memeorandum: The meaning of Ben Carson's stunning rise (John Podhoretz/New York Post)

9:45 AM ET, November 4, 2015

Top Items:

John Podhoretz / New York Post:

The meaning of Ben Carson's stunning rise — It's very meaningful that the surgeon Ben Carson appears to be taking the lead in the polling for the GOP nomination — but not in the ways you might expect. — First, it means Donald Trump has stalled out. Given Trump's standing atop the polls …

Nick Gass / Politico:

Jeb Bush plummets in latest national poll — Jeb Bush's support among Republicans nationally has plummeted to the low single digits in the latest Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday, as the former Florida governor's campaign seeks to hit refresh with its “Jeb Can Fix It” tour.

Discussion: Bloomberg Business, ABC News, Washington Post, Naked Politics, Hot Air and The Week

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Is Ben Carson Running for President? — Or is he running a clever marketing scam? — On February 7, 2013, Ben Carson appeared at a National Prayer Breakfast, where he visibly annoyed President Obama by delivering a right-wing speech denouncing Obamacare and cultural liberalism, and calling for a flat tax based on the biblical tithe.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Florida Politics, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, No More Mister Nice Blog, National Review, bradford-delong.com and Washington Monthly

Mark Murray / NBC News:
Clinton, Carson in Dead Heat in 2016 Matchup, New Poll Finds

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, NewsBusters, CNN, Diary of a Mad Voter, Political Wire, Business Insider, Horizons, American Spectator, WANE-TV, ThinkProgress, Hot Air and Shakesville

Brad Mielke / ABC News:
Here at a barn in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush was fired up.

Discussion: Politico and Bloomberg Business

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Iowa GOP expects record turnout

Discussion: Political Wire

Erick Erickson / Erick on the Radio:
Ben Carson's Burn Rate

Discussion: The Week, The PJ Tatler and VodkaPundit

Katherine Driessen / Houston Chronicle:

Houston Equal Rights Ordinance fails by wide margin — Houston's controversial equal rights ordinance failed by a wide margin Tuesday, with voters opting to repeal the law that offered broad non-discrimination protections, according to incomplete and unofficial returns.

Discussion: The Daily Caller, The Federalist, Washington Post and Hit & Run

Russell Berman / The Atlantic:

How Bathroom Fears Conquered Transgender Rights in Houston — Houston would seem, at first glance, an unlikely the site for the gay-rights movement's first major setback since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. — The nation's fourth-largest city has elected …

Discussion: Breitbart, ThinkProgress, BuzzFeed, The PJ Tatler, Los Angeles Times, Towleroad, The Huffington Post, Althouse and The American Conservative

New York Times:
Houston Voters Reject Broad Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Hot Air, Above the Law, Vox Popoli, The Week and NPR

Dominic Holden / BuzzFeed:
Why Is The LGBT Movement Struggling To Uphold A Simple Law In Houston?

Discussion: EAGnews.org, The Huffington Post, AMERICAblog News, Slantpoint and Towleroad

Zeke J Miller / TIME:

Jeb Bush Says He Was Wrong about France's Workweek — “I really did a disservice to the French,” he joked — Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lightheartedly apologized to the people of France on Tuesday for making fun of their work week during last week's Republican debate.

Discussion: OnPolitics, CNN, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Slantpoint

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:
GOP candidates move forward with plan for greater debate control

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Politico

Tampa Bay Times:
Marco Rubio spent lavishly on a GOP credit card, but some transactions are still secret

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
The Republican field has a new target: Marco Rubio

Discussion: Political Wire and PoliticusUSA

Bloomberg Business:
Marco Rubio's Past Immigration Efforts Haunt His Presidential Ambitions

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, Mediaite, Bloomberg View, Washington Post, Washington Monthly, Bloomberg.com news, Breitbart and Daily Mail

Nick Gass / Politico:
GOP campaigns fail to unite around debate demands

Discussion: New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo, CNNMoney, Poynter., The Week and ABC News

New York Times:

Matt Bevin, Republican, Wins Governor's Race in Kentucky — LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Matt Bevin, a Republican political novice, wealthy Louisville businessman and Tea Party favorite, was elected Kentucky's next governor on Tuesday, a victory that could herald a new era in a state where Democrats …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The State Journal Stories, Washington Post, Raw Story, Business Insider, Courier-Journal, FiveThirtyEight and Towleroad

Kevin Robillard / Politico:

Republican Bevin wins Kentucky governor's race — Republican Matt Bevin easily won Kentucky's governorship on Tuesday as the GOP made major inroads in a state that had stubbornly resisted the party at the state level even as it voted reliably Republican in federal contests in recent years.

Discussion: Hot Air, RedState, Scared Monkeys, No More Mister Nice Blog, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Forbes, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run, Truth Revolt and Bloomberg.com news

Kyle Kondik / Politico:

How Democrats Could Win the House. Really. — Whatever happens in the White House a year from now, it's an article of faith that not much will change in the House, where Republicans have a seeming lock on the majority. — But wait: the ascendancy of Donald Trump and Ben Carson just might have cracked the window open.

Discussion: Political Wire and The Week

Laura Vozzella / Washington Post:
McAuliffe's hopes for Senate majority dashed

Discussion: Slantpoint

The Hill:

Ryan refuses to rule out riders on spending bill — New Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Tuesday refused to rule out attaching legislative policy riders to an omnibus spending bill, foreshadowing a possible confrontation with President Obama next month. — “This is the legislative branch …

Discussion: Instapundit

Lauren French / Politico:
Freedom Caucus giving Ryan benefit of the doubt

Discussion: Hot Air and CNN

Denver Post:

Jefferson County Public Schools see new five-member board take over after election — LAKEWOOD — Voters overwhelmingly chose to recall three members of the Jefferson County school board Tuesday night and elected two others to form an entirely new board in Colorado's second-largest school district.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and Diane Ravitch's blog

Alan Johnson / The Columbus Dispatch:

Ohioans reject legalizing marijuana — Ohioans pushed a monopoly marijuana-legalization proposal out the door Tuesday by a nearly 2-to-1 vote. — But the question is, will pot make a comeback? — Although Issue 3 was handily defeated, the debate and conversations about the issue …

Discussion: Liberaland, Washington Post, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run, The Week and NPR

Ralph Z. Hallow / Washington Times:

Donald Trump could win over Hispanics who fear job competition from illegals — To hear political pundits tell it, Donald Trump has little chance to attract enough Hispanic voters to win the presidency in 2016 because of his plans to build a border wall and deport all illegal immigrants in America.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The PJ Tatler

Yanan Wang / Washington Post:

‘Jeb Can Fix It’ backfires in the hands of Internet meme-makers and trolls — If you've ever wondered what Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush would look like in denim overalls, workman boots and a hard hat, look no further. As of Monday, the Internet has got you covered.

Discussion: All Ablog Austin, NBC News, Tales from the Trail, Wired and Towleroad

Gizmodo:

Hey Ted Cruz, You're Holding Your Gun Backwards — Staunch gun rights advocate Ted Cruz is here seen holding a shotgun while being interviewed by CNN. Can you see what he's doing wrong? That's right, he's violating the first two rules of gun safety. — When you learn to shoot …

Discussion: RedState, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Talking Points Memo

Roger Simon / Politico:

Why are the candidates so afraid of the press? — Just before the doors to the press bus close with a sigh, a tall, tanned man with weathered skin leaps aboard and walks to the rear. — He is wearing a brown suit with a carefully folded white pocket handkerchief. His dark hair is slicked back.