memeorandum: Romney's popularity dips ahead of opening night (Jon Cohen/The Fix)

2:00 PM ET, August 29, 2012

Top Items:

CNN:

Two people removed from RNC after taunting black camera operator — Tampa, Florida (CNN) - Two people were removed from the Republican National Convention Tuesday after they threw nuts at an African-American CNN camera operator and said, “This is how we feed animals.”

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Hinterland Gazette, Taylor Marsh, Media Decoder, Poynter, Mediaite, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Times, theGrio, The Mahablog, The Daily Dish and Business Insider, more at Mediagazer »

Jack Hitt / Harper's:

A Troubling Chant on the Convention Floor — An unscripted moment happened late this afternoon that caused the assembled mainstream media to turn away in the hope that it would disappear. As I was standing in line for a sandwich next to an Italian and a Puerto Rican correspondent, a controversy was unfolding on the floor.

Discussion: Hit & Run, Washington Examiner, Stinque, The Raw Story, NBC Latino, Addicting Info, Daily Kos, Pirate's Cove, Hullabaloo and BuzzFeed

Kyle Leighton / Talking Points Memo:

RNC Attendee Allegedly Threw Nuts At Black CNN Camerawoman, Said ‘This Is How We Feed Animals’ — An attendee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa on Tuesday allegedly threw nuts at a black camerawoman working for CNN and said “This is how we feed animals” before being removed from the convention …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Saint Petersblog, Politico, Wonkette, Angry Black Lady Chronicles, Firedoglake, Bark Bark Woof Woof, Jesus' General, Crooks and Liars, The Raw Story, New York Magazine, Guardian, Towleroad News #gay, Gawker and Balloon Juice

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

CNN's Exquisitely Awkward Spot — You've probably seen that last night a convention attendee was ejected from the hall for pelting a black CNN camerawomen with nuts and saying the words “this is how we feed animals.” Follow up reports this morning say actually two people were ejected.

Discussion: USA Today, more at Mediagazer »

Athenae / First Draft:

Making You Inferior With Your Explicit Consent — This, precisely: … It's not just about the racism, though I don't think they'd have used the word “animal” to refer to a white crew. It's about a media culture that for 30 years now has heard from the right wing in in this country …

Justin Sink / The Hill: Two RNC attendees removed for taunting black camerawoman

David Taintor / Talking Points Memo:
Two RNC Attendees Removed After Throwing Nuts At Black CNN Camerawoman

Discussion: Joe. My. God. and Truthdig

Matthew Sheffield / NewsBusters.org:

In ABC Webcast, Yahoo! News's Chalian Says Romneys ‘Happy to Have a Party When Black People Drown’ — During live coverage of the Republican National Convention here in Tampa, Yahoo News Washington bureau chief David Chalian provided the perfect example of the pervasive anti-Republican bias Mitt Romney faces …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Pat Dollard, National Review, Atlas Shrugs, The Right Scoop, Washington Free Beacon and The Lonely Conservative

Dylan Byers / Politico:

Yahoo News fires David Chalian — TAMPA, Fla. — Yahoo News has fired Washington bureau chief David Chalian after he was caught on a hot-mic during an online video broadcast today saying that Mitt Romney and his wife Ann had no problem with African Americans suffering as a result of Hurricane Isaac …

Discussion: iOwnTheWorld.com and Poynter

BREITBART.COM:

Send a Tip — ***UPDATE: ABC News reached out Breitbart News to name the man heard mocking the Romneys during this ABC News livecast: David Chalian (pictured) of Yahoo! News. Chalian is a former political director with ABC News, but according to ABC News has no association with the network now.

Discussion: protein wisdom, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and The Lonely Conservative

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard: Reporter: Romneys ‘Happy to Have a Party With Black People Drowning’

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:

MSNBC abandons GOP convention during every speech by a minority — One of the left's favorite attacks on the Republican Party is that it is the party of old white people, devoid of diversity and probably racist. — If you were watching MSNBC's coverage of the Republican National Convention …

Discussion: Wake up America, Hot Air, neo-neocon, Mediaite, Washington Examiner, Washington Wire, protein wisdom, Jammie Wearing Fools, Scared Monkeys, Clash Daily, The Right Scoop, The Lonely Conservative, small dead animals, GayPatriot, Wizbang and The Gateway Pundit

Francesca Chambers / Red Alert Politics:

MSNBC cuts every speech made by a minority from RNC speech coverage — MSNBC wants you to think the Republican Party hates minorities. So much so that the liberal news network cut minority speeches from it's convention coverage. — When popular Tea Party candidate Ted Cruz …

Discussion: Townhall.com, Say Anything, Michelle Malkin, TheBlaze.com, Mediaite and Right Wing News

David Horsey / Los Angeles Times:
Republican National Convention puts a brown face on a white party

Discussion: NBC Politics and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Dan / Riehl World News:
LA Times: GOP showed off its colored people for the cameras

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Jammie Wearing Fools

First Read:

