memeorandum: How the Right's Building a ‘Poll Watcher’ Network for November (Brentin Mock/Colorlines)

1:40 PM ET, August 23, 2012

Top Items:

Missouri Senate: McCaskill (D) 48%, Akin (R) 38% — What a difference one TV interview can make. Embattled Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill has now jumped to a 10-point lead over her Republican challenger, Congressman Todd Akin, in Missouri's U.S. Senate race.

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

Akin mess could be watershed moment for conservative movement … Missouri Rep. Todd Akin's insensitive and ignorant comments about rape and pregnancy could cost Republicans a majority in the Senate. But in time, the episode may be remembered as an important development for the conservative movement.

Discussion: Power Line, Washington Monthly and A plain blog about politics

Kate Nocera / Politico:
Todd Akin in Tampa with top social conservatives

Discussion: afa.net, Ann Coulter, Ballot Box, rightwingwatch.org, Midwest Democracy, Hot Air and Election 2012

Mike Lillis / The Hill:

Team Obama breaks precedent to try to spoil Romney's convention — Bucking protocol, President Obama and the Democrats are planning a full-scale assault on Republicans next week during their convention. — Bucking protocol, President Obama and the Democrats are planning a full-scale assault …

Discussion: CNN, National Review, Taylor Marsh, Jammie Wearing Fools and Pirate's Cove

Greg Sargent / Washington Post:

The Morning Plum: The Obama campaign's theory of the presidential race — Should President Obama be trying to persuade voters that the economy is recovering? — Some Democratic strategists think that could jar against public perceptions that things aren't really getting better.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, American Prospect, The Maddow Blog, Brad DeLong, The Fix and Prairie Weather

John Hinderaker / Power Line:

Are the Democrats Delusional On Abortion? — The Democrats apparently think they have hit the jackpot with Todd Akin's moment of stupidity, but I'm not so sure. How, exactly, are they going to take advantage of Akin's blunder? By talking ceaselessly about abortion.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Ricochet Conversations Feed, The Gateway Pundit and Weekly Standard

Bill Clinton / CNN:

TRENDING: Clinton stars in new Obama ad — (CNN) - Former President Bill Clinton takes center stage in a new ad released by President Barack Obama's re-election campaign on Thursday. — The former president, who's been a top surrogate for Obama this year, largely praises Obama in the spot …

Discussion: Politico, Washington Free Beacon, Washington Wire, Taylor Marsh, ABCNEWS, Outside the Beltway and www2.timesdispatch.com

CNN:
Republicans say they'll nominate Romney, despite potential storm

Discussion: Election 2012

Katie Glueck / Politico:
RNC: We have plan for Isaac

Discussion: Religion Dispatches, Riptide 2.0, Fausta's Blog and Towleroad News #gay

Deroy Murdock / National Review:
Akin: Face the Wrath of the GOP Convention

Discussion: Stinque, Mediaite, Conservatives4Palin and The New Civil Rights Movement

Dan Gilgoff / CNN:
Cardinal Dolan to offer closing prayer at Republican Convention

Discussion: Joe. My. God. and Towleroad News #gay

Paul Bedard / Washington Examiner:
Dem Convention becomes anti-Akin affair

Discussion: Hot Air, Politico, Nice Deb, Weekly Standard, National Review, The Gateway Pundit, Scared Monkeys, American Power, CatholicVote.org, The Lonely Conservative, ABCNEWS, Althouse, Instapundit, Power Line, Weasel Zippers and The PJ Tatler

New York Times:

Polls Say Medicare Is Key Issue in 3 Swing States — The Romney-Ryan proposal to reshape Medicare by giving future beneficiaries fixed amounts of money to buy health coverage is deeply unpopular in Florida, Ohio and Wisconsin, according to new polls that found that more likely voters …

Discussion: Washington Wire, CNN, CBS News, The Caucus, The Moderate Voice, The Future of Capitalism, Outside the Beltway, ABCNEWS, Politico, AEIdeas, USA Today, Election 2012 and The BLT

