’ve been as consistent as human beings can be.”

— Mitt Romney, in an editorial board meeting with the Seacoast Media Group.

[Read more…]

Mitt Romney paid for automated telephone calls in Iowa accusing rival Rick Perry of contributing to illegal immigration, the AP reports.

The call is the first paid attack by Romney on Perry.