a. Graphing 2012 Presidential trial heats.
b. Tom Campbell crosses the $1 million mark in CA's gubernatorial race.
c. How Rudy would run in 2012.
d. Reihan Salam says T-Paw could win by virtue of being the least offensive candidate.
e. Shrek the Third and Sarah Palin team up for ABC.
f. Does Palin "Palinize" other women?
g. Posting will be lighter this week. I'm traveling Sunday; on Monday, I interview California Senate candidate, Carly Fiorina, and will have that up.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, GOP12 will release a monstrous amalgamation of links on two major candidates in between a post or two.
h. Back when MTV played music.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Saturday evening eats
Palin compares her experience with Biden's
The strangest exchange from part 2 of Bill O'Reilly's interview with Sarah Palin last night (transcript here).
O'REILLY: Now, but that's the key question because John McCain is up there in years. You had to be qualified to take that office over.Read More......
PALIN: Right, but I'm saying I was running for vice president just like Joe Biden in running for vice president. I've never once heard you or anybody else question Joe Biden and his experience.
O'REILLY: Well, he's got a lot of experience.
Hutchison v Perry, round 1
Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison have agreed to hold a one-hour, televised debate on January 14.
Security will be available.
Crist quiet on Palin
Hotline On Call had a brief chat with Charlie Crist yesterday, and as conversations are want to do these days, things quickly moved to Sarah Palin and her effect on his primary race against Marco Rubio.
.... instead of hitching himself to a rising star in the GOP base, Crist simply noted Palin's apparent lack of interest in the race. Her support "hasn't been offered," he said when asked if he would welcome her backing.
Pressed whether he'd accept the endorsement if Palin offered it, Crist declined to answer, shutting the door of his SUV and driving off.
Earlier this week, Palin told The National Review she was leaning toward getting involved in the race.
"I’m just being asked about it really in the last week or two, so I’ll dig more into it. I’ll find out what the guys are holding in terms of positions and see where maybe I can help.”
UPDATE: AllahPundit on The Hotline interview.
Crist’s coolness to her makes more sense than McCain’s, as Florida’s a bit more purple and he lacks the advantage of incumbency.Read More......
But even if he’s worried that a Palin endorsement would spark a backlash in the general election, he could desperately use it in the primary to undermine Rubio’s “true conservative” brand.
I’m amazed he’d react this way — unless he’s already plotting a party switch and wants nothing to do with her.
Going Rogue's Christian content
U.S. News & World Report's Dan Gilgoff examines Going Rogue as a piece of Christian literature.
Notable takes: Palin's pro-life convictions, her suggestion that gay people aren't born that way, her creationist perspective, and a strong statement of faith to close her book.
Meanwhile, Christianity Today's Sarah Pulliam Bailey notices something else. That although there's a lot of God-talk, the name "Jesus" comes up sparingly.
Palin apologizes for leaving
Yesterday, there was a bit of to-do when Sarah Palin skedaddled out of an Indiana town without signing quite a few fans' books.
Palin responds:
I've been told that yesterday there were supporters in Noblesville who stood in long lines for hours in the cold and rain, and the book signing event ended without a chance to say hello to everyone who showed up. I am so sorry. We are working on a solution for those who were left behind.
Here's the vid, via the LA Times.
Strange to hear people booing because they like someone so much. Almost like Philadelphia sports fans.
Read More......
McCain: Palin is a "dear friend"
After reading Sarah Palin's memoir, John McCain likened the strain of a campaign to war.
"In campaigns there's always tension. Outside of combat, it's the most tense situation. There's always differences that arise, but it's no big deal."
And he still like his former running mate.
"I enjoyed the book and she and I are dear friends. I talked to her on the phone yesterday. We got along fine."
[Hat tip: The Hill Blog Briefing Room] Read More......
Friday, November 20, 2009
Rogue blowout
"Going Rogue" was released this week and its print run already has been increased from 1.5 million copies to 2.5 million, HarperCollins announced Friday.Read More......
