memeorandum: Poll: Obama, Romney neck-and-neck ahead of party conventions (Washington Post)

11:45 AM ET, August 27, 2012

Top Items:

Mitt Romney outlines his governing plan to POLITICO — POWELL, Ohio — Mitt Romney conceded President Barack Obama has succeeded in making him a less likable person, but he offered a defiant retort to those hoping he will open up this week: “I am who I am.”

Discussion: CNN, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Pirate's Cove, The Hinterland Gazette, Taegan Goddard's …, TheBlaze.com and Saint Petersblog

Washington Post:

Poll: Obama, Romney neck-and-neck ahead of party conventions — A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Romney at 47 percent among registered voters and Obama at 46 percent — barely changed from the deadlocked contest in early July. — The findings continue a months-long pattern …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, The Fix, The Lonely Conservative, Business Insider, Scared Monkeys, Hot Air, Jammie Wearing Fools, The Daily Dish and Saint Petersblog

Marc A. Thiessen / Washington Post:

Romney's play for Michigan — It is no surprise that in the run-up to this week's Republican National Convention, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made their first joint campaign appearance in the key battleground state of Ohio. More interesting is that Romney and Ryan took their pre-convention tour …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times and NewsBusters.org

Washington Post:
Poll: Obama, Romney neck-and-neck ahead of party conventions

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Ballot Box and Business Insider

Josh Rojas / Bay News 9:

Deputies: RNC protestor arrested with machete strapped to his leg — TAMPA — A Republican National Convention protestor was arrested while he allegedly carried a machete strapped to his leg, according to deputies. — According to Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials, Jason T. Wilson …

Discussion: ABCNEWS, The Daily Caller, American Spectator, CANNONFIRE, Roger L. Simon, The Hinterland Gazette, The Lonely Conservative, Patterico's Pontifications, The Raw Story, Pirate's Cove, The Other McCain, Tampa Bay Times and small dead animals

Glen Johnson / Boston Globe:

While Romney campaign talks of forging ahead, Isaac may prompt convention cancellation — TAMPA - There is a distinct possibility that the 2012 Republican National Convention will be cancelled. — The decision may come not so much because the Tampa-St. Petersburg area will suffer a direct hit from Isaac …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:

Republican Talking Points — Here are the official Republican talking points, being circulated to surrogates speaking on behalf of the party here: — Surrogate Message Points: — 2012 Republican National Convention - A Better Future — Top Line Message Points:

Javier Manjarres / The Shark Tank:
U.S. Military Presence at Republican Convention, Code Pink Comes Dressed as Pink Vaginas

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Meghashyam Mali / The Hill:
Priebus: Despite shortened convention, GOP message ‘still the same’

Discussion: Politico

James Hohmann / Politico:
Celebration, defiance at Paul rally

Discussion: Capitol Alert, Associated Press, CNN and Ballot Box

Michael D. Shear / The Caucus:
Storm Poses Risks for Republican Convention Planners

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Towleroad News #gay and NBC New York

www2.tbo.com:

Crist to speak at Democratic National Convention — Florida's former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist will be a speaker at the Democratic National Convention. — An official with President Barack Obama's campaign said Sunday that Crist will speak at next week's convention in Charlotte, N.C., but the day hasn't been worked out.

Discussion: Power Line, Politico, Outside the Beltway, National Review and Naked Politics

CNN:
First on CNN: Sheldon and Miriam Adelson coming to Republican Convention

Discussion: Politico and Balloon Juice

Charlie Crist / CNN:
Crist readies Democratic convention speech

Discussion: The Maddow Blog, Towleroad News #gay and Tampa Bay Times

Bobby Jindal / CNN:
New GOP convention schedule released

Discussion: ABCNEWS, Politico, The Caucus, Reuters, The Reaction, theGrio and Connecting.the.Dots

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Republicans Worry About Keeping Factions Reined In — TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney arrives here this week to accept his nomination from the increasingly disparate coalition of factions known as the Republican Party, confronting the challenge of unifying them behind him and — should he win …

Discussion: Washington Wire, Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh, American Power and The Mahablog

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:
Grassroots Press For Convention Floor Fight Over Romney's “Power Grab”

Discussion: Daily Kos and ABCNEWS

Michael Falcone / ABCNEWS:
In Tampa, The Show Must Go On (The Note)

Discussion: CNN and ABCNEWS

New York Post:

Christie chose NJ over Mitt's VP role due to fears that they'd lose: sources — Gov. Chris Christie wasn't willing to give up the New Jersey statehouse to be Mitt Romney's running mate because he doubted they'd win, The Post has learned. — Romney's top aides had demanded Christie step …

Discussion: The Hill, Wonkette, Hotline On Call and Saint Petersblog

Pema Levy / Talking Points Memo:

Chris Matthews Calls Out GOP: You Are Playing The ‘Race Card’ — Political observers have noted for a while that Mitt Romney's claim that President Obama gutted the work requirement in the 1996 welfare reform law is false. But few in the mainstream media have have gone so far as to accuse Republicans of playing the ‘race card.’

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Balloon Juice

Ruth R. Wisse / Wall Street Journal:

Welcome To Freshman Disorientation — Student opinion at elite schools is showing ‘diversity.’ The faculty is another matter. — Four years ago at the beginning of Harvard's school term, I was going over an assignment with a freshman when she confessed that she was feeling guilty—because she was working for the Obama campaign.

Zach Carter / The Huffington Post:

Mitt Romney Reaped Huge Tax Benefits Based On ‘Active’ Role At Bain Capital … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Elections 2012, Mitt Romney, Elections 2012, Taxes , Mitt Romney Bain Capital, Private Equity, ROMNEy TAXES, Tax Return, Bain, Bain Capital, Loopholes, Mitt Romney 2012, Mitt Romney 2012 …

Discussion: Daily Kos, Wonkette, McClatchy Washington Bureau, Informed Comment, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Guardian and CANNONFIRE

BuzzFeed:

Ron Paul: If I Was In Charge The People Killed on 9/11 Would Still Be Alive — At a speech today in the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida ahead of the Republican convention, the Libertarian former Republican presidential candidate said if he had been in charge 9/11 wouldn't have occurred.

Discussion: Gothamist, americanthinker.com, Towleroad News #gay and The Right Scoop

Randy E. Barnett / SSRN:

From Antislavery Lawyer to Chief Justice: The Remarkable But Forgotten Career of Salmon P. Chase — Abstract: — Salmon P. Chase was as responsible as any single person for the abolition of chattel slavery in the United States. Yet his name is barely known and his career is largely forgotten.

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy