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Subscribe to RSSAn NBC News poll shows that GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum are neck-and-neck in Michigan, Romney's birthplace. Romney, meanwhile, has a comfortable lead in Arizona, which has a sizable Mormon population.
Less than a week before Tuesday’s crucial Republican presidential primary in Michigan, a new NBC News/Marist poll shows Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum locked in a statistical tie, while a separate NBC/Marist survey shows Romney comfortably leading in Arizona, which holds its primary the same day.
In Michigan – which has turned into a make-or-break contest for Romney – the former Massachusetts governor gets the support of 37 percent of likely GOP primary voters, including those who are leaning toward a particular candidate.
NBC-Marist poll results: Michigan | Arizona
Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator, gets 35 percent, and he’s followed by Texas Rep. Ron Paul at 13 percent and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 8 percent.
NYT: GOP campaigns grow more dependent on 'super PAC' aid
“Michigan is neck and neck,” says pollster Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, which conducted both surveys.
But in Arizona, Romney is on safer ground: He receives the support of 43 percent of likely GOP primary voters, Santorum gets 27 percent, Gingrich 16 percent and Paul 11 percent.
And looking ahead to November’s general election, President Barack Obama enjoys a double-digit edge over his closest GOP competition in Michigan (a state Republicans are hoping to target), while he’s trailing the leading Republicans in Arizona (which the Obama camp wants to put into play).
Romney vs. Santorum ideological breakdown
In both states, support for Romney and Santorum breaks down along ideological lines, as well as whether voters have already cast their ballots.
In Michigan, Santorum leads Romney among self-identified Tea Party supporters, 48 to 29 percent, and those who describe themselves as “very conservative,” 59 to 20 percent.
Michigan voters: Santorum connects better than Romney
Yet among those who don’t support the Tea Party, Romney is ahead by more than 20 points, 45 to 24 percent.
And among those who have already voted absentee in Michigan – 16 percent of likely GOP voters – Romney leads Santorum, 49 to 26 percent.
NYT: After auto industry bailout, Detroit fallout trails Romney
The same ideological pattern is true in Arizona, although Romney performs much better with the most conservative voters there than in Michigan.
And among those who have voted early or absentee in Arizona – more than half of all likely Republicans voters in the poll – Romney holds a 30-point advantage over Santorum, 52 to 22 percent.
Obama leads in Michigan, trails in Arizona
Turning to the general-election race in November, Obama leads Romney in Michigan by nearly 20 points among registered voters, 51 to 33 percent, with 15 percent undecided.
Against Paul, the president’s lead is 22 points (53 to 31 percent); against Santorum, it’s 26 points (55 to 29 percent); and against Gingrich, it’s 28 points (56 to 28 percent).
What’s more, 51 percent of registered Michigan voters approve of Obama’s job; 63 percent of them believe the auto industry bailout was a good idea (including 61 percent of independents and 42 percent of likely GOP primary voters); and a majority think the president deserves credit for the auto industry’s recovery.
But Arizona is tougher territory for the president, whose approval rating among registered voters in the state is just 38 percent.
NYT: Obama offers to cut corporate tax rate to 28%
In hypothetical match-ups, Obama trails Romney by five points (40 to 45 percent); Santorum by three (42 to 45 percent); Paul by 2 points (41 to 43 percent); yet he leads Gingrich by five (45 to 40 percent).
The NBC/Marist survey of Michigan was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 3,149 registered voters (margin of error of plus-minus 1.8 percentage points) and 715 likely Republican primary voters (plus-minus 3.7 percentage points).
The NBC/Marist survey of Arizona also was conducted Feb. 19-20 of 2,487 registered voters (plus-minus 2.0 percentage points) and 767 likely GOP primary voters (plus-minus 3.5 percentage points).
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Santorum belongs in a sanitarium after his theological comment. His theology belongs to the tea party.
Go Romney.
Sorry, Obama 2012!
The education level or cognisant abilities of all American that are pulled into the Yea and the Clapping and following blindly for these CON ARTIST, makes a analytical thinking person wonder if all these people are truly imbeciles or on medication from a psych doctor !!!!