Evening eats
a. The Fix ranks the Top 10 Republican Leaders.
b. Gavin Newsom gets pissed. Walks off the set.
c. Newt says localism has returned to the U.S.
d. Palin gets booed by Palin fans. Yes, you read that right.
e. A "high-ranking" but unnamed associate of Jeb slams Crist. Tea leaves?
f. A must-read on the tea party movement.
g. Did Palin get botox? Compare pics.
h. Speaking of this weekend.
"Neither savior nor satanic"
Jonah Goldberg sets the new bar on the Palin polarization meme.
.... just as there are people who hate Palin for the effrontery she shows in daring to draw breath at all, there are those who love her with a devotion better suited for a religious icon.Read More......
.... Sarah Palin is neither savior (that job has been taken by the current president, or didn’t you know?) nor is she satanic. She is a politician, a species of human like the rest of us.
I’m fairly certain that if you read many of her public-policy positions but concealed her byline, many of her worst enemies would say “that sounds about right,” and some of her biggest fans would say “that sounds crazy.” But most people would say that her views are perfectly within the mainstream of American politics.
Formal consideration on impeachment resolution set
CNN's Peter Hamby reports:
A special House committee in South Carolina will formally consider an impeachment resolution against Gov. Mark Sanford for the first time next Tuesday.Read More......
.... The first meeting of the special committee on Tuesday will likely focus on Sanford's infamous trip to Argentina this summer.... The measure currently states that Sanford committed "serious misconduct" by secretly leaving the state in June without informing his staff or establishing a chain of command.
[Judiciary Chairman Jim] Harrison said "the game plan" is for the four Republicans and three Democrats in the group to finalize the language in the resolution before passing it on to the full Judiciary committee.
Pence: Chinese communists lectured Obama
Last night, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence spoke at the American Spectator's annual Robert L. Bartley Gala Dinner.
According to Robert Stacy McCain, he killed.
[Pence] delivered a Churchillian oration that inspired a spontaneous "Pence-Palin '12" grassroots movement, at least among several of the ladies in attendance. Some gentlemen argued for "Palin-Pence '12," but this portent of a future schism notwithstanding, the evening was a smashing success.
And from the text of the speech (via Human Events), it's not hard to see why.
"This administration's decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his cohorts in our civilian criminal courts is the most naïve and dangerous decision I have ever witnessed the United States government make.Read More......
.... And where was President Obama this week? In China visiting our money and being lectured on monetary policy by communist dictators.
But seriously, the image is striking: a President of the United States, flying on one more foreign junket, to one more glamorous capitol, as our nation continues to struggle in the city and on the farm and unemployment rises to record levels.
To get this administration to focus on creating jobs, maybe the president should spend less time at the Great Wall of China and more time at Wal-Mart!"
Thune invokes Bernie Madoff in slamming health care bill
SD Sen. John Thune hits Harry Reid's health care bill today.
"In the words of the great Yogi Berra, ‘this is deja vu all over again’." They [Democrats] assume savings on the [Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act], which Sen. Conrad has described as a ponzi scheme of the first order…something that Bernie Madoff would be proud of.”Read More......
Frum: Palin sends powerful sexual signals
David Frum apes a little Kathleen Parker:
"This is a woman who has got into a position of leadership by sending very powerful sexual signals. And we see that in the way that men like her much more than women do."
It's naive to think Palin's looks haven't played a significant role in forming her appeal, but it's also condescending and unfair to say she is where she is because of them.
And the fact that men like her better than women can partially be explained by men's party identification.
Still -- today's Public Policy Poll, nowithstanding -- Palin's negatives among women have consistently been higher than Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee's.
For example, last month, PPP ran a poll showing Palin's negatives among women at -22%, while Huck was at +9% and Romney, -3%. That's not within the margin of error.
Earlier today, conservative columnist Matt Lewis argued that Newsweek's cover of Sarah Palin wasn't sexist.
But he tweets about David Frum's comments:
Now THAT's sexist.Read More......
Whitman: No vouchers for California
Earlier this week, Meg Whitman told ABC that a Governor Whitman would model significant portions of education reform on Jeb Bush's model in Florida, but would depart on at least one key issue.
ABC NEWS: "Jeb Bush also pushed on vouchers. You wouldn't push there?"Read More......
