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Responding to the early polling showing President Obama with a bounce -- and lead -- after the two conventions, Romney pollster Neil Newhouse argues in a memo to reporters that the presidential contest "has not changed significantly."
"Don't get too worked up about the latest polling," Newhouse writes in the memo. "While some voters will feel a bit of a sugar-high from the conventions, the basic structure of the race has not changed significantly. The reality of the Obama economy will reassert itself as the ultimate downfall of the Obama presidency, and Mitt Romney will win this race."
Related: First Thoughts: After Tampa and Charlotte
Newhouse adds, "The key numbers in this election are the 43 straight months of 8% or higher unemployment, the 23 million Americans struggling to find work, and the 47 million Americans who are on food stamps."
However, as we wrote in First Thoughts this morning, Obama went into the conventions with the lead, and emerged from those conventions with the lead.
And as Politico reported over the weekend, “The Romney campaign … said the post-convention bounce they hoped for fell well short of expectations and privately lament that state-by-state polling numbers — most glaringly in Ohio — are working in the president’s favor.”
“Their map has many more routes to victory,” a top GOP official admitted to Politico.
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Good thinking Romney, don't let little things like polls, fact check, or having to positions on everything get in the way.
I am not real smart on these matters so I have 2 questions for anyone to answer.
(1)Could Romey have built Staples without any employees?
(2)Could all of the employees of Staples have saved Staples without Romney?
Just wondering.
Nope!
Better question: Could our current President manage a business enterprise for a profit? Government is a business. This one is going out of buisness by most quantitative measures.
Mitt Romney never met a business he couldn't outsource! Mitt need encountered a foreign bank he didn't watn to invest in! Mitt never had a family member serve in the military! I've had at least one family member including myself serve in the military in every war since the American Revolutionary war! The Coward Chickenhawk draft dodger Mitt is!
I too have served and I don't think miltary service is the only measure. However, I haven't noticed that Obama had a military record to show off? Oh yea, he didn't have much of a record doing anything. Guess there really aren't any qualifications necessary to be POTUS!
I believe in his case it is PLOTUS. You left out LIAR.
Ahh Romney, the last man standing at the GOP debates.
No specifics, no facts, behind in the polls, Vegas odds almost 3 to 1 against.
You'll always have your dancing horse "Rafalka"!!
Hmmmm The story about the criminal DEM in Jersy ~GONE! What happened? Look out conservatives~ You will be censored on liberal "news" sites. This story remained because the comments are so vile against the GOP~ liberals i.e. DEMS (& the press) despise their fellow Americans who are conservatives.
The GOTeaparty has no on e to blame but their leadership for this FIASCO....
They took a HARD RIGHT TURN and it's been going bad ever since....
Show us your taxes or we'll get out our axes! Off with the head of the evil wannabe-tyrant.
So he's successful and now that becomes something bad? Let's see, we elect an untested community organizer who was only successful at getting himself elected and look were we are; OR, we elect someone who has a record of turning around troubled programs and companies.
I guess I know where you stand. No wonder our country is in such bad financial shape!
It's sad when all you've got is 'taxes' knowing full well that the IRS would be all over him if they weren't right. What an idiot. Taxer is the new word for moron.
The Romney campaign blames the stagnant economy on President Obama. The president does not have the power to fix the economy. Congress as per our Constitution, approves and passes bills and then sends the future laws to the president to sign or veto. In January 2009 when President Obama was taking office, the leaders of the GOP in the Senate and the House were meeting secretly. The meetings hatched an “obstructionist plan.” In the Senate it was the filibuster. The number of these filibusters in the last three-plus has been unprecedented in the Senate’s history. The House of Representatives also blocked many bills that would have improved the economy and jobs. The GOP did not care about the pain and suffering of the American people. Almost 700,000 people lost their jobs just in Republican controlled states; teachers, firemen, police, and other government workers
He thought he did and look at the trillions he wasted.
Wrong! Nice revision of history; are you sure you didn't work for the Soviets in 1985?