The pundits at FOX news, controlled by Rupert Murdock and Wall Street, will ultimately decide who the Republican candidate is.
They all need their HEADS with NO BRAINS checked for HALLUCINOGENICS !!!
I am really surprised at what is happening to these GOP candidates. They are busy negatively attacking themselves. What a pity. You will see more in the debate tonight. The GOP might be irreversibly headed to a brokered convention. Whatever happens at this point, except the DNC and Obama do anything unimaginable ( which I doubt they would) the 2012 election will be a landslide victory for Obama. If care is not taken this will affect all other races in their favor; Senate, House etc. I have never seen a thing like this in a long time. 2012 may make the 2008 victory look like child's play.
We should all call them the NOTHINGS !!!
This is like a South Park episode. Will they vote for the turd sandwich or the giant douche? If there was truth in advertising they would both be required to dress as such in team mascot costumes.
As Solomon once put it..."The heart of the wise inclines to the right, But the heart of the fool to the left."
Ecclesiastes 10:2
Romney will be a very good President. He cares about the country and the people rather than politics. He will do what is best.
Say What?
All I see are two severely flawed idiots. I know the feeling. I had to hold my nose to bring myself to vote for John Kerry. At that time there just wasn't a better choice. Thank God, that's in the past. Obama 2012.
All we see is:
Sustained high unemployement
Increasing and strangling debt
Gov't manadates that infringe upon our personal freedoms
Over regulation and increased gov't intervention
etc...
Oh yeah, we need more of that.
Aggie you have one of the best post on here, its amazing what people don't know. I read these post in astonishment..I can't believe how ignorant people are. I believe it boils down to people knowing they made a mistake voting for Obama/Biden but have to much pride to admit they were wrong. To be fair he was the best choice in 2008, but many of us knew he was just blowing smoke up every ones behind and was full of it. It's time to get this guy out and put in somebody different. The Republicans do not have the best candidate but my dog would be better and more honest than what we have in office now. If any of the 99% think this guy is for them...i feel sorry for you. 16 vacations in 3 years should tell you that and each one costing us taxpayers 10+ million per trip. I will say at least Bush went to his house in Texas to vacation and not travel the world like someone who has won the lottery. Its time to dust our self's off and move on from this mistake.
Go, Rick, GO! The Democrats need all the help they can get in November. Your nomination will guarantee their victory.
Mitt n Rick should discuss what's really important in their campaign; What side of the Atlantic did the Garden of Eden lay? Who is the true Conservative Christian candidate? Is it going to be ethics and morals or money that matters? How is it that their is too much government yet they want to be the head of it?
@rationalirrationalone.... As a statistician, your phony manipulation is amazing...please don't pass these around because folks will recognize just how 1. deceptive and 2. stupid you are for trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
LMarcT,
Agree with you 100%. Over a year ago I told anyone who would listen that the Republicans would not put up anyone of substance against President Obama in 2012. Whoever they nominated would be nothing but a sacrificial lamb. And this has obviously come true. Yet the Rupublidopes wonder why their best people, the ones that where a) fairly normal b) had a better grasp of what the American people want and c) know that you cannot win an election on social issues all decided to sit this one out. They knew from early on the President Obama could not be defeated. Even Sarah Palin in a brief moment of claity came to the realization that she could not win, so she allowed the other moron Bachmann to embarrass herself instead. Now, I cannot wait to get hammered here by the sheep that normally (did I say normally?) blog here. You know the ones. The uneducated, bigioted, disrespectful dreg oif the earth knows as the GOP BASE.
Your last sentence seems to pointing at you. I will agree that the republicans do not have a strong candidate, but when you consider the alternative I will have to go with them. In my opinion Obama, Reid, and Boehner should all be replaced.
Of course the NBC poll shows Romney tied or ahead. They fear any conservative that might go up against Obama and we all know that Romney is a Liberal Republican. I don't care what the margin is I hope that Santorum sweeps the rest for the primaries. I just hope that we don't end up with a brokered convention. That would give the Party opportunity to make sure that Romney wins.
