6 Ways Social Media Can Benefit Politics

Ken Myers

Social media is an integral part in today's society. It is a method for millions of people to communicate with friends and family abroad, and it allows businesses to promote their goods or services to a wide range of people. Why wouldn't it be ideal for politics to join the social media hub? Many laws and voting advertisements have made their presence and it only seems natural that politicians could use this tool as well.

1. Profiles - By providing a profile, a politician is able to show to the public that he or she is just a regular person trying to make the world a better place. It could create a fan-base that can elevate a status, especially if the politician replies to comments.

2. Status Updates - People like to feel informed and in-the-loop. For a politician to keep a regular status update, it shows commitment to sharing knowledge and being more open to the public. Wouldn't you feel important if a politician was to respond to your comment posted on his or her status page?

3. Tweets - As Twitter is one of the most popular forms of communication, many politicians can be accessed this way. However, don't be discouraged if a tweet isn't responded to. Any given politician could receive hundreds of tweets regularly and probably doesn't have the time to go through each one.

4. Clarity - If every proposed law was to have a social page of some kind written in terminology that all could understand, the general public could make a more informed decision on whether to vote for it or not. Of course, it would be the posting individual's responsibility to include all aspects of the law, good or bad.

5. Video - Commercials are in a classification of their own. Sites such as YouTube can give a politician greater coverage to explain his or her views, explain certain bills and laws with clarity, and relate to the general public in a more personal way. Could you imagine a politician having a YouTube channel updated with new videos regularly?

6. Effectiveness - Instead of spending millions of dollars in ad revenue, sites such as YouTube and Facebook are free to use. With millions of visitors to both of these websites on a regular basis, it is a cost effective way to put opinions out there for all to see.

For politics to be available on social media, it provides a method where millions of visitors could gain additional knowledge to facts. Plain terms can be used to ensure all can understand what any law, politician, or effect a government is endorsing and could be greatly beneficial to the general public as well as elected officials.

Author Bio:

Ken Myers is the founder of http://www.longhornleads.com/ & has learned over the years the importance of focusing on what the customer is looking for and literally serving it to them. He doesn’t try to create a need; instead he tries to satisfy the existing demand for information on products and services.

The Never Ending Campaigning Has Little Girl Crying 'Tired of Bronco Bamma and Mitt Romney'

By Susan Duclos

Little four year old Abigael Evans from Colorado, has had enough of the never ending campaigning of both "Bronco Bamma" and Mitt Romney as captured in the video below.

Her mother, Elizabeth Evans, 27 posted the video to YouTube and the video has gone viral with over 491,000 hits since October 30, 202.

I think we all feel this way some days.

[WATCH]

The Tea Party News Network Goes Live

By Susan Duclos

TPNN, the Tea Party News Network goes live, although the official announcement of their launch won't be until tomorrow, November 1, 2012.

News links, videos and giveaways are listed and shown on the new Tea Party News Network and they will be providing live video on election day, Tuesday, November 6, 2012.

"There are plenty of news websites out there, but there isn’t one that caters directly to Tea Party conservatives, providing activists with coverage and opinion that matters to them. The Tea Party News Network changes that," Todd Cefaratti, editor of the Tea Party News Network, said in a statement for the forthcoming press release.

As with many right-wing news sites, TPNN puts heavy emphasis on the anti-mainstream media message: "We don’t need our supposed betters in the mainstream media telling us which stories matter or what we should think. We don’t mindlessly mimic the talking points of Washington leaders. The Tea Party movement now has a home for news it can trust."

Bookmark them if you are a Tea Party member or even just a supporter.

Congratulations and good luck TPNN.

Related links:

TPNN Facebook
TPNN Twitter
DustinStockton.com
RightWingNews

TheTeaParty.net
The Right Scoop
Linkiest

Women United PAC Launches Benghazi Attack Ad Against Obama

By Susan Duclos

Women United PAC launches a Benghazi ad which nails Obama hard on his reaction, or lack thereof, to the terrorist attacks against Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

The ad starts with commentary saying:

"When President Obama called the Navy SEALs, they got bin Laden. When the SEALs called, they got denied."

[WATCH]



Via the details posted with the video:

With the mounting evidence suggesting the Obama administration was fully aware of the terror attack at the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, within two hours of the breakout of violence and the disappointing litany of excuses, mostly blaming a virtually unseen video at the time, it is more evident than ever that is time for the truth, it is a time for change, it is time for a real Commander in Chief.

The video's first statement references new details which have emerged that as the attack was occurring, which resulted in the death of the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, help was requested and was denied by the Obama administration.

No clear information on who denied our U.S. mission personnel that help and the White House and Barack Obama refuse to answer the questions. The CIA has denied anyone in their organization refused to offer assistance.

Related:

Washington Post- "Lingering questions about Benghazi"


H/T Twitchy

Romney/Ryan Campaign and 100 Surrogates To Take Final Sweep Through Battleground States

By Susan Duclos

Starting Friday the Romney/Ryan campaign along with 100 surrogates will be sweeping through 11 battleground states, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin, making their final pitch and closing arguments of why the American Electorate should vote for Mitt Romney for President of the United States of America in 2012.

Via CNN:

 The tour starts off with a rally in West Chester, Ohio, the hometown of House Speaker John Boehner. Aside from Boehner, featured guests that day include former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

[...]

A campaign source confirmed that Romney will be at the Verizon Center in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday night, and Kid Rock will perform, as well.

On Wednesday, Romney and Ryan resume the campaign trail after canceling some events due to conditions related to Superstorm Sandy. Romney will travel to Florida for three campaign events, where he'll appear with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack. Ryan, meanwhile, will make stops in Wisconsin.