WHITMAN: "I wouldn't push on vouchers. This is not something that we will be able to get accomplished in California. And my view is; 'what is the 20 percent of the reforms that we can focus on that will get us 80 percent of the way home?' Vouchers is not happening in California. So let's focus on three things that most people can agree on and let's do those three things."
Hannity gets big ratings for Palin interview
CORRECTED HEADLINE.
Huffington Post:
"Hannity" was the top show on cable news Wednesday, averaging 4.200 million total viewers and 1.149 million viewers in the A25-54 demographic. That's more than O'Reilly's 3.868 million total viewers/1.065 million A25-54 viewers and enough for the second highest "Hannity" episode of 2009
It's a shame, b/c part 1 of O'Reilly's interview was far more interesting than any part of Hannity's.
UPDATE: Thanks to readers for noting the numbers were based on Wed, and not TH's O'Reilly numbers. Bill-O i/viewed Palin on TH. Read More......
Paul surprises in poll against Obama
Public Policy Polling releases its monthly poll (pdf) pitting Barack Obama against prospective Republican challengers in a 2012 matchup.
This time, they substituted Ron Paul for last month's fourth candidate, Tim Pawlenty.
And that turns out to be the big news from this poll.
Results:
1. Barack Obama 49% Mike Huckabee 44%
2. Barack Obama 48% Mitt Romney 43%
3. Barack Obama 51% Sarah Palin 43%
4. Barack Obama 46% Ron Paul 38%
Favorability Numbers:
a. Mike Huckabee 36%/37%, -1%
b. Sarah Palin 40%/49%, -9%
c. Mitt Romney 30%/39%, -9%
d. Ron Paul 23%/34%, -12%
Notes: Ron Paul is only 8% behind Barack Obama. Is anyone else surprised by this number? Especially considering this.
He is more well liked by Democrats (18%) than his fellow Republicans who sport 13-14% favorability numbers with the opposing party. At the same time he is easily the least popular within his own party, as 25% of Republican voters have an unfavorable opinion of him to 11-19% for the other three.
Is an Anybody But Obama theme starting to take hold? Read More......
2012 calendar jostling
CNN says representatives from Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani's campaigns met with the RNC yesterday to press the group to lock in the 2012 GOP primary calendar as early as possible.
Also, not surprisingly, a representative from Rudy Giuliani's campaign wanted to rearrange the order of states, arguing that the early states are too influential in the nomination process.
Of course, two of those three states are bastions of social conservatism -- Iowa and South Carolina.
Not surprisingly, Mike Huckabee's former campaign manager didn't see things that way. His campaign stands the most to benefit from the current order.
And most interesting of all is the reaction from Mitt Romney's former campaign manager.
She declined to weigh in on whether the current order of states should be. That's the safest option for a candidate who doesn't want to roil the first-in-the nation states, but would benefit from a switch-up in their order.
Kristol thinks Palin will stump for McCain
William Kristol thinks the obvious loyalty Sarah Palin feels toward John McCain could help the Arizona Senator fend off that potentially tough primary challenge.
I predict that Palin will come to Arizona next summer to campaign for McCain, will make an impassioned case for him, and will help him win.Read More......
She will thereby repay McCain for his confidence in picking her last year, help keep McCain as a crucial voice in the Senate for a strong foreign policy, and get credit for being a different kind of populist conservative—a Reaganite, not a Buchananite, populist—than the immigration-obsessed, voter-alienating (he was ousted in 2006 in a Republican district) Hayworth.
Rasmussen: Boxer leads Fiorina, DeVore
A new Rasmussen Reports poll shows CA Senator Barbara Boxer holding nearly identical leads in hypothetical matchups between two Republican rvials, Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore.
Results:
a. Barbara Boxer 46% Carly Fiorina 37%
b. Barbara Boxer 46% Chuck DeVore 36%
c. Boxer's Fav Ratings: 51%/41%
d. Fiorina: 40%/29%
e. DeVore 31%/25%.
Notes: The general's similar results, along with DeVore and Fiorina's high unknowns, suggests the baseline ground from which a Republican would begin a general election against Boxer.
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