Go Rick. The Spirit of Truth is our only hope for Life, Liberty, and being able to persue Happiness. Keep speaking it good man. Let Freedom ring!
Lay off the mushrooms dude
While the GOP burns, the President sings. Sound familiar? One minute he's channeling Al Green and the next he is jamming with B.B. King. Burn baby burn, GOP Inferno!
Reading the conservative comments here it is obvious just how efficient the right wing propaganda machine has become in not only brainwashing the faithful, but feeding their ignorance and lack of any critical thinking skills. And please note I do not mean ALL the conservatives commenting here. I have read many well thought out and intelligent comments from conservatives on this comment forum. But the majority? Sorry, not even close. As such, I have posted the following two quotes numerous times and am still waiting from a response from conservatives about them. So I will try again. The following quotes are from two Republican/Conservative individuals who worked with the Republican Party and pushed the conservative agenda for literally years.
David Frum was the former economic speech writer for George W. Bush. And recently published "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again".
Mike Lofgren was a Republican employee and political/congressional staffer/insider for 28 years and still states he is a conservative.
Frum states very clearly that "conservatives have built a whole alternative knowledge system, with its own facts, its own history, its own laws of economics". The result is a "shift to ever more extreme, ever more fantasy-based ideology" which has "ominous real-world consequences for American society".
Lofgren came out against the Republican party for a number of reasons, and this quote is just one of them "the crackpot outliers of two decades ago have become the vital centre today". The Republican party, with its "prevailing anti-intellectualism and hostility to science" is appealing to what he calls the "low-information voter", or the "misinformation voter". While most office holders probably don't believe the "reactionary and paranoid claptrap" they peddle, "they cynically feed the worst instincts of their fearful and angry low-information political base".
Now who do I believe? The continuous flow of right wing/propaganda BS from Fox Lying News, Rush Tokyo Rose Limbaugh, Savage, Coulter, etc. And of course the commentors on this forum who believe them, or conservatives who tell the truth? Tough choice here, but the conservative truth guys win hands down.
Get this EVERYONE. I heard CANDIDATES blame OBAMA for the GAS PRICES GOING UP DRAMATICALLY !!!
Now if you you THINK about REPUKEALINS saying this? How in the world can you VOTE for the VERY PARTY THAT WANTS DE-REGULATION, ARE 100% FULLY IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT ALL OIL COMPANIES SAY AND DO, ARE 100% WITH SAVING AND GIVING SUBSIDIES TO MAKE THEM USE THE MONEY AS THEY PLEASE ETC;ETC.
I do not hear a word against the OIL COMPANIES but OBAMA. WHAT A LAUGH! You really have to SERIOUSLY think at ALL THEY SAY !!!!
WHO is SHOVELING DOO_DOO to WHO???? Well it is the PEOPLE !!!
Right idea ...but not right target ... It's not the oil co's raising the per barrel price, and all related commodities ... it's the oil futures market that allows Financial outfits and individual speculators to get inbetween those who produce the oil for delivery and those who take delivery to turn that oil into something useful for the consumer ... whether gas, diesel ... or plasctic. When financials such as Goldman Saks can buy up 100 Million plus barrels and hold them with no planned use ... they and all the others cause a shortage illusion ... those that need delivery to make 'things' have to bid higher to get product ... and the consumer and US economy get screwed. As witnessed from the past runups for exactly this reason ... Congress won't touch it.... much like doing the needed such as reinstating the Glass-Stegall act that sep'd banks and brokerages .... or regulating derivatives after we all saw how BAD they were and the damge caused ....