It is the final stretch....... It's Time To Vote.

Video- It's Time To Vote

By Susan Duclos

A new RNC ad says it all in their title "It's Time To Vote."

[WATCH]


A completely positive ad for Mitt Romney that manages to impart the energy and enthusiasm conservatives are feeling just six days out from the 2012 Presidential election.

Head to the polls, take your neighbors, talk to your family and friends.

Every vote counts.

H/T The Right Scoop

Romney Leads Obama Among Independents By 51 to 39 Percent

By Susan Duclos

Resurgent Republic's latest poll release has Mitt Romney leading Obama by one percent nationally, in line with RCP's polling averages which has Romney in the lead by 0.8 percent. (Note- the RCP numbers change as new polls get added into the averages)

According to the release from Resurgent Republic, the change in the race has been driven by Independent voters.

President Obama defeated Senator John McCain among Independent voters in 2008 by eight percentage points (52 to 44 percent), one of the main reasons Obama won the presidential election. But this survey shows Obama's support collapsing among Independents. Governor Mitt Romney leads Obama among Independents by 51 to 39 percent. If those numbers hold, that would mark a net 20-point turnaround for Obama among Independent voters in four years.

Problems with Independent voters are nothing new for Barack Obama. Since our first survey in April of 2009, Resurgent Republic has been pointing out Obama's weakness among Independents and their resistance to his fiscal and economic policies. But this is the first survey since Mitt Romney secured the Republican nomination to show Obama trailing among Independents by double digits.

Even more interesting is these numbers come  from a sample using four percent more Democrats than Republicans.

 A portion of the survey was conducted for NPR in conjunction with Democracy Corps. The survey polled 1000 likely voters nationally, including an oversample to reach a total of 462 voters in twelve battleground states: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The sample contains four percentage points more Democrats than Republicans, 35 percent Democrat and 31 percent Republican....

Other Findings:

• Also for the first time in our polling, Romney's favorable rating surpasses his unfavorable rating, and his rating is now slightly better than Obama's

• Battleground states taken as a whole still give Obama a narrow lead.

• Republicans are now more enthusiastic than Democrats or Independents about voting in the Presidential election

• Compared to 2008 exit polls, Mitt Romney is running significantly ahead of John McCain among many important groups in the electorate. The following chart compares the McCain's lead or deficit from exit polls with Romney's lead or deficit from this survey.

• Voters now trust Romney more than Obama on handling jobs and the economy, the number one issue facing the country. By 50 to 46 percent, voters trust Romney more on handling jobs and the economy. Independents trust Romney by 55 to 36 percent, while battleground voters are split at 48 percent Romney/49 percent Obama.

• Obama's greatest advantage lies on handling foreign policy and diplomacy

The conclusion:

This Presidential election bears similarities to 1980 when Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter. While Barack Obama is in a far stronger position now than Carter was then (Obama's job approval is 49 percent; Carter's was in the mid-30s), both elections feature an incumbent Democratic president trying to paint his Republican challenger as a dangerous right-winger. Both elections feature debates where the Republican challenger's performance undercut the opposition's argument, and led to a surge on the ballot. Since the Republican candidate became an acceptable alternative through the debates, the election devolved into a referendum on the incumbent and his record. Carter could not win that referendum. Next week we will see if Barack Obama can.

RR's infographic can be found here and the entire results release here.

Roanoke College Poll Has Romney Ahead Of Obama By 5 In Virginia

By Susan Duclos

The Roanoke College Poll has been released and now has Mitt Romney over Barack Obama by five percentage points, 49 to 44 percent, in Virginia.

Romney now leads among men (52% - 39%), Republicans (95% - 4%), Conservatives (87% - 9%), and those aged 50-64 (55% - 37%), 65 or older (61% - 36%), and white voters (61% - 33%). Obama still holds strong leads among Democrats (94% - 2%), Liberals (89% - 8%), younger voters 18-34 years old (55% - 28%), and African-Americans (89% - 6%), but his lead among women has statistically disappeared (48% - 47%). 

Romney leads among those who identify themselves as Independents (59% - 33%), but Obama leads among self-described political moderates by a similar margin (54% - 35%). More than half of Independents (52%) think of themselves as Moderate, while 34 percent are Conservative, and 9 percent are Liberal. A plurality of Moderates (42%) are Democrats, while slightly fewer (40%) are Independents, and only 14 percent are Republicans. A plurality of Independents (47%) are moderate, while one-third (35%) are conservative and only 13 percent are liberal. This helps to explain why Obama leads among Moderates but trails among Independents.

Yet another poll from CBS/NYT/Quinnipiac partnership has Obama up by two.

The difference is their sample for Virginia was eight percent more Democrat than Republican, but if one believes eight percent more Democrats will vote in 2012 than Republicans, then feel free to take the poll to heart.

Ed Morrissey sees a large contradiction  in the sample and in the results:

In each of these three states, the CBS/NYT/Q-poll shows Republicans at a lower percentage level of turnout than in the 2008 election.  If one makes that assumption, it’s not too difficult to be guess that Obama might be ahead.  However, that’s exactly the opposite of what all other polls rating enthusiasm are telling us what the electorate will look like on Tuesday.  In fact, it’s not even what this poll shows, with Republican enthusiasm +16 over Democrats in Florida, +14 in Ohio, and +7 in Virginia.

So, according to their own internals, Republicans in Virginia are seven percent more enthused than Democrats about the election and since October 11, 2012, Democrats have become nine percent less enthused and Republicans have become eight points more enthused, making a 17 point shift in enthusiasm, yet eight percent more Democrats will vote in Virginia?

Something definitely smells hinky here.