Quinnipiac University:

Ryan Micro-Bump In Florida, Wisconsin, But Not Ohio, Quinnipiac University/CBS News/New York Times Swing State Poll Finds — FLORIDA: Obama 49 - Romney 46, compared to Obama 51 - 45 percent August 1 — OHIO: Obama 50 - Romney 44, unchanged from August 1 — WISCONSIN: Obama 49 - Romney 47, compared to Obama 51 - 45 August 8

Discussion: Ballot Box, GOP 12, Firedoglake, The Fix, Hotline On Call, theGrio, USA Today, First Read, Post on Politics, Washington Examiner, Riptide 2.0, The Hinterland Gazette, Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog and FiveThirtyEight

Colby Itkowitz / Morning Call:

Morning Call/Muhlenberg Poll: Paul Ryan doesn't move race in Pennsylvania — The first poll of Pennsylvania voters since Mitt Romney made Paul Ryan his running mate found the pick did nothing to move the race. — President Barack Obama maintains his lead in the lean-blue state …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Election 2012

CNN:
Romney, Obama tied up in three swing states

Discussion: ABCNEWS and The Caucus, more at Mediagazer »

Jammie Wearing Fools:
Battleground States Poll: Curiously, So-Called War on Women Not an Issue

Discussion: Hot Air, CBS News and GOP 12

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Michelle Obama: ‘Get to the Polls on November the 2’ — Michelle Obama, speaking yesterday at a campaign event in Florida: … The presidential election this year is November 6.

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and Daily Pundit

John Cook / Gawker:

The Bain Files: Inside Mitt Romney's Tax-Dodging Cayman Schemes — Mitt Romney's $250 million fortune is largely a black hole: Aside from the meager and vague disclosures he has filed under federal and Massachusetts laws, and the two years of partial tax returns (one filed and another provisional) …

Discussion: Business Insider, naked capitalism, Daily Kos, Joe. My. God. and CBS DC

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

Obama: Team Romney coming on strong, playing dirty, time to ‘put them away’ — President Obama joined a group of former NBA stars at a fundraiser at New York's Lincoln Center Wednesday night. With Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley and other basketball legends sitting nearby …

Discussion: CatholicVote.org and The Lonely Conservative

Devin Dwyer / ABCNEWS:
President Obama: Todd Akin ‘Somehow Missed Science Class’

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Guardian, The Raw Story, Politicker, Election 2012, Outside the Beltway and Right Wing News

Pew Social & Demographic Trends:

The Lost Decade of the Middle Class — Fewer, Poorer, Gloomier — CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW — As the 2012 presidential candidates prepare their closing arguments to America's middle class, they are courting a group that has endured a lost decade for economic well-being.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, American Prospect, The Agonist, BBC, Connecting.the.Dots, The Demos Blog, Real Time Economics, Business Insider, Newsy and Economix

Ta-Nehisi Coates / The Atlantic Online:

Fear of a Black President — As a candidate, Barack Obama said we needed to reckon with race and with America's original sin, slavery. But as our first black president, he has avoided mention of race almost entirely. In having to be “twice as good” and “half as black,” …

Stephen Braun / Associated Press:

AP Exclusive: Energy loan watchdog an Obama donor — WASHINGTON (AP) — A veteran Wall Street executive who performed an independent review that exonerated the Obama administration's program of loans to energy companies contributed $52,500 to re-elect President Barack Obama in the months since completing …

Discussion: protein wisdom, Hot Air and americanthinker.com

Justin Fishel / Fox News:

EXCLUSIVE: Bin Laden raid tell-all author revealed, questions raised whether ex-Navy SEALs have freedom of speech — The author of a recently announced insider account of the raid that killed Usama bin Laden has been identified to Fox News as a 36-year-old former Navy SEAL Team 6 member …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Guardian, Business Insider and Media Decoder

Mark Oppenheimer / New York Times:

Dan Savage and Brian Brown Debate Gay Marriage Over the Dinner Table — THE ancient Greek symposium, which combined drinking with elevated discussion, was often held in a private house; at Parisian salons, conversation frequently took place in the bedroom. Once upon a time …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, The Atlantic Online, Good As You, Althouse, Towleroad News #gay, Advocate, Balloon Juice, The New Civil Rights Movement and Joe. My. God.