If reagan was the gold standard of conservative values will a republican respectfully explain these numbers from a Bloomberg Business Week article. Percent debt ceiling was raised under presidents:
Reagan 199%
George H 48%
Clinton 44%
W 90%
Obama 34%
Even if you are a liberal how can you say that Barry has done a good job? Look at gas look at the cost of food look at the housing market that the clinton admistration caused by the way and how can you you libbies be so blind! The dems had the house and senate in the last two years of his presidency. You guys had it all in the first two years! You got everything you wanted! We couldn't block anything! You got your stimulus one and two your AHCA, not by the way! If he is so great then why are things still so bad?? BS on it will take more time and he has the answers! Look I could care less if you're liberal or conservative! This is about FREEDOM!!!! The freedom to practice religon or not, the government needs to stay out! Read the damn constitution! This country gives the promise of equal opportunity NOT EQUAL RESULTS!!!
"TeaPartyNotTerrorist",
You really convinced me, with a name like that. I never thought that you teabaggers were terrorists, but...
"This country gives the promise of equal opportunity NOT EQUAL RESULTS!!!"
That is pretty much exactly what President Obama says over and over. Maybe you should do some reading; you might decide to vote Democratic in 2012. Reading the Constitution is a complete waste of time, if you don't understand it. As a lawyer, I have taken many classes that discuss and analyze the various parts of the Constitution. It is extremely complex. One can't simply sit down in a group and "read the damn Constitution" like it's the book-of-the-month. You will have absolutely zero comprehension.
Which is why someone like Ron Paul loses all credibility when he says something naively ignorant like "Just read the Constitution and do what it says!" If it were that simple, we wouldn't have been studying, analyzing, arguing and interpreting it for 240 years.
"TeaPartynotTerrorist" you ask "Even if you are a liberal how can you say that Barry has done a good job? Look at gas look at the cost of food look at the housing market that the clinton admistration caused by the way and how can you you libbies be so blind"
The answer? The "blind" one here is yourself. The Clinton administration was indeed partially responsible for the housing crash. But only with the endorsement of Gramm-Leach-Bliley. The rest of the legislation that caused it (The Commoditities Future Modernization Act of 2000, the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (DIDMCA) and the Alternative Mortgage Transactions Parity Act of 1982 (AMTPA) just to name a few were heavily pushed and endorsed by Republicans/Wall Street/Conservatives.
And your argument that "you guys had it all for two years" is also not even close to correct. Yes the Democratic party had a majority in both the House and the Senate. However, that majority was to small to pass ANY legislation without the help of Republicans. Which of course they did not give. And additionally, the coalition of so called "bluedog Democrats" (actually Republicans in disguise) consistently blocked Democratic/Progressive legislation. Those are the facts and are easily confirmed with a modicum of research.
The cost of both gas and food has nothing to do with this administrations policies and everything to do with speculation in both oil and food commodities.
When Obama was elected 3 years ago he promised Not to run for re-election if he couldn't get unemployment down to 6%. Unemployment was 8.1% when Obama took office. It is now 8.3%. And guess what, Obama says he is running for re-election. He is a typical politician. If his lips are moving, you know he's lying. I really think the majority of politicians who are in office should not be re-elected. I am talking about both Democrats and Republicans. I didn't vote for Obama but I wished him well after the election ended 3 years ago. His change has increased the misery in this country and I will vote for anyone not named Obama. There should be term limits for all these politicians. This years crop of Republicans is not impressive but I will vote for whoever is selected because you can't find a job with Obama in office.
You are a CLASSIC example of how easy it is for the rightwing propaganda machine to continuously repeat a lie, until people believe it. Mr. Obama NEVER stated he would not run for reelection if the unemployment rate did not go below 6%. I repeat NEVER. His administration made estimates of what they THOUGHT would occur if the entire stimulus was passed and worked. As was CLEARLY stated in the original (2009) memo:
"It should be understood that all of the estimates presented in this memo are subject to significant margins of error," the report states. "There is the more fundamental uncertainty that comes with any estimate of the effects of a program. Our estimates of economic relationships and rules of thumb are derived from historical experience and so will not apply exactly in any given episode. Furthermore, the uncertainty is surely higher than normal now because the current recession is unusual both in its fundamental causes and its severity."