[Update] Worse when the Quinnipiac Ohio data is delved into?

 Gay Patriot dug a little deeper in the Ohio numbers and found that  Quinnipiac was changed to change the final outcome of the poll:

Via the Gay Patriot:

So, I tallied the raw totals (unweighted frequency above) and came up with a sample size of 1,110. This means, the Republican total of 343 represents 30.9% of the sample, the Democrat 35.7%. Thanks to Quinnipiac’s ratings, suddenly presto-chango a D+4.7% sample becomes D+8 sample, pushing the race 3.3 points toward the president’s party.

It seems that the raw numbers only had Obama up by a point.  Guess Quinnipiac just didn’t like that result.

Labor Department Announced Unemployment Report Will Be On Time Friday

By Susan Duclos

Despite concerns about the Labor Department delaying the last official unemployment report due to Hurricane Sandy, the Labor Department now says the report will be issued on time,  on Friday,  November 2, 2012 at 8:30am.

The last report showed unemployment at 7.8 percent, exactly where it was when Obama took office in January 2009. The U6 which is total unemployment, underemployment and marginally attached workers is at 14.7 percent, it was 14.2 percent when Obama took office.

With the election just six days away, the unemployment report is one factor which is indicative economic health and this will be the last chance before the election for voters who have not already cast their vote, to factor the unemployment report into their final decision.

Republicans Take A Nearly 19 Percent Lead In Pennsylvania Absentee Ballot Returns

By Susan Duclos

ABC News earlier announced they had moved Pennsylvania and Minnesota from "safe" Obama to "leans" Obama, despite polling showing Obama ahead in both states and prior voting history showing both states have voted for Democratic presidential candidates more than Republican candidates.

(More on that here)

The absentee ballot returns in Pennsylvania may just give a clue as to why Pennsylvania is in play.

18.8 percent more absentee ballot returns have been seen for Republicans than for Democrats, according to the GOP:

PENNSYLVANIA AB RETURNS
Party	2008 AB Votes Cast		2012 AB Votes Cast		Change
DEM	132,170	44.70%	42,013	36.42%	-8.28%
REP	137,850	46.62%	63,717	55.24%	+8.62%
TOTAL	295,659	+1.92%	115,346	+18.82%	+16.90%

That is a a 16.9 percent bump in a state Obama won by 10% in 2008.

FEMA, White House Send Storm Sandy Victims To The Internet

By Susan Duclos

One word: Brilliant (Yes, snark)

Sending those that want to help disaster victims to a site like Red Cross is great, but telling  people about to get hit by a storm to keep track of a website for information, without posting phone numbers in case a major disastrous storm knocks out their power.... meh, not so great.

Via Politico:

When President Barack Obama urged Americans under siege from Hurricane Sandy to stay inside and keep watch on ready.gov for the latest, he left out something pretty important — where to turn if the electricity goes out.

Despite the heightened expectation of widespread power and cable television failures, everyone from the president to local newscasters seem to expect the public to rely entirely on the Internet and their TVs for vital news and instructions.

Evidently, according to the report, major cable and local news stations made the same mistake.

And more.............

TV and radio are still the primary methods of getting information about Hurricane Sandy to the public, but social media are increasingly important to those efforts, FEMA chief Craig Fugate said Monday.

“With these types of storms, you get a lot of this is going to be carried out through the traditional TV and radio media,” Fugate told reporters on a conference call. “But we’re using a lot more social media, we’re using everything from Facebook to Twitter. I think there’s a higher degree of awareness that people have of the storm is coming and what the impacts are going to be.”

Fugate also talked up battery-operated or hand-cranked radios during interviews on morning news shows.

A call to FEMA’s news desk, however, found even they didn’t have any non-Internet information readily available beyond suggestions that people call 911 in an emergency. When asked where folks should turn for information if they have no power, a FEMA worker said, “Well, those people who have a laptop with a little battery life on it can try that way. Otherwise, you’re right.”

Such blind spots are perilous to the public, experts say. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell did reference during a news conference Monday two useful phone numbers — 211 for guidance on emergency shelter locations and 511 for traffic information — and D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray told News Channel 8 that people should call 311 in storm-related emergencies.

But that’s about it for public information of this type.

Read the rest at Politico and more commentary over at Breitbart.

Video- Romney Turns Campaign Rally Into Storm Relief Event In Ohio

By Susan Duclos

Mitt Romney took a scheduled campaign rally and turned it into a storm relief event, collecting goods for storm victims to be delivered by his campaign.

The video below is the speech he gave discussing the storm relief effort for victims devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

[WATCH]



Via Washington Post:

The stop was billed as a “storm relief” event, and attendees were asked to bring non-perishable foods and other items for those affected by the storm. Long white tables to one side of the cavernous James S. Trent Arena were piled high with flashlights, batteries, diapers, toothbrushes, mini-deodorants, fleece blankets, cereal, toilet paper and canned goods.

Two large TV screens at the front of the venue bore the logo of the American Red Cross and the message: “Sandy: Support the Relief Effort. Text ’REDCROSS’ to 90999 to make a $10 donation.”

But there remained many trappings of a campaign rally, including the soundtrack and a biographical Romney video.

Romney stood on a chair and spoke for less than five minutes. As throngs of supporters, reporters and TV cameras surrounded him, Romney made note of the items on the tables behind him.

“We’re going to box these things up in just a minute and put them on some trucks, and then we’re going to send them into, I think it’s New Jersey. There’s a site we’ve identified where we can take these goods and distribute them to people who need them,” he said.

He related a story of cleaning up a field after a high school football game, and told the crowd that he remembered when some Katrina evacuees were brought to Cape Cod — a destination that was much colder, he joked, than Houston, where the evacuees thought they were originally headed.

