Clinton Joins The Obama Team

Just recently Clinton has joined Obama's team to help support him in his campaign against Romney. He appeared in a Obama campaign video and CNN says, "Clinton can help Obama by reminding voters of better economic times". Sunday night was when Clinton officially joined the Obama re-election campaign. He said, "Barack Obama deserves to be re-elected president of the United States". However, four years ago things were very different. Clinton was the biggest supporter for his wife Hillary in her battle against Obama. Clinton was a critic of Obama then. He said that Obama wasn't ready to handle the duties of the Oval Office. Funny how he now is supporting him in his re-election campaign. Once Hillary ended her bid for nomination, they both started supporting Obama. In the new campaign video that Clinton is in for Obama he talks about Obama's decision to carry out the raid that killed bin Laden and he asks if Romney would have made the same decision. With Clinton on Obama's side people will listen to Clinton because they remember him for his economic credibility. This could give Obama a huge boost in his campaign against Romney.

Gingrich in GOP race

Newt Gingrich may reconsider his White House bid if tonight ends with a disappointing finish in Delaware's primary. "I think we would need to take a deep look at what we are doing," Gingrich said in an interview with NBC news. Gingrich is currently doing campaign work in NC, but that may come to a jolting halt depending on how the primaries go today. Gingrich, having won only primaries in South Carolina and Georgia, trails far behind Mitt Romney in the race, with 141 delegates to Romney's 695 delegates, according to a CNN estimate. If Romney gets the majority of the delegates, there will be no point for Gingrich to stay. Gingrich has repeatedly said he would stay in the running until Romney secured the 1,144 delegates needed for the nomination, adding that he would then throw his support behind the likely GOP nominee.

TODAY

Today is the biggest day of Republican primary voting since Super Tuesday (March 6). It is the last day before a primary in numbers of states and today is to encourage people to get out and vote. Although Romney is still campaigning in primary states, he is now focused on the White House. On April 10 Santorum (Romney's closest rival) suspended his campaign and now Romney is the presumptive nominee. Gingrich and Paul are still in but their bid for the White House is such a long shot that Romney is now thought to be the Republican nominee. Out of 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, Romney has 695, Santorum has 273, Gingrich has 141, and Paul has 72. After the Delaware primary Gingrich says he will "reassess" his campaign. Now this presidential candidate race has turned into a general election contest between Mitt Romney and President Obama. Even if Romney gets all the delegates in these five states today, he will still not have enough to clinch the nomination. That will most likely happen in May.

Romney's VP (Rubio could be the favorite

Now that GOP nominee Mitt Romney has become the number one leader for the race to the convention more speculations are on who his Vice President could be. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida is one of the rumored to being in the running. Rubio just recently was rumored as he has been following Romney on his campaign. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey and Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and others have sparked similar chatter. But the focus on Rubio has always been sharper, given his youth, popularity among many that associate with the tea party movement, battleground state roots and his place in the Hispanic community — a crucial voting bloc in which Romney trails President Barack Obama badly in most polls. The race has changed from one for the presidential nomination it VP nomination

Misconduct Among the Secret Service

One of the most recent news stories within the capital of our country is a messy story of misconduct among the secret service--those key to the protection of our country's President. Recent results of an inquiry reveal that 11 Secret Service agents and 10 military personnel are suspected of misconduct in an incident last Wednesday in Colombia, prior to the arrival of President Obama for an economic summit. The report reveals that as many as 21 women were brought to their hotel after a night of "widespread debauchery" among the agents. As of today, all 11 of these agents have been placed on leave for misconduct.

This is significant because the Secret Service have historically been nearly unmatched in their ability to remain out of the news and remain squeaky clean. Though isolated events have occurred, the Secret Service have historically consistently maintained the integrity necessary and to be expected of the group that protects this nation's President. How President Obama handles this situation, and whether there will be any additional repercussions for the Secret Service remains to be seen and will be a situation to follow.

Source: Washington Post.

Republicans United at last

A CNN/ORC International poll showed on Tuesday that Romney's popularity is starting to rebound now that the divisiveness of the Republican primaries appears to be all but over. According to the survey, 44% of people questioned said they have a favorable view of Romney, up 10 points from February, while 43% said they have an unfavorable opinion, down 11 points, and 13% were unsure. According to the poll, 53% of Americans plan to give Romney a second look when the primaries are officially over, with 45% saying they already know enough about Romney to decide whether he would be a good president.The survey indicates Romney's popularity still lags well behind Obama's: 56% have a favorable view of the president, with 42% saying they see Obama in a negative light.

