Bachmann’s Edge in Iowa
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on June 13th, 2011 4:38 am by HL
Bachmann’s Edge in Iowa
Christopher Rants predicts that Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) will win the Iowa caucuses because of “a secret weapon no other candidate possesses — the King factor.”
“The first person I ever heard mention Michele Bachmann was Congressman Steve King. Those two are not just kindred spirits, or intellectual compatriots — they are foxhole buddies. They fight the same wars together. I can’t imagine him not putting his organization to work for her. Plus, helping her helps him. King needs to tune up his own organization for his newly drawn district and prep for a future statewide run. Nobody fires up a room of caucus-Republicans like King.”
North Carolina Will be Battleground in 2012
A new Public Policy Polling survey finds an extremely close presidential election environment in North Carolina for President Obama, where 49% approve of his job performance and 47% disapprove. His approval among independents is similarly tight at 47% to 46%.
In match-ups against potential Republican opponents, Obama leads Mitt Romney 45% to 44%, Tim Pawlenty 47% to 40%, and all others by double digits.
Lay of the land: “Obama’s approval numbers in North Carolina are superior to what we’re finding for him in your quintessential swing states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. While North Carolina was one of the closest states in the country in 2008, it was really just the cherry on top for Obama in an electoral landslide. This time it could very well be part of the path to 270 electoral votes for the President.”
What to Expect at Tonight’s Debate
With seven of the most likely Republican presidential candidates set to gather in New Hampshire tonight for the CNN/WMUR/Union Leader debate, the New Hampshire Union Leader isn’t expecting to see much, as “early debates rarely result in focused attacks, as candidates usually try to stay on message and not run the risk of alienating themselves from voters.”
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal sees the debate as Mitt Romney’s first big test, where he “will likely face questions on policies that disquiet some conservatives, including his Massachusetts health plan and earlier positions on abortion and climate change — and potentially sleeper issues, such as his stewardship of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics.”
Politico has more: “Romney’s top rival, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, signaled Sunday that he would start to go on offense against the frontrunner, jabbing at Romney’s health care record. But Pawlenty will also have to distinguish himself from a field of eye-catching debaters who are long-shots for the GOP nomination… That means Romney has a good chance at emerging from the debate with his leading status intact – or strengthened.”
The debate will be televised on CNN tonight at 8 p.m. ET.