“And you know what? There were cars lined up, people dropping off all sorts of goods of all kinds, some things that were temporary like food, but others that were permanent like TV sets and clothes. It was just amazing to see the turnout. Its part of the American way,” Romney said.

You can donate to the Red Cross to help and to get or give assistance HERE.

Video- Romney Ad Appeals To Coal Industry Families Crushed By Obama's 'War on Coal'

By Susan Duclos

The Romney campaign's latest ad in Pennsylvania is specifically geared to appeal to families harmed by Obama's "war on coal". With the latest report from ABC News, previously discussed here, showing that ABC News has moved Pennsylvania from "safe" Obama to "leans" Obama, Romney is putting resources into garnering as many vote in PA as possible.

 "Crushed By Your Policies" details below:

Four years ago, Barack Obama said building a coal-powered plant will bankrupt you. Now, 22 Pennsylvania coal facilities will close or convert. Mitt Romney will support coal and get North America energy independent.

[WATCH]


Via Washington Examiner:

The ad opens with video of Obama saying, in 2008, that “if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can – it’s just that it will bankrupt them” before telling voters that “22 Pennsylvania Coal Units Announced They Will Close Or Convert.”

Coal companies haven’t been shy about blaming Obama and his Environmental Protection Agency for their troubles. “[T]he escalating costs and uncertainty generated by recently advanced EPA regulations and interpretations have created a challenging business climate for the entire coal industry,” PBS Coals Inc. President and CEO D. Lynn Shank said in a statement announcing that 228 workers were being laid off.

A mine manager in the company also faulted Obama for waging a  “war on coal seeking to destroy the coal industry and the jobs of our own employees and the livelihoods of their families.”
To appeal to such voters, the Romney ad closes with his comments in the Denver presidential debate. “I like coal,” Romney said to Obama. “I’m going to make sure we can continue to burn clean coal. People in the coal industry feel like it’s getting crushed by your policies. I want to get America and North America energy independent so we can create those jobs.”

ABC News Moves Pennsylvania, Minnesota from ‘Safe’ to ‘Lean’ Obama

By Susan Duclos

The headline pretty much says it all and comes from Amy Walter at ABC News as they explain that they have moved both Pennsylvania and Minnesota from safe or solid Obama to "leans" Obama, showing how close this presidential race between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama has become.

Pennsylvania- According to 270toWin, out of the last 10 presidential elections, PA has only voted for a Republican presidential candidate four times, the last being in 1988.

According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Obama holds a five point lead in Pennsylvania.

Minnesota- According to 270toWin, out of the last 10 presidential elections, Minn. has only voted for a Republican presidential candidate one time, in 1972.

According to the latest Rasmussen poll, Obama holds a five point lead in Minnesota, but according to the latest  Mason-Dixon polling, Obama's lead is down to three.

Hence Bill Clinton being dispatched to Minnesota to shore up support for Obama. Paul Ryan may be headed there as well for the Romney campaign.

The Romney campaign has also reserved TV time in Pennsylvania for the last two days of the campaign, including election day.

Via Politico:

UPDATE: Romney political director Rich Beeson leans harder into the idea of Pennsylvania in a memo the campaign just released:

As a campaign, we will put more resources into the target states in the final week, than previous GOP campaigns have been able to do in the final 10 weeks. The Romney campaign has the resources to expand the map in ways that weren’t possible in past cycles (without reducing any effort in any other target state). After fully funding the paid media effort, the ground operations and the voter contact programs, Governor Romney’s message of bringing real recovery continues to resonate with voters, volunteers, and donors. 

Pennsylvania presents a unique opportunity for the Romney campaign. Over the past few years we have seen Pennsylvania voting for a Republican senator and a Republican governor, and Republicans win control of the State House in addition to the State Senate. The western part of the Keystone State has become more conservative (and President Obama’s war on coal is very unpopular there), and Mitt Romney is more competitive in the voter-rich Philadelphia suburbs than any Republican nominee since 1988. This makes Pennsylvania a natural next step as we expand the playing field.

While the Obama campaign would like to wish it is 2008, the reality is that they are now forced to “play defense” in least six states (Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Colorado, New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin) that they once believed were “safe” Obama wins.

As the Romney-Ryan message continues to resonate and GOP momentum continues to build, we are adding Pennsylvania to the long list of states where we are expending significant resources in order to bring real recovery to the country, while continuing to implement and fund full-scale efforts in all the target states.

 The Romney campaign intends to capitalize on the sustained momentum they have been seeing since the first Presidential debate on October 3.

[Update] Via Romney's campaign- PA's Governor  Ed Rendell recent made comments that a "‘Startling upset’ for Romney ‘a possibility’ in Pennsylvania."

Gallup: Romney Leads Obama With Early Voters By 6 Percent

By Susan Duclos

 Gallup finds that out of the 15 percent of voters who have already cast their vote for the Presidential Election, 52 percent have cast that vote for Mitt Romney and 45 percent cast theirs for Barack Obama.

Romney currently leads Obama 52% to 45% among voters who say they have already cast their ballots. However, that is comparable to Romney's 51% to 46% lead among all likely voters in Gallup's Oct. 22-28 tracking polling. At the same time, the race is tied at 49% among those who have not yet voted but still intend to vote early, suggesting these voters could cause the race to tighten. However, Romney leads 51% to 45% among the much larger group of voters who plan to vote on Election Day, Nov. 6.

(Note- The Gallup chart shows a 6 point advantage in the "already voted" category, for Romney. The paragraph above the chart, from Gallup indicates a 7 point advantage. Headline changed to reflect the 6 point difference shown in the chart vs the Gallup text)


As the chart above shows, Romney and Obama are tied with voters planning to vote early but have not voted yet, but Romney also holds a six point lead with those planning to vote on election day.