And for the record, it was and IS CONSERVATIVE economic policies that are hurting America. And I also blame some policies endorsed by Bill Clinton and the conservative Democrats, who are actually Republicans in everything but name only. For Clintion in particular so called "Free Trade" and his approval of Gramm-Leach-Bliley, GATT, NAFTA and his endorsement of the WTO. And you can add to that liberal democrats and moderate republicans who did not have the guts to stand up to the continuous stream of tax cuts/spending increases that are rapidly turning America into a two class nation. And those are, the wealthy/ultra wealthy and the lower classes.
Wrong, Man of Stool. He made NO promise of not running for re-election! He also said he would have unemploy UNDER 8%, not your exaggerated claim of 6%!
Unemploy was 8.7%+ when Bush left. Job losses were at least 750,000p/mo. when Dubya left. Obama cut that nearly in half in one year.
Seek FACTS, and ye shall find FACTS! Even if it hurt...! And don't bring up Obama vacations.
C_D_J55. - Show me one month where 750K jobs were lost. Just one. And it wasn't 8.7%. January 2009 was 7.6% (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Tonite we'll get another chance to hear keywords..." Obamacare, birth control, liberal media, growing up in Michigan, secular nation, Rev. Wright, socialist, God, Jesus, Iran's nukes, my religion and Constitution this 'n that"...to help the Repub masses on their "dumbing down of America" spiral.
Words to definitely increase economic recovery and get more jobs. NOT!!
BTW: Obama/Biden win again in 2012! No doubt!!
I can't wait to hear the democrats squeal when President Obama has to defend his record, on anti-personal freedom, class warfare, class welfare, higher and strangling debt, a failed foreign policy, failed energy policy, etc...
Keep drinking the cool-aid!
You understand, of course, that simply putting "failed" before everything doesn't change reality, right?
Comment #132.1, the ONLY thing you got right and which I totally agree with you on is "anti-personal freedom". There is no doubt that his record on stopping the trend of Americans slowly losing the liberties guaranteed under the Constitution has been abysmal. So far he has endorsed the Patriot Act, endorsed the unsanctioned killing of American citizens, refused to protect whistleblowers and in fact has made it harder for them to come forth, and endorsed the arrest and detention of American citizens without representation and without anybody even knowing they are even being held. On this subject his record is abysmal.
But as for the rest of your rant? It is obvious you are a Fox Lying News, Rush Tokyo Rose Limbaugh, conservative propaganda machine acolyte. It would take way to long to rebut the rest of your comments. So instead (and I realize this is a difficult concept for many conservatives) actually do some RESEARCH.
What I understand is that, an azimuth change is needed, so that it doesn't become a "permenant" reality!
But so that you know how failure is defined, let me help:
Jan 2009 Today Source
Gasoline $1.83 $3.44 U.S Energy Administration
Unemployment rate non farm - 7.6% 9.4% Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unemployment - African Americans - 12.6% 15.8% Bureau of Labor Statistics
Total Number of unemployed - 11,616,000 14,485,000 Bureau of Labor Statistics
Real Median Household Income - $50,112 $49,777 Cenus Bureau
Number of Food Stamps Recip - 31,983,716 43,200,878 USDA
Number on unemployement benefits -7,526,598 9,193,838 U.S. Dept of Labor
How the change working for you? Thanks for playing.
Progressive -
Check out the post above, how about you doing a little research yourself instead of spewing the liberal slant from MSNBC, Hollywood and God knows where you get the dope your smoking. Your progressive argument is weak at best and until you gather the facts that your administration is quoting, stay on the porch, your dog can't hunt.
Did the research. And EVERY statistic you mention above, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, is a DIRECT result of the massive bubble economy pushed by the previous administration and a REPUBLICAN Congress from 1996 until 2008. Mr. Obama inherited a MASSIVE mess, from REPUBLICANS. And (now try to follow along here) that mess carried over into his administration. We have had 30+ years of conservative economic policies that cultimated with Bush and his enormous mess. But you expect Mr. Obama to fix it in less than three years. And for the record, my dog cannot not only "hunt" from your comments, he is much more intelligent, then yourself.