Matt Higgins / CBS Tampa:

Mayor: ‘Absolutely Prepared To Call Off’ GOP Convention If Isaac Threatens Tampa — TAMPA (CBS Tampa/AP) — Tampa's mayor warns that the Republican National Convention could be canceled if Tropical Storm Isaac heads for the city. — Mayor Bob Buckhorn told CNN that he is more concerned …

Brentin Mock / Colorlines:

How the Right's Building a ‘Poll Watcher’ Network for November — Bill Ouren, True the Vote's national elections coordinator, is presenting before a group of about 50 recruits in Boca Raton, Fla. He stands beneath a banner bearing his organization's name, alongside that of the Koch brothers …

Discussion: Plunderbund

Journalism.org:

THE MASTER CHARACTER NARRATIVES IN CAMPAIGN 2012 — PRESS COVERAGE OF THE CHARACTER OF THE CANDIDATES IS HIGHLY NEGATIVE, AND NEITHER OBAMA NOR ROMNEY HAS AN EDGE — On the eve of the conventions, the portrayal in the news media of the character and records of the two presidential contenders …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, Election 2012, The Daily Beast and Poynter, more at Mediagazer »

Cheryl Pellerin / American Forces Press Service:

Judge Postpones 9/11 Hearings as Guantanamo Prepares for Storm — Lawyers, observers and media are leaving the island today after the base commanding officer recommended their evacuation ahead of tropical storm Isaac's projected path to Cuba. — Military commissions judge Army …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post and U.S.

Doug Stanglin / USA Today:

Minn. Democrat drops re-election bid over sex with teen boy — A Minnesota Democrat who had sex with a 17-year-old boy at an I-35 rest stop says he is dropping his re-election bid, just hours after he said he would stay in the race, according to news reports.

Discussion: The Other McCain, Doug Ross, JONATHAN TURLEY and Nice Deb

MiamiHerald.com:

FBI, Miami-Dade police target Democratic primary candidate with possible ties to Congressman David Rivera — Federal agents are investigating the finances of a little known candidate and potential connections to U.S. Rep. David Rivera. — MCAPUTO@MIAMIHERALD.COM

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Maddow Blog and Riptide 2.0

myFOXlubbock.com:

Lubbock Co. Judge warns of potential danger if Obama is re-elected — Lubbock County Judge Tom Head and Commissioner Mark Heinrich went into great detail Monday night on FOX 34 News @ Nine about why it is necessary to raise the tax rate by 1.7 cents the next fiscal year.

Mitt Romney for President of the United States …:

MITT ROMNEY SETS GOAL OF NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE BY 2020 — A crucial component of Mitt Romney's Plan for a Stronger Middle Class is a comprehensive energy strategy to achieve North American energy independence by 2020 and establish America as an energy superpower in the 21st century.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Firedoglake, New York Times, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, Taylor Marsh, Right Wing News, First Read and Election 2012

Eric Lipton / New York Times:

Ties to Obama Aided in Access for Big Utility — WASHINGTON — Early in the Obama administration, a lobbyist for the Illinois-based energy producer Exelon Corporation proudly called it “the president's utility.” And it was not just because it delivers power to Barack Obama's Hyde Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Discussion: American Power, The Jawa Report and Washington Free Beacon

BuzzFeed:

What The Obama Campaign Is Thinking — An expanding electorate to counter Romney's cash, and while “media and ads mean less in the fall,” says an Obama aide at a background briefing. Middle class people will frame the podium in Charlotte. — Image by KEVIN LAMARQUE / Reuters

Discussion: Election 2012