"The Republican Party's favorable rating has also rebounded now that the nomination fight is all but over, from 35% in March to 41%," said Polling Director Keating Holland. "That still puts the GOP several points behind the Democratic party's 46% rating, but it is an indication that the wounds have started to heal from the primary season."

In addition, both House Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said Tuesday they back Romney's nomination. The statements a few hours apart were intended to show growing Republican support for Romney despite mistrust among some conservatives over his moderate policies when he was Massachusetts governor.

Obama v. Romney

As of today, President Barack Obama holds a nine-point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney thanks in part to the perception that the president is more likeable and more in touch with the problems facing women and middle class Americans, according to a new national poll. A CNN/ORC International poll released Monday also indicates a large gender gap that benefits Obama, but the public is divided on which candidate can best jump-start the economy. The survey indicates women voters back Obama over Romney by 16 points (55%-39%), virtually unchanged from an 18-point advantage among women for the president in CNN polling last month.

According to the poll, 52% of registered voters say if the presidential election were held today, they would vote for the president, with 43% saying they would cast a ballot for Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is making his second bid for the White House. With Santorum out of the race, it looks like Romney is now generally considered the presumptive nominee.

The Tricky Tax System

Today was the deadline for 2011 tax returns and a recent poll says that most people believe the revenue system benefits the wealthy and is unfair to average workers. 68% said it benefits the rich while 29% disagreed. About taxes being too high, it is mainly those between the age of 35 and 65 that think their taxes are too high. Younger Americans who have lower paying jobs and senior citizens who are fixed on a set income don't complain nearly as much as those who are in their peak earning years. However, people like David Levine (the former chief economist for the investment-management firm Sanford C. Bernstein) are actually asking for higher taxes. As you can see, taxes are a tricky area. From the mouth of Nixon, "We shall never make taxation popular but we can make taxation fair."

Santorum will suspend his campaign

In very recent news GOP candidate Rick Santorum will suspend his campaign indefinitely. Santorum said he will stay involved in the next couple months but will temporarily withdraw from the race. Sources say that Santorum spoke with other candidate Mitt Romney the day before he announced his suspension. This brings up many undecided questions like will Santorum stay in the running or will he completely drop out of the race? Will Santorum faithful turn to Romney, Gingrich, or Paul? Or could Mitt Romney have a qualified running mate with Santorum? Also many family issues surround Santorum as one of his daughters was just released from the hospital.

The Buffet Rule

Today the White House laid out its case for the Buffett Rule, arguing that it would make the tax code fairer and make it harder for the very rich to lower their tax bills. The Buffet Rule, a proposal that would ensure the wealthiest Americans pay at least 30 percent of their income in federal taxes, is a key point in Obama's re-election bid. The general principle behind it is that millionaires and billionaires like investor Warren Buffett shouldn't pay a lower percentage of their income in federal taxes than middle-class households.

Over five decades, the average tax rate paid by the wealthiest Americans has dropped much more than the rate for middle-income taxpayers, even as the income of those at the top of the scale has grown significantly more than for everyone else.

Republican front-runner Romney, “opposes the Buffett Rule – he thinks millionaires and billionaires should keep paying lower tax rates than middle-class families," the statement said. "In fact, Romney himself isn’t paying his fair share – in 2010, Romney paid a tax rate of only 13.9 percent, well below the rate paid by many middle-class Americans."

Obama Holds Key Leads in Polls Over Romney

A recent Washington Post-ABC News Poll conducted by phone April 5-8 revealed some disconcerting news for those seeking a Republican President in 2012--Barack Obama leads in key categories, especially those which pertain to his character, his likability, and his ability to inspire people. As said by the Washington Post, "he has a better than 2-to-1 advantage as the more friendly and likable of the two, and nearly that margin as more inspiring." In addition to his lead in terms of his character, Obama "has double-digit leads over the likely Republican presidential nominee on who would do a better job of protecting the middle class, addressing women’s issues, handling international affairs and dealing with health care." In sum, unless there is a drastic change in the opinions of voters (which is certainly possible considering the major swings from candidates in the GOP nominee race), Barack Obama seems highly likely to gain a second term in the oval office.