First Thoughts: Mixed messages — Mixed messages: Both Ann Romney and Chris Christie gave fine speeches, but they created a disjointed message... Christie raises the bar for Romney... Last night showcased the GOP's governors and its diverse candidates/officials... Isaac slams into Louisiana …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and CNN

BuzzFeed: Mitt Romney Tells A Joke

Bloomberg:
Romney and Christie's Hard Truth Problem

Discussion: Hit & Run and PennLive.com

Alessandra Stanley / New York Times:
The TV Watch: A Revved-Up Ann Romney at Republican Convention-TV-Watch

Discussion: The Caucus, American Prospect, Fox News, Connecting.the.Dots, BuzzFeed, The Hinterland Gazette and Taylor Marsh

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
The big speeches: Why Ann Romney succeeded and Chris Christie didn't

Discussion: Power Line, Instapundit and Mediaite

Russell Goldman / ABCNEWS:
Gov. Chris Christie: Romney Will Tell Voters ‘Hard Truths’

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, Mediaite, CNN, his vorpal sword, Taylor Marsh, Weekly Standard, No More Mister Nice Blog, New York Magazine, TBogg and The Hill

Marcus Baram / The Huffington Post:

‘No Easy Day,’ Bin Laden Raid Book: Osama Was Unarmed … FOLLOW: — Osama bin Laden, Video, Bin Laden Dead, Bin Laden Operation, Bin Laden Raid, Bin Laden Raid Book, Bin Laden Unarmed, Mark Owen, No Easy Day, World News — NEW YORK — The much-anticipated firsthand account …

Discussion: Wired, Hot Air, emptywheel, AEIdeas, Ricochet Conversations Feed, americanthinker.com, Weasel Zippers, Judicial Watch and Gawker, more at Mediagazer »

Kimberly Dozier / Associated Press:

SEAL book raises questions about bin Laden's death — WASHINGTON (AP) — A firsthand account of the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden contradicts previous accounts by administration officials, raising questions as to whether the terror mastermind presented a clear threat when SEALs first fired upon him.

Discussion: “The Lid”, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Media Decoder and Outside the Beltway

Roy Gutman / McClatchy Washington Bureau: CIA balked at chance to kill bin Laden in '99, Polish ex-spy says

Rebekah L. Sanders / Arizona Republic:

Quayle calls Schweikert to concede in CD 6 race — U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle has called fellow Rep. David Schweikert to concede the Congressional District 6 race. — LIVE: Follow our continuing election coverage — LIVE: See the results as they come in — Images from the 2012 Arizona primary

Discussion: Ballot Box, Politico and theGrio

Naftali Bendavid / Washington Wire: Schweikert Bests Quayle in Bitter Arizona Primary

Fox News:
Quayle becomes first House freshman Republican to lose primary as Schweikert emerges victorious

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and The Hinterland Gazette

Meghashyam Mali / Ballot Box:

Ahead of Ryan's Tampa speech, Obama video hits VP pick as ‘out of step’ — Democrats unveiled a new Web video on Wednesday hammering Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) ahead of his speech to the Republican National Convention, painting Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick as “out of step.”

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Politico and Towleroad News #gay

Jonathan Martin / Politico:
Mitt Romney the GOP placeholder

Discussion: CNN and Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog

Jon Cohen / The Fix:
Romney's popularity dips ahead of opening night

Discussion: Firedoglake, Gallup, The Daily Beast and The Maddow Blog

Matthew Mosk / ABCNEWS:

Romney Party Yacht Flies Cayman Islands Flag — The yacht where the elite donors of the Romney Victory Council are partying in Tampa bears the flag of the Cayman Islands. Romney's use of offshore accounts for his investments has come under fire during the campaign.

Discussion: The Raw Story, Hullabaloo and Daily Kos

Michelangelo Signorile / The Huffington Post:

Orrin Hatch Breaks With Mitt Romney On Gay Marriage Ban, Does Not Support Amendment … REACT: — FOLLOW: — Orrin Hatch, Republican Party, Elections 2012, Gay Marriage, Marriage Equality, Orrin Hatch Doma, Orrin Hatch Gay Marriage, Orrin Hatch Marriage Equality, Orrin Hatch Mitt Romney …

Associated Press:
New Zealand Parliament passes 1st stage of gay marriage law spurred by Obama declaration

Discussion: Truth Wins Out and Joe. My. God.

Juan Williams / The Hill:

Dirty politics GOP style — This is one dirty campaign. — My fellow Fox political analyst Karl Rove sees the proof in the Obama campaign's claims that Mitt Romney might be a felon and an Obama super-PAC advertisement blaming Romney for shuttering a factory and leaving a dying woman without health insurance.

Discussion: americanthinker.com and Jammie Wearing Fools

Ezra Klein / Washington Post:

Republican National Convention: The one graph you need to see before watching — On the Republican convention stage tonight, you're going to see a really large clock. But the clock isn't for keeping time. The idea isn't to stop speakers from going over their allotted time, or the convention from running late.