While there is some truth in what you say it isn't the whole story (lies always are more convincing when there are truths mixed in). The rest of the story is that a) The Dems controlled both houses during and for two years (Jan 2009 - Jan 2011) after the collapse so they could have passed anything they wished (and judging by what they did it appears healthcare giveaway was much more important than the economy); and b) the house controlled GOP has passed multiple bills for Senate consideration and Reid won't bring these to a vote for polical reasons.
Reid won't even bring them to the floor for debate and ammendment so the Dems can then blame the house?
At least offer amendments so at least something can be debated!
You're absolutely right. Again, I hope voters DO THEIR HOMEWORK and pay attention to what has ACTUALLY happened vs what the GOP WANTS THEM TO BELIEVE happened.
Me too. Because when they do they're homework Oblamer is screwed.
The Republicans sing this mantra of privatization as though letting the private sector provide whatever service is needed will somehow bring down costs. This is absolutely, positively NOT TRUE! Look at the history of private services. Blackwater and Haliburton provided private security in Iraq. Guess what? It cost 100xs what military sercurity cost. Mercenaries don't come cheap. Privatize the post office? How do you feel about paying $5. for a letter or having delivery maybe twice a week?
Privatize means provide a profit for someone. Privatize means more of those $20million CEO bonuses. It does not mean cheaper. This is the great fallacy. It is always cheaper when the government does it. As soon as you privatize, the costs go up.
Have you checked out the cost of private education? What the government does for $5000 per student, private education does for $30,000 per student. Anyone see why that might not be affordable for the typical middle class family?
Private isn't cheaper. Private is profitable for the person who gets the contract. That is the real reason the Republicans want to privatize everything. They want more opportunities for profit. The vast majority of us will not benefit, either through our tax bills or through the service provided. We will pay more and we will get less.
Energy is privately owned. How is your gas bill? Think about it.
Hah I love your post! The Haliburton/Blackwater comment is awesome. Who was willing to pay them those astronomical wages? GOVERNMENT. Hah hah hah! Oh the brilliance of our Government. What a great example of how terrible the Government manages things. They waste money like its going out of style. I don't think Republicans would mind the Government managing things if they felt they were doing a good job. But they aren't. Smaller Government Please.
Why would anyone take a poll like this? All through the ages people will argue over the President. That ia a fact. How many of you have a job that pays more than minimum and how amny of you wish that you can get back to where you were 4 or 5 years ago? You know like when things were going good and everyone seemed to be able to pay their bills and you had your own home? It is simple to decide where you want to be in the near future. Either you going to keep struggling with the economy with Obama or you can move ahead.
The bottom line is do you want someone who has done nothing for this country but make it worse, or do you want someone who has business experience and is knowledgeable on world economics and foreign policies to help get everyone got of this mess. When we start moving the world will notice. Leave it like it is for four more years and you may not have a great job and will be just like the rest of us.
My IRA and 401K are both up neary 200% since the president took office. I'll stick with a president who made me far better off than I was 4 years ago!!
LIAR
You obviously don't do your homework and don't pay attention to facts or you'd know the country is better off... not perfect yet, but definitely better off. Remove those blinders, boy, and do your homework!
I'm not sure who your talking to? The only persons truly better off than four years ago are those with fat stock portfolios or who happen to be White House buddies who got all that stimulas money. For everyone else just ask yourself this:
Are you paying more for food, gas and services then you were four years ago?
Has your paycheck remained essentially the same as four years ago?
If the answer to both these questions are yes then you are worse off than you were four years ago and I might suggest you consider a change and this time not the "change you can believe in." I think that ship sailed a long time ago.
Yea after they'd dropped 200%...so you are about 0% better than you were before he took office.
You're not very bright are you?
I'm sure Mr Romney is very concerned about the polls. He and the Super PAC's have out spent the president by a 3 to one margin and one speech by Bill Clinton blew away hundreds of million dollars of negative ads. As Bill Clinton said: "It's arithmetic!"
The Republicans don't believe in science so why would they believe in polls?
We believe in science. We just don't believe in your god Darwin.