Source: Washington Post

Romney - Most Likely the GOP Nominee

Recent polls show that 3/4 of people view Romney as the GOP nominee, that Romney is trailing Obama, and that voters favor Romney on economic issues but like Obama more. As of now 51% of people would vote for Obama and 44% of people would vote for Romney. Santorum, who is still in the race, had to cancel some of his campaign events yesterday and today because of his daughter being in the hospital. On April 24th Pennsylvania will hold its primary. Santorum must win this primary or there is no hope for his candidacy. One main thing that has helped Romney create his lead over Santorum is how much money he has been able to spend. The Romney campaign and the superPAC supporting it have spent millions of dollars on negative ads. Santorum has less than half of Romney's delegate total. However, the primary races after April 24 have blocked for Santorum so far. 231 delegates are up for grabs after April 24 in New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Gingrich, who only has 140 delegates, has said he will stay in the race until the Republican National Convention in August. It looks as if the goal for both Gingrich and Santorum is to prevent Romney from reaching 1,144 delegate threshold before the Convention.

Romney Takes Three More Primaries

Tonight, as of around 10 PM, Romney has gained yet more ground on Rick Santorum in the race for the GOP nomination. Primaries in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C. all look to be ending in convincing victories for the former Governor from Massachusetts, even further cementing his place as the front-runner for the GOP nomination. With each primary, it seems more and more likely that Romney will be the eventual nominee, especially considering the increase in support Romney has seen in just the past couple of weeks. As of around March 18th, according to Gallup, Romney had 34% of Republican support, compared to 30% for Rick Santorum. As of yesterday, however, Romney possessed 41% of Republican support, while Santorum possessed only 25%. The next major primary in the race will be the Pennsylvania primary, which occurs on April 14th. Santorum has much riding on his former state, and if he's able to gain a victory there, he would still have a chance against Romney, although his chances at the Republican nomination seem increasingly smaller with each day at this point.

Sources: Washington Post, Gallup.

Romney Wins Maryland, others will be closer

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will win the Maryland GOP primary as predicted. Primaries are also being held today in the District of Columbia and Wisconsin. However the primaries in Wisconsin and DC will be much closer in deciding who will win. Romney is hoping to pull out another victory where as Gingrich is in desperate need of a victory. There also has been speculation that Ron Paul, the hopeful candidate will drop out of the running soon. This could cause a shake up with the votes if this happens. We will see as time is running out of the race for the nomination.

The Importance of Wisconsin as The GOP Race Continues

So far polls have shown that Romney is in the lead . Because of this, Santorum really needs to get Wisconsin (which it looks like he will). If Santorum doesn't get Wisconsin the race for the GOP nomination might be over. In Massachusetts and Maryland Romney is the favorite. But in Wisconsin Romney holds only a single-digit lead over Santorum. Most people already think the race is over because of how much of a lead Romney has. Romney even said on Sunday that the nominee "will probably be me". Because of Romney's confidence in winning the GOP race, he has started to focus his rhetoric at Obama. Santorum, on the other hand, seems to be downplaying expectations by saying on Monday that he knew "April would be a very tough month". Even though the odds don't seem to be in his favor, Santorum hasn't shown any signs of giving up. One thing that has fueled Santorum's campaign is how he has continually depicted himself as the lone true conservative. But even though Romney has thought of the race for the GOP nominee as over he is still campaigning in Wisconsin. So far he has spent around $4 million. Results from this primary should be posted tonight.

Obama fighting for Obamacare

After last week's arguments about health care reform, President Barack Obama said he expected the justices to rule the act is constitutional. Polls indicate the nation is divided over the issue on ideological lines, with conservatives opposing the measure as a government overreach and liberals supporting it as a necessary overhaul of the health insurance system.

Obama said he was confident the Supreme Court "will not take what would be an unprecedented extraordinary step of overturning a law" passed by Congress. He also took a shot at critics of the health care bill, noting that such opponents now were calling for the kind of "judicial activism" they have opposed in the past."I just remind conservative commentators that for years, what we've heard is, the biggest problem on the bench was judicial activism or a lack of judicial restraint, that an unelected group of people would somehow overturn a duly constituted and passed law," the president said. To this, conservative Sen. Orrin Hatch replied, "Judicial activism or restraint is not measured by which side wins but by whether the court correctly applied the law,"

The Supreme Court's decision is expected in June in the middle of the campaign for the November presidential election.

