Wednesday’s political round-up

November 14, 2007

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* The latest New York Times/CBS News polls gauged support for the presidential candidates specifically in Iowa and New Hampshire, where the race is very different, at least among Dems. In Iowa, the race is practically tied, with Hillary Clinton ahead with 25%, followed by John Edwards with 23%, and Barack Obama with 22%. Bill Richardson, who had 12% support, was the only other candidate in double-digits. In New Hampshire, Clinton’s lead is far bigger — she’s ahead with 37%, followed by Obama with 22%, and Edwards falling behind with 9%.

* As for Republicans, the same poll shows Mitt Romney holding onto his lead in Iowa with 27%, followed by Mike Huckabee with 21%. Rudy Giuliani is third with 15%. In New Hampshire, Romney enjoys a more comfortable lead — he’s ahead with 34%, followed by Giuliani and John McCain, who both enjoy 16% support.

* Fred Thompson unveiled his “Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense” in South Carolina, emphasizing his intention to increase defense spending to at least 4.5% of GDP. Thompson also wants to vastly increase the size of our active-duty forces.

* Hillary Clinton is starting to invest heavily in South Carolina, tripling her campaign spending in the state recently. Local observers believe she’s trying to deny Obama a key early victory.

* Speaking of Clinton and Obama, the Illinois senator criticized the Democratic frontrunner yesterday on trade policy, during a speech at a regional convention of the United Auto Workers. “So, when a candidate rails against NAFTA today, it’s fair to ask her where she was with NAFTA 20 years ago,” Obama said. “You don’t just suddenly wake up and say NAFTA is a terrible thing when you were for it before.”

* And speaking of Obama, the senator is also fighting back against the whisper campaigns against him: “‘I don’t mind them arguing with me about policy, but don’t let them question my patriotism,’ said Obama, responding to a question about the email. ‘And listen, I am not going to be swift boated at this race. If somebody comes at me I am going to come right back at them hard.'” As for the right-wing rumors about his faith, Obama added, “If I were a Muslim I would let you know. But I am a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th street on the South side of Chicago.”

* John Edwards unveiled his first TV ad in South Carolina today. He’s the first Democratic candidate to hit the state’s airwaves.

* Speaking of Edwards, there’s a renewed debate over the former senator’s plan to take away federal officials’ healthcare insurance unless they pass his UHC policy in 2009. Most seem to agree that Edwards’ approach is unconstitutional.

* Sen. Charles Grassley, the highest ranking Republican official in Iowa, will apparently not endorse any presidential hopeful this cycle. “The more practical approach is: Which one is the best one to defeat Hillary Clinton?” Grassley said in a Des Moines Register interview. “And that practical approach keeps me from still backing anybody, because I guess I’ve got some faith in the primary system sorting it out so that the strongest candidate will float to the top – and I haven’t picked that strongest candidate.”

* Mitt Romney’s staff is divided over whether to attack Giuliani hard right now. Some worry about a backlash, others worry that they need to undermine Giuliani now before it’s too late.

* TNR’s Michael Crowley raised a good point yesterday: if George Allen hadn’t lost last year in Virginia, and were running for the Republican nomination right now, he’d probably be the easy frontrunner.

* In non-presidential campaign news, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) will seek re-election next year; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) will draw a Republican primary opponent; and Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey (D) has decided not to run for Nebraska’s open Senate seat.

I just read elsewhere that Barney Frank endorsed InevitaBillary yesterday. Disappointing: I’m a great admirer of Frank, who’s one of the most thoughtful guys out there on economic issues. But he’s a bigtime Party Regular, so I’m not particularly surprised.

  • If George Allen had won another term in the Senate, he would certainly have stumbled into another “macacca” moment somewhere along the presidential campaign trail. The man is an arrogant windbag a**hole.

    Frontrunner? I don’t think so. He’s nowhere near as slick as RooDee.

  • * Fred Thompson unveiled his “Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense” in South Carolina, emphasizing his intention to increase defense spending to at least 4.5% of GDP. Thompson also wants to vastly increase the size of our active-duty forces.

    Without explaining how he’s going to pay for it.