As Bill Clinton said "another cigar please"!
F the dems!
Our economic collapse was cause entirely by George W. Bush and all of his Republican constituants. It will take years to recover the $5 TRILLION that Bush squandered on an unnecessary war in Iraq, not to mention the 2,000 brave young Americans that died for Bush's folley. Bush should be tried for crimes against humanity.
Dems should be tried for crimes against intelligence.
Oh come on Ozark, Hell, the majority of your precious Dems voted to go in. Even Pelosi claimed they had to provide "unconditional funding" for Bush's war.
Mittens is not worried about the truth - his campaign said it is not going to be run by facts - so why should he worry about polls. All he is worried about is buying off the American public so he can lower his own tax rate, bankrupt the company and sell us to foreign countries. What a GREAT guy!
Too late. Oblamer has already done that.
Well, the "empty chair" did what it was supposed to do - was very good for the DEMS
O&Joe 2012
You just keep believing that.
NO MO FO 44
Voting for Romney!
Cant take another 4 years of listening to the double talk of help the people all the while spending OUR money on an extravagant lifestyle.
PEOPLE check the facts, PLEASE check the facts! If you check the facts you will learn what is real. Quit listening to propaganda use your minds!
CARE What "extravagant lifestyle"???
That's hysterical! You want to vote for the party that will protect the very people who live the extravagant lifestyle off the backs of people they don't care about. Yeah, that makes sense.
OBAMA/BIDEN!
People need to stop giving Obama too much credit and there are some people that literally idolize him! Stop it, he is going to disappoint you anyway! I honestly think people vote for him because they think it is cool....such pushovers! 18-30 year olds are at 16% unemployment!!! Wake up America!! GO ROMNEY! VALUES, FAMILY, AND SUCCESS DO MATTER!!!
Sure. You betcha. Anything you say, dude. Yea Left!
RIGHT, You know what? You sound kind of envious if you ask me. Yes, Obama has that indefinable quality called Charisma, a trait sorely lacking in your party's nominee who is as phoney as a 3 dollar bill.
Obama has not disappointed me. I don't approve of everything he's done but considering he has had to deal with the most implacable, intransigent and downright unpatriotic and openly hostile Congress in all of our history, I think he's done pretty darn well.
I suggest you take a walk down memory lane to about 5 years ago to see where we were at, with our nation teetering on the brink of utter ruin, 2 unending wars with thousands of casualties and billions spent every week and I don't see how any objective viewer could say we are not better off now, regardless of whether you approve of Obama or not.
I'm still trying to figure out how Bush, who couldn't put a sentence together if his life depended on it, got elected not once, but twice... once AFTER getting us into a war we had no business being in.
People don't vote for President Obama because he has charisma -- although that he has! They vote for him because he is intelligent, economically and politically savvy, tries to work with people on both sides of the aisle (even when one side sets out to take him down instead of doing their best for this country), and cares about ALL Americans.
President Obama has a plan and that plan saved this country from sliding into a MAJOR DEPRESSION and is helping us to climb out of the biggest recession in decades. Any ONE of the issues he faced when he took office would have been difficult to handle. He was faced with one HUGE mess, thanks to the man who couldn't put a sentence together if his life depended on it.
I have full faith that President Obama will continue leading this country forward out of this mess. I also have full faith that the GOP will continue to try to stop this progress just so they can try to prove four years from now that President Obama was a failure. The GOP turns my stomach.
And don't fool yourself into thinking the GOP doesn't agree that this mess was Bush's fault. Why else would they try to distance themselves from him? He wasn't invited to the GOP convention, hasn't appeared on any talk shows or news shows, and hasn't been invited to endorse Romney in any ads. ASK YOURSELVES WHY... then try to listen to the voice of reason when your better half tries to explain it to you!
Mitt better get worked up over these polling numbers. They reflect the fact that American voters want him to put some meat on the bones of his campaign promises. His charade is catching up with him and when he and Ryan go head to head with Obama and Biden their hollow rhetoric will become even more apparent.