Healthcare bill

"Obamacare" went on trial today with the Supreme Court starting three days of arguments on the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's landmark health care law. The legal question for the justices was whether Congress had exceeded its constitutional authority in requiring most Americans to obtain insurance or pay a penalty. The justices will hear arguments on the constitutionality of the individual mandate, which is the key to this whole showdown.

The justices are asking questions and debating on the legality of the bill, “Can you create commerce in order to regulate it?” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy asked the healthcare admin. Lawyer. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked if the government could compel the purchase of cellphones. And Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked about forcing people to buy burial insurance.

The conventional view is that the administration will need one of those conservative four votes to win, and it was not clear that it had captured one. The court’s four more liberal members have already indicated that they supported the law, as expected.

Debate of The Health Care Law

Today the Supreme Court began debating one of the provisions of the 2010 health care law that says that by 2014 Americans must purchase health insurance or face a financial penalty. A poll that was released yesterday indicates that 47% of people support the mandate while 51% oppose it. There is a gender gap on this issue with 53% of women supporting the mandate and 58% of me opposing it. There is also a partisan divide on the issue with 71% of Democrats favoring it and 78% of Republicans opposing it. The main issue is, can the federal government, under the Constitution's commerce clause, regulate economic "inactivity"? 26 states, led by Florida, argue that people can't be forced to buy insurance. Supporters of the mandate "see it as a way to spread health care costs among a larger pool of individuals, ensuring affordable, quality medical care". "Opponents see fundamental constitutional violations, such as an intrusion into a citizen's personal life and an intrusion in long-held state power". This issue is really important because it brings up the question of whether the federal government can regulate anything it wants to or whether there are some things that only the state government can regulate.

Source: CNN

The Etch-a-Sketch

Last Wednesday, Romney's campaign adviser Eric Fehrnstrom made one of the biggest gaffes to date of the race for the GOP nomination, comparable even to the Rick Perry "Oops" debate moment. When Fehrnstrom was asked in a CNN interview "whether he is concerned that Romney might be forced by his Republican opponents to take extreme positions during the primary that could alienate moderates in a race against President Barack Obama," Fehrnstrom responded with the following: “I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign. Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch A Sketch. You can kind of shake it up, and we start all over again.” Ever since this gaffe, Romney's opponents have been attacking him relentlessly, saying that this exemplifies the lack of sincerity in Romney and it shows that he is "the type of politician who will say or do anything to win." While practically speaking, everybody knows that the campaign changes in the fall and the candidates must learn to appeal to a different base of voters, the fact that Fehrnstrom actually came out and said this is a huge problem for the Romney campaign, and one which can easily be exploited both by the current GOP candidates who are challenging Romney, and Obama in the fall if Romney is the eventual nominee after all.

Sources: Washington Post, Huffington Post.

Landmark Supreme Court Case Starts Monday

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday began oral arguments over the constitutionality of the sweeping health care law championed by President Barack Obama, with a majority of justices appearing to reject suggestions they wait another few years before deciding the issues.
In one of the most politically charged cases in years, the health care reform case drew people who waited in line starting Friday for the chance to attend, and sparked competing news conferences by supporters and opponents of the 2010 law passed by Democrats over united Republican opposition. Debates among supporters and people who disagree with universal health care are starting to heat up.

Romney Wins Illinois Primary

Tuesday night, Mitt Romney convincingly defeated Rick Santorum in the Illinois primary. With 54 delegates up for grabs, Romney received 46.7 percent of the vote, while Santorum received 35 percent of the vote. Though Santorum is still fighting and likely will continue to fight up until the Republican National Convention, or at least close to the Convention, it is seeming more and more likely that Mitt Romney will be the eventual delegate for the Republican Party. Though he has been criticized widely throughout his campaign for the nomination and will continue to be harshly criticized, Romney is the only candidate in the race who has managed to gain and maintain a consistent support base throughout the contest. The GOP base at this point seems unlikely in my mind to nominate anybody other than Romney considering the up and down nature of all the other candidates in the field, and barring something unexpected, I see Romney as the clear eventual delegate for the Republican Party against Barack Obama in the fall.

