memeorandum: The Fraying of a Nation's Decency (Anand Giridharadas/New York Times)

10:55 PM ET, September 24, 2011

Top Items:

Herman Cain wins Presidency 5 straw poll — ORLANDO — In a stunning upset Saturday, Herman Cain won Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll, a vote of 2,657 Republican activists that in past years has predicted the party nominee. — Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who charmed the three …

Discussion: National Review, Michelle Malkin, Moe_Lane's blog, American Power, PoliPundit.com, Indecision Forever and The Other McCain

Susan Page / USA Today:

Cain upsets Perry at Florida straw poll — Businessman Herman Cain scored a major upset Saturday, winning the Florida straw poll and creating a new set of problems for Texas Gov. Rick Perry. — The final tally: Cain carried 37% of the vote, Perry 15% and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney 14%.

Discussion: Don Surber, The Political Carnival, The Mahablog and Outside the Beltway

The Politico:

Chris Christie back in spotlight as Perry sags — With the party's frontrunner sagging, Chris Christie is reconsidering pleas from Republican elites and donors to run for president in 2012, two Republican sources told POLITICO. — The New Jersey governor has indicated he is listening …

Discussion: Riehl World View, The Page, Mediaite, Addicting Info, CNN, Taylor Marsh, Connecting.the.Dots, No More Mister Nice Blog, Burnt Orange Report, Washington Post, The Caucus, National Review, The Moderate Voice and AmSpecBlog

Byron York / Campaign 2012:

In FL straw poll, a late surge for Herman Cain — ORLANDO — There's no scientific polling, but talks with dozens of delegates who will vote in today's Florida straw poll suggest that many are making last-minute decisions to vote for Herman Cain. — What seems to be happening is this …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Sunshine State Sarah, Fox News, Don Surber, The Impolitic, Booman Tribune and Gretawire

Josh Lederman / Ballot Box:

Cain wins an upset victory in Florida presidential straw poll — Herman Cain pulled off a shocking upset victory in Florida's Presidency 5 Straw Poll on Saturday. The Georgia businessman won more votes than the Republican primaries frontrunners — Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — combined.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, The Other McCain and JammieWearingFool

Kevinliptak / CNN:

TRENDING: Cain upsets Perry as winner of Florida straw poll — Orlando, Florida (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry's presidential campaign was dealt a worrying blow Saturday when he finished in a distant second place to businessman Herman Cain in a closely watched straw poll in Florida.

Discussion: Weekly Standard and Race 4 2012

The Huffington Post:

Herman Cain Wins Florida Straw Poll Ahead Of 2012 … Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain came out on top in the Florida straw poll on Saturday. — The former CEO of Godfather's Pizza won the test of conservative strength with roughly 37 percent of the vote.

Discussion: Crooks and Liars and Daily Kos

Josh Margolin / New York Post:
‘2nd thoughts’ for Christie on running

Discussion: Hot Air, Politics, Scared Monkeys, Outside the Beltway, Flower & Thistle, Ballot Box, The Politico and The Right Scoop

Arlette Saenz / Politics:
Rick Perry Takes His Chances on Florida Straw Poll

Discussion: Washington Examiner, AmSpecBlog and Hot Air

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:
The Case for Buying Low on Perry

Discussion: Hot Air, Polls And Votes, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, The Caucus, Conservatives4Palin, Outside the Beltway and The Mahablog

Joe Nocera / New York Times:

The Phony Solyndra Scandal — If Brian Harrison and W. G. Stover, the two Solyndra executives who took the Fifth Amendment at a Congressional hearing on Friday, ever spend a day in jail, I'll stand on my head in Times Square. — It's not going to happen, for one simple reason: neither they …

Discussion: The TrogloPundit, Balloon Juice, Salon, Hit & Run, Prairie Weather, UrbanGrounds, ThinkProgress, Daily Kos, JammieWearingFool and Associated Press

Steven F. Hayward / Weekly Standard:
President Solyndra — And his mean green wealth-wasting machine.

Discussion: Power Line and The Strata-Sphere

Anand Giridharadas / New York Times:

The Fraying of a Nation's Decency — CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS — Amazon.com, the books-to-diapers-to-machetes Internet superstore, is a perfect snapshot of the American Dream, circa 2011. — It grows by the hour, fueled by a relentless optimism that has made America America. First it sold books.

Discussion: Whiskey Fire and The Mahablog

WSB-TV:

Father upset over homework promoting polygamy, Islam — COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A father's complaint that his daughter's homework promotes the Muslim faith could lead to a lesson change in Cobb County. — Channel 2's Tom Regan talked to the father who showed him where his daughter's homework …

Discussion: Right Wing News and Jihad Watch

Marisa Schultz / Detroit News:

McCotter: ‘Democratic Party not progressive’ — Mackinac Island— Two days after the onetime White House hopeful dropped his presidential run, U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter told a breakfast crowd House Republicans will not back away from reforming entitlement programs, like Medicare and Social Security.

Discussion: The Political Carnival

Philip Aldrick / Telegraph:

Multi-trillion grand plan to save the eurozone is being prepared — European officials are working on a grand plan to restore confidence in the single currency area that would involve a massive bank recapitalisation, giving the bail-out fund several trillion euros of firepower, and a possible Greek default.

Discussion: Firedoglake and AMERICAN FUTURE

Justin Sink / The Hill:

Obama plays a round of golf with Clinton — President Obama headed to Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday for a round of golf with one of the few people who might have some idea of the difficulties the president has been facing: Former President Bill Clinton.

Discussion: Weasel Zippers and CNN