It’s the first day of Spring, and here are the stories we are following in ‘The War Room’ today, March 20th, 2012:
It’s voting day in Illinois. Polls close at 8 p.m. EST and 69 delegates are at stake. ABC has a very nice primer on how the delegates will be awarded at the state convention in June. Is today the day that Romney finally becomes “inevitable?” Is this Santorum’s last chance to have a credible shot at the nomination? Nate Silver has the answer. And don’t forget, Louisiana votes this Saturday and Santorum is expected to perform well there.
MSNBC’s First Read crunched the numbers, and the earliest Romney can reach 1,144 is May 29th – and that’s assuming he wins all the delegates after today. Rick Santorum has taken to using Republican math to refute that argument.
Staunch conservatives are warming up to Romney according to a new ABC/Washington Post poll, although the key statement on overall popularity of all three candidates is here: “None of these three Republican contenders is above water on basic popularity among all women nationally, or among men.” That just about covers it, don’t you think?
A new Quinnipiac poll in the swing state of Virginia shows that whatever it is Mitt Romney is selling, they ain’t buying. President Obama leads Romney 50-42, and Santorum doesn’t fare any better at 49-40. Obama has an overwhelming advantage over Romney among women voters at 52-39 and also leads with men, 48-45. Put Gov. Bob McDonnell on the ticket? Doesn’t help. Both Romney and Santorum are in the negative when it comes to favorability.
Paul Ryan’s Republican blueprint for the budget rolls out today, and as predicted, it contains more tax cuts for the rich and corporations, increases the deficit, ends Medicare (and Medicaid!) as we know it, breaks the budget deal that had been negotiated last year, and generally expects that voters will reward the GOP for continuing the same fiscal policies that created the economic problems voters would like to see fixed. It’s so bad that even Republican strategists are already wringing their hands over the political implications. It may even be DOA upon arrival in the House. Stay tuned.
Democrats are prepared for the Ryan budget. Matter of fact, they can’t stop smiling just thinking about it.The White House is prepared as well.
Michelle Obama had some very interesting things to say about marriage equality last night. Or did she? The jury is still out. What do you think?
The Idaho Senate is the latest to join in on the GOP’s War on Women, passing a bill that will require an ultrasound before an abortion. It is expected to pass the Idaho House as well. When concerns were raised about rape and incest victims, bill sponsor Republican State Senator Chuck Winder indicated that women have a difficult time identifying whether they have been raped or not, and he hopes that the woman’s physician can sort it all out for her. Yes, he really said that.
A new poll from PPP shows Elizabeth Warren regaining the lead over Scott Brown in the Massachusetts Senate race, 46-41. Before everyone screams “Democratic pollster!,” check out the very nice write-up on PPP from NPR.
This has viral written all over it – “Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up?”
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