Source: Washington Post

Keystone XL Pipeline

President Obama plans to announce in Cushing, Oklahoma Thursday that his administration will expedite the permit process for the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline. In January, the Obama administration denied a permit for the 1,700 mile long Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would stretch from Canada's tar sands development to the U.S. Gulf Coast. But late last month, TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline, announced it would move forward with the process to build the southern portion of the pipeline, which would begin in Cushing. A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner balked at the idea that President Obama could claim credit for speeding up the approval process of the southern segment of the pipeline. “This is like a governor personally issuing a fishing license,” Brendan Buck said. “The President’s attempt to take credit for a pipeline he blocked and personally lobbied Congress against is staggering in its dis-ingenuousness. This portion of the pipeline is being built in spite of the President, not because of him.”

GOP Ilinois primary

Fifty-four delegates are up for grabs today when Illinois votes for the Republican presidential nominee. For Mitt Romney, capturing the popular vote might be just as important as increasing his lead in the battle for delegates."Romney could really use a romp in Illinois. It wouldn't put him over the top, but it would put him back on track with a head of steam," said CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley. After finishing third last Tuesday in Alabama and Mississippi to his main rival: Santorum, Romney regained a bit of momentum on Sunday when he trounced Santorum in Puerto Rico's primary, getting 83% of the vote and picking up all 20 delegates up for grabs. Even with Romney's win in Puerto Rico, Illinois is considered a "must win" state because the state's more moderate makeup and urban population is set up better for Romney than Santorum.

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Gas Prices

Today during a committee hearing on the Department of Energy's use of stimulus funding the topic of conversation kept returning to the rising gas prices. Republicans were hammering secretary Steven Chu over this. This topic put the partisan divide in Washington on full display. Republicans were the ones hammering the secretary over the gas prices. Democrats were asking the secretary questions that provided him the chance to defend administration policies. When the secretary noted the investments to boost the use of electric cars Republican representative Patrick McHenry of North Carolina said that the use of electric cars mean nothing to his constituents who have long commutes by car every day. McHenry complained that he can't just tell everyone in his district to buy a new electric vehicle. Obama has argued that there is no single step to lower gas prices in the short term. With the presidential election just around the corner, Republican leaders have started targeting Obama's energy policies blaming him for high energy costs.

Santorum Wins in Alabama, leading in Mississippi

Despite what looks to have been a significant drop-off in the polling numbers of Rick Santorum over the last few weeks, the former Pennsylvania Senator has been declared the winner in Alabama, and as of around 10:45, leads with 33% in Mississippi, narrowly leading Newt Gingrich at 31 and Mitt Romney at 30. A win in these two states would be significant for the Senator, who most have thought was finished after a sub-par performance on Super Tuesday. However, were he to win both these states, his role as the legitimate challenger to Romney in the race for the GOP nomination would be cemented. Though Romney remains the front-runner, Santorum's victories in some significant states keep him in the race and potentially give him the chance to upend Romney at some point.

Tuesday's Primaries

The Republican presidential candidates' campaigns were downplaying expectations as Alabama and Mississippi voted Tuesday, an indication of how tight the two primaries are and the importance of momentum on the long road to the GOP convention. Forty-seven delegates are up for grabs in Alabama, with 37 at stake in Mississippi, all being divided proportionally. Both states hold open primaries, which mean Republicans, independent voters and Democrats can cast ballots in the GOP contests. Hawaii and American Samoa also hold caucuses Tuesday, with 17 delegates to be allocated in Hawaii and nine in American Samoa. Romney is far short of the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination -- he holds a 459-203 lead over Santorum, with Gingrich at 118 and Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 66, but every little bit, including what Tuesday has to offer, will matter in this nomination.

Can Anyone Beat Obama?

With the Alabama and Mississippi primaries right around the corner, it's looking like quite the GOP showdown. Mitt Romney had such a long and steady run throughout his campaigning, and it has gotten him this far, but in recent weeks, Rick Santorum has proven to be the favorite candidate. And although he can be a loose cannon and his strong opinions on issues can scare people away, Newt Gingrich has proven himself completely worthy to be in the final three in the race for the presidency.

Personally, though, I think the only candidate who has a chance at beating Obama is Gingrich. He is the most confident, quick-witted, and solid GOP candidate in the running, and Romney and Santorum don't have the strength to stand up against Obama to the point of beating him. If America really wants a republican in the White House this next term, Gingrich is the only logical option.

