Latest Polls All Over The Place

Ken AshfordElection 2012, PollsLeave a Comment

Polls that show Obama gaining: ABC, IBD/TIPP, RAND, Rasmussen (swing states), Reuters/Ipsos, Polls that show Romney gaining: Gallup, PPP, Rasmussen (all states) Polls that can be methodologically dissembled if someone doesn't like the results: All of them. National CompositesHuffington Post: Obama +0.5TPM: Romney +1.1RCP: Romney +0.4 So what does all this tell you? That regardless the toplines, no poll is … Read More

Tripoli, No Benghazi

Ken AshfordElection 2012, Libya, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

Keep this in mind when it is brought up in the debate tonight.  According to State Department officials involved, the security requests were for the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Tripoli, not Benghazi, the New York Times reported last week: In a stream of diplomatic cables, embassy security officers warned their superiors at the State Department of a worsening threat from Islamic extremists, … Read More

Prez Debate Numero Two

Ken AshfordElection 2012Leave a Comment

So after a couple of weeks of cunfusion and angst over who is winning the presidential contest– not just by polls, but via "conventional wisdom" (whatever that is) — we're told today by WaPo/ABC and Politico/Battleground/GWU national surveys that things are, well, pretty much the same as they were before the first presidential debate.  The WaPo/ABC puts Obama up by 3 points (49/46) among … Read More

Post-Debate Views

Ken AshfordElection 2012Leave a Comment

Well, both candidates were strong and lively, and I suspect that people who are already decided are pleased with their candidates.  That said, you can sense that the Republicans knew that Biden was better because of the post-debate spin.  Republicans talking points were "Biden smirked and interrupted.  Harumph, harumph" wheres as the Democratic talking points were "Biden won". Biden was … Read More

President Is Aware Of The “Chill The Fuck Out” Meme

Ken AshfordElection 2012, PollsLeave a Comment

The president, speaking during a radio show interview about his debate performance: Towards the end of the interview, Obama sought to assure listeners that he was still confident, alluding to an internet meme that features him: “As some of these emails that go around with my picture on them say, I can’t quote the entire thing, but ‘I got this.’” He was … Read More

More Romney Lies

Ken AshfordElection 2012Leave a Comment

Mitt Romney during his Foreign Policy speech today: I will champion free trade and restore it as a critical element of our strategy, both in the Middle East and across the world. The President has not signed one new free trade agreement in the past four years. I will reverse that failure. From USA Today.

State Of The Race: It Is Tightening Up

Ken AshfordElection 2012, PollsLeave a Comment

Obama's sub-par performance is taking its toll in the polls.  Most national polls still show Obama still ahead, but the margin is much smaller now. But as we all know, national polls mean nothing.  It's the state polls.  Especially those of the swing states.  And there, it is tightening as well.  Over at HuffPo, their model still estimates Obama's lead at … Read More

The outrageous attack on BLS

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Election 2012Leave a Comment

Reprinted in full from the Economic Policy Institute: Apparently, Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of General Electric, is accusing the Bureau of Labor Statistics of manipulating the jobs report to help President Obama. Others seem to be adding their voices to this slanderous lie. It is simply outrageous to make such a claim and echoes the worrying general distrust of facts … Read More

Video of Romney Cheating

Ken AshfordElection 20122 Comments

"No props, notes, charts, diagrams or other writings can be used by the candidates; however, they can take notes on the type of paper of their choosing.The candidates cannot ask each other direct questions, but can ask rhetorical questions.The candidates cannot address each other with proposed pledges.Each candidate can use his own makeup artist.No candidate is allowed to use risers … Read More

Unemployment Rate Down To 7.8%

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Election 2012Leave a Comment

That's the September numbers, and 7.8 is the lowest rate since August 2009.  There's goes Romney's favorite talking point — that the unemployment rate has been above 8% under Obama's leadership. It also answers the "right direction-wrong direction" question. Decreases in the jobless rate are not always good news — the figure sometimes falls when discouraged Americans drop out of the workforce … Read More