Other findings in the Gallup survey:

• By 19% to 15%, a slightly higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats have already voted

• When those who intend to vote before Election Day are factored in, the gap is similar: 37% of Republicans vs. 33% of Democrats.

• 2012 Early Voters Are Older, Concentrated in the West

(Headline corrected to reflect Gallup chart vs Gallup text)

Ramussen Swing State Tracking: Romney 50%, Obama 46%

By Susan Duclos

Liberals living in a bubble of their own echo chamber may end up more surprised than anyone come election night when the results come in. They continue to grab on to a lifeline of "Mitt's momentum has ended," yet polling shows quite a different story.

Via Rasmussen: The full Swing State tracking update offers Rasmussen Reader subscribers a combined view of the results from 11 key states won by President Obama in 2008 and thought to be competitive in 2012. The states collectively hold 146 Electoral College votes and include Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The results released today:

In the 11 swing states, Mitt Romney earns 50% of the vote to Obama’s 46%.  Two percent (2%) like another candidate in the race, and another two percent (2%) are undecided.

Romney has now led for 12 straight days with margins of four to six points most of that time.

Gallup's Likely Voters Trial Heat has been released also and Romney has a 5 point nationwide lead over Barack Obama, Romney's lead in Gallup polling has been sustained for over a week, averaging between 3 and 7 points. Today Romney's lead is by five.

An earlier release from Rasmussen also showed that Mitt Romney has taken the lead in Ohio over Obama by two percentage points, 50 percent to 48 percent.

(Headline correction made)

CURL: You don't mess with the CIA - Washington Times

 By Susan Duclos

CURL: You don't mess with the CIA - Washington Times

Teaser:

You know who doesn’t like getting thrown under the bus? The CIA. You know what the CIA does when you try to throw it under the bus? They get even — quickly, quietly, and with fatal consequences.

That seems the most logical explanation for the torrent of information pouring out this week (unless Hillary Rodham Clinton — also thrown under the bus by President Obama — is scrapping any chance of ever running for president again and is simply setting the whole administration on fire, along with her legacy as secretary of state).

The main lesson from Watergate (after the no-brainer that you should never hire a guy named “Tricky Dick”) was this: The Cover-Up Is Worse Than The Crime. For some reason, Professor Obama seems not to know this crucial lesson. Or he’s just arrogant enough to say, “Well, that doesn’t apply to someone as brilliant as moi.”

Read the whole piece.

Video- Dem Pat Caddell: Leading Mainstream Media 'Enemies Of The American People', 'Have No Honor'

By Susan Duclos

Democrat Pat Caddell lays into the leading mainstream media on their cover-up attempt to protect Barack Obama, states they are "enemies of the American people" and says they "have no honor."

Key quote o Obama administration:

This White House, this President, this Vice President, this Secretary of State, all of them, are willing apparently to dishonor themselves and this country for the cheap prospect of getting reelected...willing to cover up and lie.

Video below, his quoted comments from above and in the headline start at the 1:15 mark.

[WATCH]




Pat Caddell has has worked for Democratic presidential candidates George McGovern in 1972, Jimmy Carter in 1976 and 1980, Gary Hart in 1984, Joe Biden in 1988, and Jerry Brown in 1992.

H/T

Hurricane Sandy Trajectory: Screenshot 10/29/12

By Susan Duclos

The screen shot below is from MSNBC's Hurricane Tracker, taken at 1:30 ET on 19/29/12.

Click image to enlarge

Tops winds now at 90+ mph.

Related:

Romney campaign bus to deliver supplies to storm-relief centers 

U.S. Stock Trading Canceled as New York Girds for Storm

Sandy poised to make a direct hit on New Jersey, most of Atlantic City under water

Labor Department Says No Decision Yet on Whether to Delay Jobs Report

Rasmussen: Romney Takes The Lead In Ohio, Hits 50 Percent

By Susan Duclos

Rasmussen polling has Romney in the lead in Ohio for the very first time with Mitt Romney at 50 percent and Barack Obama at 48 percent.

The race for Ohio’s Electoral College votes remains very close, but now Mitt Romney now has a two-point advantage.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Ohio Voters shows Romney with 50% support to President Obama’s 48%. One percent (1%) likes some other candidate, while another one percent (1%) remains undecided.

 More:

Among all Ohio voters, Romney now has a 12-point lead over the president in voter trust – 53% to 41% - when it comes to the economy. Last week, he had just a seven-point advantage among voters in the state when they were asked which candidate they trusted more to deal with the economy.

Romney’s also trusted more by eight points in the areas of job creation and energy policy but leads Obama by just two when it comes to housing issues.

National security has been an area where the president has typically had an advantage over Romney this year. But, the Republican challenger now has a 52% to 42% advantage on the issue. 

If Romney walks away with Ohio, his path to 270 electoral votes, which is needed to win the presidential election, becomes far easier.

Rasmussen has been ahead of curve this whole election cycle because they have been using the "likely voter" model for months. For example, Gallup had Obama ahead until they started using the "likely voter" model vs "registered voters", and as soon as Gallup switched, Romney jumped into the lead with their seven day rolling average, with anywhere from 3 to 7 points.

Politico Battleground Poll Puts Obama Up By 1 But Prediction Model Gives A 5 Pt Win To Romney

By Susan Duclos

The Politico/GWU Battleground tracking poll  has Obama leading Mitt Romney by one point, in a poll using a sample consisting of 4 percent more Democrats than Republicans (better than the D+9 that other polls have been using), but the interesting part of the Politico Battleground poll comes from the internals which state that according to their "vote election model," gives Mitt Romney a win on election day by five points, 52 percent to Obama's  47 percent.