    Fred, why should we buy you a new army after you guys broke the old one?

  • The whole Romney thing, and when and how to attack, is interesting. You get the impression that Romney has never in his adult life encountered something he can’t purchase. Normally, self-funding rich folk running for major offices have not fared well. But I am a little concerned that the general teaching on that will have to be amended to “it usually doesn’t work, unless you put a really, REALLY, REALLY huge amount of your money in it.”

    Seriously, Clinton, Obama and Richardson – no lazy, late-starting, cheap or underfunded campaigners by any means – have combined spent less on TV ads than Romney has all by himself. Hopefully that will in itself become an issue at some point.

  • Looks like when Democrats finally get around to looking at the candidates, they want to vote for a guy who opposed the war. What a surprise. I’m sure someone in the Hillary camp has heard her wishing she had opposed the Biggest Fuckup Evah, and maybe if we’re lucky they’ll spill the beans. A youtube video would be nice.

    And does anyone really wonder if Romney can bribe the wingnuts into forgetting their lifelong religious programming with regards to (other) cults?

    Ain’t. gonna. happen.

  • I just read elsewhere that Barney Frank endorsed InevitaBillary yesterday. Disappointing: I’m a great admirer of Frank, who’s one of the most thoughtful guys out there on economic issues. But he’s a bigtime Party Regular, so I’m not particularly surprised.

    Maybe he’s also smart on political issues as well, and his smartness isn’t sealed into topic-specific “hermetically-sealed boxes” when it comes to those two things.

  • Fred Thompson unveiled his “Four Pillars of a Revitalized National Defense” in South Carolina, emphasizing his intention to increase defense spending to at least 4.5% of GDP. Thompson also wants to vastly increase the size of our active-duty forces.

    To fight what threat? We already have by far the largest military in the world, any remotely logical person will realize that a larger army won’t be any more effective in fighting terrorists. Republicans are fucking nuts to want to throw our money away like this (of course it does benefit their defense contractor contributors, so maybe they just don’t give a damn about the economy as a whole as long as they’ve got theirs).

  • maybe [Retugs] just don’t give a damn about the economy as a whole as long as they’ve got theirs.

    ding ding ding! We have a winner! Don Pardo, what are todays wonderful gifts. . .

  • * Hillary Clinton is starting to invest heavily in South Carolina, tripling her campaign spending in the state recently. Local observers believe she’s trying to deny Obama a key early victory.

    Why, it’s almost as if she has some sort of “strategy” or “plan” to win a competition of some sort.

  • Looks like some undecideds in Iowa are finally starting to see the light.

    Other notable tidbits from the poll:

    Just 4 percent of Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire would favor a candidate who advocates using military action soon to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons;

    Forty-seven percent of Iowa caucusgoers said Mrs. Clinton said what she believed, compared with 48 percent who said she told voters what they wanted to hear.

    [In New Hampshire], 34 percent of respondents said Mrs. Clinton was the candidate who best understood the needs and problems of people in their state; in Iowa, 18 percent of respondents said that.

    So half the caucusgoers polled in Iowa think she’s blowing smoke and only a fifth think she understands the needs and problems of their state. Overwhelmingly, they oppose war with Iran and Hillary is the only Candidate who voted for Kyl-Lieberman.

    My, how the mighty crumble.

  • UnAware Fred is clearly unaware as to how he can vastly increase the size of the military, when he cannot even get people into the recruiting stations. Maybe he’ll propose tying it to NCLB—and we’ll start “pre-enlisting” preschoolers….

  • so grassley thinks the goopers’ primary is like a giant septic tank: eventually, the reall big chunks float to the top.

  • Hillary Clinton is starting to invest heavily in South Carolina, tripling her campaign spending in the state recently.

    Good. Even if I might be leaning towards another one of the Democratic hopefuls, It will be pleasant to have something else to look at other than Mitt Romney’s idiotic ads and hand-scrawled Ron Paul signs.

    Obama, actually, is the only one of the Democratic candidates so far to have any presence in the part of South Carolina where I live. it’s a pity that most of this presence seems dedicated to firing up evangelicals…

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