Today

Super Tuesday, also known as the most important day in the GOP presidential nomination race, is a true testing day which will foreshadow whether Mitt Romney is able to break away from his rivals and regain his lead. Mitt Romney is the most likely beneficiary of the states' complex allocation rules. If he can gain enough of the vote in Idaho, Massachusetts, Vermont and Virginia, he stands to be the sole winner of the combined 133 delegates from those states, almost a third of the 419 delegates are up for grabs on Super Tuesday. Super Tuesday is not however a "winner-take-all" contest, but it does offer candidates some chance of shutting out their opponents in the all-important race to amass delegates.

Super Tuesday

Today (Super Tuesday), according to CNN, there are 3 major things to watch about the GOP race. Today ten states are getting a say on who should "challenge President Obama". The first thing we should watch is Romney's Big Day. Romney has been the off and on frontrunner throughout this whole race. Today (Super Tuesday) has potential to begin his end game. If Romney wins in Ohio and Tennessee it could propel him into a huge lead in the race. The second thing we should watch is Turnout. The number of people who show up at the polls today could be an indication for how energized the Republicans are and what that might mean in the fall. Ohio and Tennessee are the states to watch for the best indication of how energized Republicans are. The third thing to watch is whether or not anyone is leaving the race. The answer to that question is no. Whether or not each of the candidates have a good Super Tuesday, they will still each point to victories they have had or will have. No one is dropping out. Tonight results will be posted and we shall see how each candidate does.

Romney Takes the Lead

Over the past couple of weeks, people have wondered how the Arizona and Michigan primaries would take place. Santorum had been doing well, but Romney was the one who really needed to win them especially with Michigan being his home state. His campaign was growing weak, and he needed a revival. Romney ended up taking both states. This is good for him because it means his campaign will survive for a while. He was able to win over many conservatives although many Republican felt that he was unable to do so. His "tussle" with Santorum, however, did highlight some concerns that Republicans have against him. Most Republicans just want Obama out of the oval office, and Romney is the best "anybody-but-Obama" candidate.

Gingrich and Paul are still in the race, but they need to find a way to revive their campaigns as Romney did. Mr. Paul pledged to stay in the race, declaring that his campaign is “still winning a lot of delegates, and that’s what counts.” Gingrich is hoping to revive his candidacy next week in Georgia and Tennessee.

Santorum seeks Democrat Voters

Rick Santorum's presidential campaign is actively seeking the support of Democrats in Tuesday’s Michigan primary, running a robo-call that sounds oddly like one that would be run by an organized labor group. “Michigan Democrats can vote in the Republican primary on Tuesday,” the narrator says in the automated call to Democratic voters. “Why is it so important? Romney supported the bailout for his Wall Street billionaire buddies, but opposed the auto bailout. That was a slap in the face to every Michigan worker. And we’re not going to let Romney get away with it.” Then the ad closes with: “This call is supported by hard-working Democratic men and women and paid for by Rick Santorum for President.” “Rick Santorum has moved beyond just ‘taking one for the team;’ he is now willing to wear the other team’s jersey if he thinks it will get him more votes,” said a Romney spokesman. We will see if this strategy can prove to be effective in Michigan’s open primary today.

Michigan Appears to be close

This week the GOP leaders Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have opened up a new race in the GOP primaries. While Gingrich appears to be dropping off the polls Santorum continues to rise and Romney has remained constant. The race in Michigan, a state filled with high unemployment and an outdated economy, appears to be very close according to poll numbers. Romney has attacked Santorum for not being economically based in his campaign. Meanwhile Gingrich has had little to do in Michigan and is preparing his campaign for super Tuesday.

Obama's Stand on Education

Yesterday during a luncheon Obama had with U.S. Governors he told them that "they are cutting too much funding for education and need to make reforms while continuing to invest in the future of America's students". Obama did acknowledge the tough economy state governments are dealing with at the time and he also spoke about the need to prioritize the significance of a strong education system. Obama believes that too many states are making big education cuts. Yesterday his main call to the Governors was to "Invest more in education, invest more in our children, invest more in our future". If we don't maintain significant government investment in education now, later on down the road the economy will be in danger and U.S. workers won't be able to compete in a global marketplace. Obama pointed out some statistics some of which being that 1) the unemployment rate for those with a college degree is roughly half the national average and 2) people with college degrees have about twice as high an income as those with only high school diplomas. Obama wants people to "at least" have a high school diploma. He also wants states to make it more affordable for people to go on to higher education after high school. Many of the republicans who usually disagree with Obama agreed with a lot of what he had to say yesterday.