In sum, this data indicates this election remains very close on the surface, but the political environment and the composition of the likely electorate favor Governor Romney.  These factors come into play with our “vote election model” – which takes into account variables like vote intensity, voters who say they are definite in their vote, and demographics like age and education.  In that snapshot of today’s vote model, Mitt Romney leads Barack Obama by five-points – 52% to 47%.  While that gap can certainly be closed by the ground game of the Democrats, reports from the field would indicate that not to be the case, and Mitt Romney may well be heading to a decisive victory.

According to pollster Ed Goeas, Mitt Romney has the advantage among middle class voters, 52/45 and Obama could close that gap with a strong voter turnout, but states "reports from the field would indicate that not to be the case, and Mitt Romney may well be heading to a decisive victory."


The Washington Post-ABC News Poll gives Romney a one point lead over Obama.

Rasmussen has Romney up by two and Gallup has Romney ahead by four .. [Update] 5 points as of today's release.(Gallup's next release is in an hour-and-a-half, will update that number)

Since we are dealing with polling news, another Gallup poll is indicative of why Romney holds the advantage in the days leading up to the election.

Keep in mind, every priority poll conducted to date, has shown the issues listed "most important" to respondents is the economy and/or jobs.

With that said, Gallup shows what Americans see as each candidates strengths.

Romney's top five are, in order, "Good businessman", "Economic policies", "Brings fresh approach/change/new ideas", "Good at handling finances/budgets", and "Honest/has integrity."

Obama's top five are, in order, "Excellent speaker/communicator", "For the people/helps less fortunate", "Good personality/down to earth/charming", "Levelheaded/determined", and "Leadership/strong/determined."

For an electorate focused on economic issues, Romney's listed strengths vs Obama's, clearly shows why the race has tiled in Romney's favor.

Romney Campaign Bus Being Used To Carry Supplies To Help East Coast Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

By Susan Duclos

From Twitchy, Via @j_heals

Via CBS News:

Nine days before Election Day, Hurricane Sandy is barreling toward the east coast and causing the presidential campaigns to alter their schedules. Over the weekend, the Romney campaign cancelled campaign events in Virginia and instead moved their candidate to events in Ohio. However, they are still mobilizing volunteers in the Old Dominion State. Today at their Arlington headquarters, they are loading storm necessities onto their campaign bus. They plan to distribute water and other kinds of emergency storm relief supplies throughout the state over the next few days at local relief centers.

"Governor Romney's concern is the safety and well being of those in the path of this storm, not political considerations," Romney spokeswoman Sarah Pompei wrote in an email.

The campaign is taking similar precautions in New Hampshire, where Ann Romney was supposed to be on Monday. They have cancelled that visit and are instead using another campaign bus to help with relief there.

The Obama campaign has also cancelled events as Sandy approaches. President Obama was briefed by FEMA in Washington, D.C., today and labeled it a "serious and big storm."

 Romney campaign offices and Republican Victory offices around Virginia are collecting donations of bottled water and non-perishable food items to be distributed to local relief centers.

Romney's website provides the locations of their Virginia offices with phone numbers so those wishing to donate supplies to be delivered can call and locate an office accepting them.

 Having lived through Hurricane Andrew back in Florida in 92 and loading up my vehicle with supplies to bring to my brother who lost his home and friends that found themselves without necessities, I can tell you from experience that storm victims appreciate any and all supplies they receive from those willing to donate and transport those supplies.

Kudos to Romney for donating the use of his campaign bus and collecting supplies at his campaign offices, for such a worthy cause.

Videos- Madonna Encourages Voters To Vote For Obama, Booing Crowd Chants 'Shame On You'

By Susan Duclos

The whole thing is divided up into two videos because the first videos I saw only showed the crowds  reaction, then I found another one which showed over 4 minutes of sustained insults, birds being flipped and chants against Madonna's initial political rant.

So, first, Madonna's comments asking if the audience is registered to vote, then telling them "I don’t care who you vote for as long as you vote for Obama." (Uploaded on October 28, 2012)


Next video is over 4 minutes of a highly irate crowd, flipping birds at the stage as set up people work and around the 2:25 mark, they start chanting "shame on you" over and over again.

(Video uploaded on October 28, 2012)



Details from the upload YouTube page:

Madonna insulted and booed by fans at her New Orleans concert which is part of her MDNA Tour.
Madonna has gone great length to support Barack Obama but she was not met with favorable response on Saturday, October 27. The singer slipped in some advice for her audience at her New Orleans concert which is part of her MDNA Tour.

"Who's registered to vote?" she asked the crowd. "I don't care who you vote for as long as you vote for Obama." Some of the audience booed at her and reportedly walked out of her concert. Madonna then added, "Seriously, I don't care who you vote for ...do not take this privilege for granted. Go vote."

Appears the crowd doesn't appreciate being told how they should cast their vote.

White House Libya Response: Cover-up Or Incompetence? Is The Media Protecting Obama From Fallout?

By Susan Duclos

Via The Hill, John McCain levels some harsh criticisms against the Obama administration saying that the White House Libya response was either a cover-up or incompetence.

"This is either a massive cover-up or an incompetence that is not acceptable service to the American people," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

McCain said that information that has surfaced since the attacks, which claimed the lives of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, indicates the narrative provided by the White House in the days following was "patently false."

"There was no demonstration. So for literally days and days they told the American people something that had no basis in fact whatsoever," he said.

