2012
News about the 2012 elections
From NBC's Mark Murray
Tim Pawlenty appears to be the first potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate to release a statement on Bob McDonnell's victory in Virginia.
I want to send my congratulations to Bob, Maureen and their family. Bob ran a positive campaign based on the conservative principles of fiscal responsibility and low taxes. Virginians embraced his conservative message, rejecting more taxes, card-check and spending that would hurt economic growth and job creation. I'm especially proud of the RGA's historic role in supporting Bob's effort, and look forward to working with the Governor-Elect next year.
From NBC's Ali Weinberg
Flaws in the Democratic primary system were exposed in last year’s nominating process. States jockeyed for position and influence, and the arcane and complex system of “superdelegates” overwhelmed voters and dominated conversation.
Democrats, aiming to avoid that kind of confusion in subsequent elections, began on Saturday in Washington to try and streamline the process. Ideas from members of the Democratic Change Commission -- a 36-member commission of elected officials, consultants and activists created by the Democratic National Committee at President Obama’s request -- included encouraging states to move back the dates of their contests, reducing the number of automatic unpledged delegates (i.e. “superdelegates”), and drafting a standardized list of best practices for the 18 states that vote for a Democratic nominee through caucuses.
Commission members agreed that too many states hold their primaries too early in the nominating season, potentially breaking up momentum between the primaries and the general election. There was broad consensus that last year’s Super Tuesday elections on Feb. 5, in which 23 jurisdictions held their nominating contests, hurt all the campaigns because candidates couldn't hit all the states.
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FLORIDA: State Senator Ted Deutch (D) announced his intent to run in a special election for Representative Robert Wexler’s House seat, after the congressman announced yesterday he would resign the seat in January.
CONNECTICUT: Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA), running for Sen. Arlen Specter’s seat, will get endorsed Monday by Ned Lamont, the former victor over Joe Lieberman in Connecticut’s Senate race, who later lost to the incumbent when he switched parties.
DELAWARE: Rep. Mike Castle (R) and Attorney General Beau Biden (D) are neck-and-neck in a potential Senate race matchup, 46% to 45%, a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll finds.
NEVADA: Harry Reid will begin airing campaign commercials in Nevada today, coinciding with Vice President Biden’s visit to the state and appearance with Reid at a fundraiser today. Reid is trailing in polls to two relatively unknown Republican candidates, former state party chairman Sue Lowden and real estate developer Danny Tarkanian.
NYC MAYOR: City Comptroller Bill Thompson (D) yesterday said one way to reduce New York’s $5 billion deficit would be to hit up “a friend in Washington.” He suggested working with President as one way to reduce the budget, as well as rooting out waste in each city agency and re-instating the commuter tax, which Mayor Michael Bloomberg called “pie-in-the-sky” thinking.
Presidential candidate... Mike Pence? His travel schedule is raising eyebrows, writes
The Hill. Pence has traveled to Iowa but also made a quiet trip to South Carolina where he met with party activists this week.
FLORIDA: Fervor for Florida gubernatorial Alex Sink (D) is at a fever pitch, but few voters have the same enthusiasm or confidence in senatorial candidate Kendrick Meek (D)’s chances against current governor Charlie Crist. But Crist’s Republican challenger is also
gaining steam, some analysts say.
TEXAS GOVERNOR: Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison may delay her resignation a tad longer, so she
acknowledges. Many DC Republicans would prefer if she didn't resign at all, or at least until AFTER 2010.
“More than 100 Democratic House members have yet to contribute a penny of their obligations for the 2010 election cycle to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,” the National Journal writes. This suggests many incumbents are facing competitive races next year, in which case they are exempt from paying. But some who don’t face serious challenges, including some safe liberals in blue Northeastern states, also haven’t paid, leading some to suggest dissatisfaction within the party. Among those who haven’t paid but are exempted are fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats, almost all of whom face tough re-election campaigns. “But privately, the frustration against better-positioned members, including members of the Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, is palpable.”
New York: Representative Charlie Rangel, the embattled Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, will
face a former campaign director in the 2010 primaries. It's always amazing how the ballot box can take care of problems the House leadership (no matter the party) fails to confront. Take this primary challenge very seriously.
The Wall Street Journal examines the Republican strategy of turning Nancy Pelosi into the Newt Gingrich of the Democratic Party.
"One typical radio ad targeted Representative Zack Space, a conservative "Blue Dog" Democrat from Ohio's sprawling 18th district, which covers much of the southeastern part of the sate. "He's not voting like a blue dog, he's voting like a lap dog," the narrator says, as barking is heard in the background. "A lap dog for Nancy Pelosi and President Obama. Space has been voting with liberal Pelosi 96% of the time." Mr. Space's office didn't respond to requests for comment."
Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence notes that THIS Congress is unpopular for doing stuff... unlike previous Congress' who have been unpopular for doing nothing.
The biggest story of the 2010 cycle in the spring, at least, will be the intra-party primary feuds and the tea party activists are playing a big role, potentially.
Democrats running campaigns in 2010 are debating how closely to align themselves with President Obama. At issue is whether his oratory and fundraising gifts are enough to outweigh the polarizing effect he may have in red-state Congressional districts.
by NBC's Ali Weinberg
Minnesota Governor and RGA vice chairman
Tim Pawlenty will be the featured guest at the Iowa Republican party's "signature fall event," a further indication that he is exploring a 2012 presidential bid.
The event, to be held this Saturday, is the latest in a series of moves by Pawlenty that raise his national profile. He officially opened his political action committee, the Freedom First PAC, last week and has rounded up several former George W. Bush campaign advisers.
His appearance in the state that holds the first presidential primary follows those of several other high-profile Republicans, including ex-Senator Rick Santorum (PA) last week and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal last November.
Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn said about Pawlenty's appearance, "Governor Pawlenty is an innovative, conservative leader and, as Iowa Republicans prepare for a robust gubernatorial primary election and nationally-watched general election for governor, his message of balanced budgets, lower taxes, and market-based reforms for health care and education will resonate with all Iowans."
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The
Wall Street Journal looks at the correlation between the unemployment rate and Election Day. "Republicans are already harnessing voter unease over deficit spending and proposed changes to the health-care system. But they see the economy as the Democrats' main vulnerability… Officials at the National Republican Campaign Committee said they planned to use the weak employment numbers to hammer at 54 Democratic House members that Republicans deem the most vulnerable in 2010. Republicans are particularly targeting the 49 House lawmakers in districts carried last November by Sen. John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee."
A new Gallup poll has the generic Congressional ballot essentially tied. The bigger problem for Democrats: Republicans are leading among indie voters.
BTW, just 36% of DEMOCRATS!?!?!? approve of the job Congress is doing. A stunning 18-point collapse since last month.
VIRGINIA: It’s Oct. 7, just under a month until Election Day and Creigh Deeds is already looking for excuses? So does this mean he does NOT want Pres. Obama to campaign for him?
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SARAH PALIN: On her Facebook page, Palin comes out for the troop increase in Afghanistan. Palin says in a posting on her Facebook page Tuesday that this is "not the time for cold feet, second thoughts, or indecision." Instead, the former Alaska governor writes it's time "to act as commander in chief and approve the troops so clearly needed in Afghanistan."