LMFAO
I wonder if Romney can see planet Kolob from his back porch.
Former well respected President Bill Clinton spoke highly on behalf of President Obama, why has George W. Bush not come forth to speak on behalf of the Republican nominee Mitt the Mormon.??..GAWWWWLIIEEE Dahgnabbit ..Theze gotz a sayin out in Texas , but I shone nuff do be forgettin zackly whut it wuzzz. Huhu tahuhh Gowlieee
You must live in the hills in Mo.
Romney and Ryan are like cats in a windstorm trying to cover their booboo. Got the picture
No
Mitt your lying, lies,Lies of the GOP & Paul Ryan TeaWackers, Mitt R. Bain, Citizens United and all the Alec corps : that pays off the RepublicanPUKES Politicians. Its all about the Wealthy getting richer and all the middle class getting poorer.....They don't want to help the poor...Who are the one's that leach off the taxpayer. The Wealthy: they get welfare both for themselves an for the Corps. ...But it seems that the Wealthy get away with it ..They steal billions and the few poor steals a few thousands. So what does the GOP want, is Screw the MIddle Class to get even with the few. As I say its the me me me and F everyone else.... The failures of the Republicans party trying to take away SS & Medicare & Health care for Woman so they can give their wealthy Blackmailers more money...To hell with the Poor and Needy. Let them freeze in the winter and stave the Old and Babies,let them die from bad water, do away with the EPA and thats what you'll have, just like all you TeaWakers want...You make me sick with your Me Me Me altitude. Greedy and you all call yourself a REAL AH! Morman. What a laugh: Wake up...Sounds like Mitt!!!!!!Fuss up your tax Return: Stop your lieing RYAN:
To hell with women who state I can do with my vagina what I want. They then exercise their authority to engage in sexual pleasure by their choice, create a consequence they cannot handle and then under the guise of poor a needy say the authority they exercised extends to my sons food NO MORE
Furthermore I am tired of you saying the conservative christians are not compassionate. You morons realize that over and above the government forced charity we give billions each year out of the love of our heart to take care of the poor and needy you might want to look up how much the protestant church spends on these activities each year. This is from people giving of their own free will but we are not compassionate done with your whining
I happen to belong to a Protestant Church. Guess what? We don't endorse candidates, nor do we tell our members whether or not they can use birth control or have an abortion or be gay. We practice real Christianity. We reach out without judgment or censure. We help the poor, feed the hungry, educate the poor, participate in prison visitation, visit the sick, etc. etc. But we don't tell other people what to believe and we don't presume to think that our belief system should be imposed on anyone else against their will.
Lots of Protestant Churches are not right wing evangelical crazies. And I am willing to bet that those normal, tolerant churches make up the bulk of the donations to charities. The right wing nuts are too busy playing at politics to worry about the poor and the hungry. The money they collect is probably going to a Republican superpac.
Underemplloyed: Bravo: bravo: I salute you and people that think like you...Its what you beleieve, if your a good person and don't steal or hurt people...I also will help out the poor or needy. It's shame what the few hater has done. America is still the greatest country in the world..an I have no doubt we will get thru all this mess. You have restore my faith:
PEOPLE THAT LOOK TO THE PAST TO BLAME BUSH!!! Shut up! what happened happened already! Obama Idolizers!
Ok libs I give up. I told my republican boss to go to hell quit my job, so now you can support me and my son. By the way he will need a new batting helmet at the cost of $30.00 each season there are two per year. A new $250.00 bat and a new $100 glove and also 40.00 cleats. This way he can exercise his authority to engage in an act he enjoys but you have the responsibility to protect him from the inherent risks created by his choice
$40.00 cleats? Get the boy some real shoes. Oblamer can afford it.
So..........after da Clinton Speech............Ryan looked at Romney and said............"Do ya think handing out Walmart Applications for Job Creation is a Good Idea"?...................and them Romney said..........."I think we ought to put on Our Life Jackets..............this Ship is gonna go down Fast"..................LOL
You BetCha....Fer Sure.
Sarah P.