The White House initially claimed that the attacks on the consulate in Benghazi were sparked by spontaneous anger over an anti-Muslim film created in the U.S., but later said the attack had been planned and carried out by armed militants.

New details have emerged showing that CIA operators were told to "stand down" and not help the U.S. Ambassador to Libya and his team.

The CIA has denied anyone in the CIA refused help, the Obama administration is denying they denied the help... everyone is denying responsibility.

The major media is also doing their own part to help the Obama administration cover-up the facts, by not reporting the new emerging details to the public, with the exception of a few that are touching on the story but headlining and highlighting the White House denial rather than the emerging information.

Via Power Line:

The Times is too busy talking up the economy–”U.S. Growth Rate Up to 2%!” “Slow But Steady Improvement!”–and banging away at John Sununu to bother with anything as mundane as national security.

The Washington Post doesn’t seem to have written anything original about the latest allegations, either, although it has prominently featured the administration’s various defensive efforts, for example by highlighting Geraldo Rivera’s criticism of his colleagues at Fox and his urging that any discussion of Benghazi wait until after the election. “Vintage Fox News stuff,” wrote the Post’s Erik Wemple. But of the current controversy the Post has reported nothing, unless it has printed the Associated Press article that appears on its web site.

Since the AP coverage is what the vast majority of newspaper readers will see about the Benghazi story (if they see anything), it is worthy of study. The article that appeared this morning begins not with the allegations that were made on Fox yesterday, but with the administration’s response:

 Read the entire Power Line piece.

With just over a week left until the presidential election, the MSM appears to have decided it is more important to get Obama reelected than to report the news.

On a side note, in the Cedar Rapids Gazette endorsement for Mitt Romney, they make mention of the possible cover-up.

But where the nation was most in need — restarting the economy and making significant progress on reducing our enormous national debt that recently soared past $16 trillion and dangerously threatens our future well-being — the president and his administration have come up short.

And more recently, the ever-changing account of how his administration has responded to and explained — or hasn’t — the assassination of a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in Libya is raising troublesome doubts about the chain of command and whether there’s been a cover-up.

 Despite the media's attempt to insulate Obama from the Libya attack fallout, editorials, bloggers and the social media has made sure that the story is being reported, is trickling in to American's homes, via local media, and in the end, the MSM is simply making themselves irrelevant and less trusted.

Mitt's Momentum Still Going Strong- Romney, Obama, Tied In Ohio

By Susan Duclos

Both the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the incumbent Barack Obama are each tied in the race for Ohio's 18 electoral votes.

Cincinnati.com and Ohio.com  both report each candidate receiving 49 percent.

Showing Mitt Romney's continued momentum, the Ohio.com article reports that this is a "major change" from a similar poll a month ago, when Obama held a 51-46 percent lead over Romney.

Via Cincinnati.com:

Romney’s support grew among males, among high school and college graduates and among respondents in every age category except 18 to 29.

Yesterday the Cincinnati Enquirer endorsed Mitt Romney for president in 2012.

Canada Region Hit With Mag 7.7 Earthquake

By Susan Duclos

Quick break from politics here.

An earthquake with magnitude 7.7 occurred near Prince Rupert, BC, Canada at 03:04:10.56 UTC on Oct 28, 2012.

Summary from the USGS can be found here.

Smaller than expected Tsunami hits Hawaii after the earthquake hit Canada.

CSM reports that no major damage or injuries have been reported in Canada.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the west coast of Canada, but there were no reports of major damage. Residents in parts of British Columbia were evacuated but the province appeared to escape the biggest quake in Canada since 1949 largely unscathed.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the powerful quake hit the Queen Charlotte Islands just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday at a depth of about 3 miles (5 kilometers) and was centered 96 miles (155 kilometers) south of Masset, British Columbia. It was felt across a wide area in British Columbia, both on its Pacific islands and on the mainland.

"It looks like the damage and the risk are at a very low level," said Shirley Bond, British Columbia's minister responsible for emergency management said. "We're certainly grateful."

More at Seattle Times.

Des Moines Register Endorses Mitt Romney, 1st Time It Endorses A Rep. Prez Candidate In 40 Years

By Susan Duclos

The list of newspapers that endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 but are now endorsing Mitt Romney in 2012, is growing. Back on 10/22/12 Politico reported that nine major publications had switched from obama 2008 endorsements to 2012 Romney, with only four that has endorsed John McCain in 2008 switching to endorse Obama in 2012.

Florida's Sun Sentinel joined the list of those switching from Obama to Romney on the 26th and yesterday's headline from the Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest newspaper, adds their publication to the list.

"Mitt Romney offers a fresh economic vision," is the headlined reason.

American voters are deeply divided about this race. The Register’s editorial board, as it should, had a vigorous debate over this endorsement. Our discussion repeatedly circled back to the nation’s single most important challenge: pulling the economy out of the doldrums, getting more Americans back in the workforce in meaningful jobs with promising futures, and getting the federal government on a track to balance the budget in a bipartisan manner that the country demands.

Which candidate could forge the compromises in Congress to achieve these goals? When the question is framed in those terms, Mitt Romney emerges the stronger candidate.

The former governor and business executive has a strong record of achievement in both the private and the public sectors. He was an accomplished governor in a liberal state. He founded and ran a successful business that turned around failing companies. He successfully managed the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Romney has made rebuilding the economy his No. 1 campaign priority — and rightly so.

According to CNN, this is the first time the Des Moines Register has endorsed a Republican for president in 40 years.

This comes at a time when Obama holds a two point polling lead over Romney in Iowa, and while the paper's endorsement won't change the minds of those already decided, it could perhaps tip the scales toward Mitt Romney with those that haven't made up their minds yet.