Michigan Primary

The Michigan presidential primary today gives Santorum a chance to turn nagging questions about Romney into deep doubts about Romney's candidacy. If Romney, the former governor of Michigan is defeated in his own hometown, it will send the nominating fight onto an unpredictable path and reset the Republican race. The Republican nominating contest, now entering its third month, remains alive with uncertainty.

The Santorum campaign, newly emboldened in its head-to-head confrontation here with Mr. Romney, sent Democrats telephone messages on Monday, reminding them that they, too, can vote in Michigan’s primary. As many as 12,000 Democrats have committed to vote for Santorum just to embarrass Romney and expose him as a weak front runner.

While campaigning in Michigan, Santorum called Romeny's candidacy a “joke”. Santorum encouraged voters to stop the joke and supports someone who could challenge Obama on healthcare and government mandates. He argued that Mr. Romney was “uniquely unqualified” to defeat President Obama because of the health care plan he signed as governor of Massachusetts. “Why would we give this issue away?” Mr. Santorum declared. “It is the biggest issue in this race.”

Michigan and Arizona Primaries

Today voters will go to the polls in these two states in two crucial primaries in the Republication nomination race. With 59 delegates at stake, these primaries are key not only for the delegates but also for momentum, as Santorum seeks to maintain his placing at the top with Romney, and Romney seeks to once again cement himself as the front runner. According to CNN, "The latest survey suggest(s) a dead heat: An American Research Group survey released Monday indicate(s) that 36% of likely Michigan GOP primary voters were backing Santorum, with 35% supporting Romney." Both races look to be extremely close, and will play a significant role as we move towards Super Tuesday in determining the front runner for the nomination.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/28/election/2012/primaries/index.html

The Decisive Phase

The battle for the republican presidential nomination heads into a potentially decisive phase over the next two weeks with contests in 13 states that could finally answer some of the questions that have defined the race. The upcoming races offer Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, a chance to show what he and other conservatives have long claimed: that a moderate like the former Massachusetts governor cannot beat one of them in a head-to-head matchup. But it also gives Romney a chance to finally put to rest the question of whether he can defeat a concerted conservative challenge and solidify his claim that he is the party’s inevitable nominee. The debate Wednesday will also either help or hurt the nominees support for Super Tuesday, as we have seen debates can be crucial in the deciding factor of the voters. Without a doubt these next contests will be the main deciding factor for the republican nomination.

Source: Fox News

Tables Turned

Romney, now in attack mode as a result of Santorum's win in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri primaries, is using his typical techniques to try and crush his opponent under negative ads. It appears as if the tables have turned. Santorum, greeted by a large and enthusiastic crowd in Ohio’s coal country, made no mention of his rival at all. Mr. Romney is desperately scrambling to regain his command over the race. While Mr. Romney may not know for weeks or even months whether he will win the nomination, his performance over the next seven days will most likely provide insight about whether he can persuade the party at last to embrace his candidacy.

This week, he has two opportunities to steer the conversation back to his strongpoints—the economy and defeating Obama. He has a debate in Arizona followed by a speech on Friday in Michigan that his campaign is billing as a major policy address. Both states will hold their primaries next Tuesday.

While many Americans are caught up in the GOP race, others choose to focus on coming together to defeat Obama. “I wish this was over,“ Alex Triantafilou, the Republican Party chairman in Cincinnati. “I’d rather air our attacks at the president.” The Romney campaign has shed much of the bravado that was often on display last year when it focused on Mr. Obama and all but ignored its Republican rivals. However, with Santorum doing so well, Romney is forced to turn his attention to ensuring that he will be the Republican nominee.

The Importance of Debates

26 days ago the candidates participated in a CNN debate in Jacksonville, Florida. It was their 19th debate so far. These debates have gotten sky-high tv ratings and have even been called "event" television. They define candidates in both good and bad ways. Some get defined as "good speakers" or "act well under pressure". Others "fall from grace in front of the live cameras". Since debates are live and public for the whole world to see, whatever happens in a debate shapes a lot of different people's opinions of each candidate. Many people decide who they are going to vote for based on the debates. In a primary or caucus follows a debate, the candidates want to make sure they do well in the debate or they might have trouble doing well in the primary or caucus. The debates provide insight for how each candidate acts under pressure. What may be the final debate of the season will be this Wednesday night in Mesa, Arizona. Some people are thinking of it as a "season finale". Even though these debates have been "substantive and issue based" they have also been very entertaining and have been called "event" television.