Romney has momentum, as shown by polling earlier in the month giving Obama and eight point lead, to more recent polls, where Gravis gives Obama a four point lead, Rasmussen finds the race tied and Democratic pollster Public Policy Polling gives Romney a one point lead.

Iowa hold six electoral votes.

[Update] Daily Herald and Gannet's PNJ, both endorsed Obama in 2008 and now are endorsing Romney for  President in 2012.

[Update] View the list of newspapers across the country endorsing Mitt Romney and their reasons for doing so, HERE.

Gallup Shows A 15 Point Party ID Swing Favoring Republicans In 2012, From 2008 Totals

By Susan Duclos

Yesterday Gallup issued a release which headlines "2012 U.S. Electorate Looks Like 2008," and for race, age, gender, the headline is accurate, but at the bottom of the chart which deals with party affiliation, the swing shown from the 2008 numbers to the 2012 numbers favors Republicans by 15 points.

At the very bottom of the chart below it shows the party ID of the 2004, 2008 and 2012 electorate according to pre-election polling.

2008:

Democrats 39 percent, Republicans 29 percent = 10 percent advantage for Democrats

With leaners included-  Democrats 54 percent, Republicans 42 percent = 12 point advantage for Democrats.

2012:

Democrats 35 percent, Republicans 36 percent =  one percent advantage for Republicans

With leaners included - Democrats 46 percent, Republicans 49 percent = 3 percent advantage for Republicans

From 2008 to 2012, the age, race and gender demographics are about the same but the makeup of those demographics via Party ID has swung 15 points in favor of Republicans, from D+12 to R+3.

Chart below, Party ID outlined in red at the bottom of the chart.

This is why conservatives have made such a big deal about skewed polling with pollsters using samples where they poll more Democrats than Republicans, and even in doing so, Romney leads the national average in polling by one percent, according to RCP.

 H/T Neil Stevens over at Red State for pointing out the Gallup poll.

His conclusion:

The takeaway here is that Mitt Romney has many paths to victory. He’s solidified enough states (Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Indiana, and probably Colorado) that he has his chances elsewhere (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin + Iowa or New Hampshire, Nevada + New Hampshire + Maine 2).

This election is winnable for Mitt Romney as long as his people vote and get out the vote on election day.

 This also helps explain why the raw early voting data in Ohio is not matching up with the polling data.

[Update] There is another 15 point swing that should concern Barack Obama to no end.

 October 1-3, 2012,  Obama had a 54 percent approval rating with a 42 percent disapproval, via Gallup and today 46 percent approve and 49 percent disapprove.

Obama has gone from plus 12 approval to minus 3 in less than a month, according Gallup's interactive chart.

Ohio's Raw Early Voting Data Inconsistent With Polling Data

By Susan Duclos

Ohio is undoubtedly an important state in this election cycle for both presidential candidates, Mitt Romney and incumbent Barack Obama, fighting tooth and nail for each and every vote.

According to Real Clear Politics averages of polling data, Obama leads Romney in Ohio by a 2.3 percent margin just tens days out from election day.

The problem is that the early voting data is inconsistent with the polling numbers being seen and the numbers touted by the Obama campaign.

Via Politico:

I have always been a believer in data telling me the full story. Truth is, nobody knows what will happen on Election Day. But here is what we do know: 220,000 fewer Democrats have voted early in Ohio compared with 2008. And 30,000 more Republicans have cast their ballots compared with four years ago. That is a 250,000-vote net increase for a state Obama won by 260,000 votes in 2008.

 Polls are a snap shot and as the election gets closer they are usual predictive of a likely outcome, but polling doesn't count as actual votes.

The votes cast already from early voting, seems to be telling a different story than the polls are.

Fortunately, it is the voters that decide elections, not the pollsters.

Obama's Lies Unravel As Wapo Gives Him Four Pinocchios For His Sequestration Claims

By Susan Duclos

The Obama lie that Washington Post's The Fact Checker has called a whopper and gave four Pinocchios to, came during the third and final debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney when Obama said "The sequester is not something that I've proposed. It is something that Congress has proposed."

The Fact Checker calls it Obama's "fanciful claim" and details the evidence for their readers, then concludes by rating it a whopper in the last paragraphs of the piece:

 No one disputes the fact that no one wanted sequestration, or that ultimately a bipartisan vote in Congress led to passage of the Budget Control Act. But the president categorically said that sequestration was “something that Congress has proposed.”

 Woodward’s detailed account of meetings during the crisis, clearly based on interviews with key participants and contemporaneous notes, make it clear that sequestration was a proposal advanced and promoted by the White House.

In sum: Gene Sperling brought up the idea of a sequester, while Jack Lew sold Harry Reid on the idea and then decided to use the Gramm-Hollings-Rudman language (which he knew from his days of working for Tip O’Neill) as a template for sequester. The proposal was so unusual for Republicans that staffers had to work through the night to understand it.

 Oddly, Lew in Tampa on Thursday, publicly asserted the opposite: “There was an insistence on the part of Republicans in Congress for there to be some automatic trigger…. [It] was very much rooted in the Republican congressional insistence that there be an automatic measure at the end.”

 This prompted Woodward to go over his notes and interviews once again, to make sure he had gotten it right.

 “After reviewing all the interviews and the extensive material I have on this issue, it looks like President Obama told a whopper,” Woodward said.  “Based on what Jack Lew said in Florida today, I have asked the White House to correct the record.”

 We had been wavering between Three and Four Pinocchios. But in light’s of Lew’s decision to doubledown on Obama’s claim, we agree it’s a whopper.

 Obama went all out on misinformation during that final debate, as 15 misrepresentations and outright lies have already been documented and detailed.