Dow crosses 13,000 for the first time since 2008

Today signaled a significant milestone in our countries revival from the crises which has overwhelmed our economy for the past four years--says the Washington Post, " The Dow Jones industrial average crossed 13,000 on Tuesday for the first time since May 2008, when the Lehman Brothers investment bank was solvent, unemployment a healthy 5.4 percent and the worst of the Great Recession months ahead." The article goes on to expound on the psychological impact which this number could have, encouraging more cautious investors to place some trust back in the market and removing some fears that the market will fall back again. John Manley, Chief Equity Strategist for Wells Fargo's funds group, compares it to turning 50: " “Is 50 older than 49 and a half? Yes, by six months. Do those six months really make a difference? Probably not. But it does give us a fixed point, something we can look at.” This is a significant milestone for the stock market, and exemplifies the bounce back which it has experienced from the great recession.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-stock-futures-advance-after-europe-puts-together-deal-for-greek-bailout-dow-nears-13000/2012/02/21/gIQArDW4QR_story.html

Between Primaries

There has been a lull in primaries for the GOP candidates the past couple of weeks. The last was February 7, and the next is the 28th which will take them to Arizona and Michigan. Michigan is a big one for Romney as it is his home state. However, according to the New York Times, his return home has not been going as well as he hoped. Santorum, after his triple victory streak, is the rising man in the polls right now. This is not good for Romney because Michigan is where he "found his voice" as his aides say. Losing that would be bad for his campaign. But Santorum is going to be fierce competition to Romney. He is trying to convince the Republicans that he has more to offer than Romney and Obama. There has been a drastic change in politics in Michigan over the past few years. The Tea Party Movement has been especially evident which is beneficial to Santorum who is promoting his working-class background and hoping to get in with the Catholic and evangelical Republicans in Michigan. Romney will fight back nonetheless and plans to come back at Santorum calling him a "big government earmarker and fiscally irresponsible politician." It would be a very serious loss for Romney to lose Michigan. The Michigan primary will take place February 28th.

The Michigan Primary, February 28th.

On February 28th, in the Michigan primary, the race for the GOP Nomination will experience a significant moment--either a momentous victory for Rick Santorum, or a victory for Romney, although if the latter happens, it will undoubtedly be at a lesser margin than originally anticipated. Michigan was a state which Romney originally expected to be able to take easily. However, Santorum's recent surge has put the state in doubt for Romney's campaign. According to the Washington Post, Santorum will aggressively pursue Michigan because he sees in it "the combination of working-class and socially conservative voters on which he has based his campaign." If Santorum defeats Romney in Michigan, it will be a clear example of what recent poll numbers have shown us--a virtual tie between the two. Michigan will be key as we continue the build up to Super Tuesday, and could even signal Santorum overtaking Romney in the race for the nomination.

Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mitt-romney-faces-major-test-in-michigan-primary-once-thought-an-easy-win/2012/02/14/gIQAffpcDR_story.html?hpid=z2

The GOP Battle Continues

Although Santorum "snatched" the delegates from Romney in the past few primaries, Romney is already fighting back. As of a couple days ago, Romney won Maine with Paul behind him and Santorum in third. Romney has also started to campaign in Michigan. His tactic with Michigan is relating to the people there. He said to them, "I am a son of Detroit". Even though he is not usually associated with Michigan, he wants the Republicans there to know he is one of them. Romney published a new tv ad about how he was born in and grew up in Michigan. $900,000 of TV advertising is coming from Super-PACs backing Romney. To win this primary Romney needs to pull ahead of Santorum. In Michigan a weekend poll showed Romney trailing Santorum 33% to 27%. Will Romney pull ahead of Santorum and win Michigan? We shall see.

Snatching delegates

As this political cartoon illustrates, Rick Santorum has come out of nowhere and surprised Mitt Romney by winning Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri primaries. However, Mitt Romney roared back by winning the CPAC straw poll and the Maine caucus. Santorum vows an aggressive race against Mitt Romney. According to polls, the GOP race seem to be at a tie between Romney and Santorum. "The primary wins have given Santorum wind at his back, which is important, but he'll need the infrastructure to build a sail to capture that wind if he's to be successful in future states," says GOP strategist Doug Heye. Santorum hopes this burst in popularity will help him with fundraising.