Here are some of the stories we are following on this Super Tuesday Eve, March 5th, 2012. We will have a two-hour edition of ‘The War Room’ tonight starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, be sure and tune in then for the latest!
Look at all those polls! Momentum seems to be shifting rapidly in Romney’s favor over the weekend; Real Clear Politics shows Romney with a 12 pt. edge over Santorum nationally in its “poll of polls.” Let’s take a look at some individual numbers in a few key states, starting with Ohio:
PPP: Romney 37, Santorum 36, Gingrich 15, Paul 11
Quinnipiac: Romney 34, Santorum 31, Gingrich 15, Paul 12
Rasmussen: Santorum 32, Romney 31, Gingrich 13, Paul 13
ARG: Romney 35, Santorum 28, Gingrich 18, Paul 13
NBC/Marist: Santorum 34, Romney 32, Gingrich 15, Paul 13
Suffolk: Santorum 37, Romney 33, Gingrich 16, Paul 8
The same appears to be happening in Tennessee. Just a few weeks ago, Santorum had a big lead. Now, not so much.
We Ask America: Romney 30, Santorum 29, Gingrich 29, Paul 12
Rasmussen: Santorum 34, Romney 30, Gingrich 18, Paul 8
PPP: Santorum 34, Romney 29, Gingrich 27, Paul 8
The other key state is Georgia, where Gingrich still holds a commanding lead. Romney obviously has a hard time stirring enthusiasm in the Southern states.
Mason Dixon: Gingrich 38, Romney 24, Santorum 22, Paul 3
Landmark/Rosetta Stone: Gingrich 42, Romney 22, Santorum 16, Paul 5
Insider Advantage: Gingrich 47, Romney 21, Santorum 18, Paul 6
PPP: Gingrich 47, Romney 24, Santorum 19, Paul 8
Romney supporters are hard to find in his home state of Massachusetts as well, reports Zachary Roth on Yahoo’s “The Ticket.” Roth says: “People remember, and not fondly, Romney’s unusual practice, during the second half of his term as governor, of running down his own state as a liberal nightmare while touring the country—and shifting rightward—in the service of his national ambitions.” Might want to ask his other home state of Michigan about that one; Federal Bankruptcy Judge Arthur J. Gonzalez is the latest to call out Romney’s duplicity on the auto industry rescue.
President Obama fared well in the NBC/Marist poll of Ohio, beating Romney by a 50-38 percent margin, and reports are that he already has great organization in the state—but that was before the GOP brought out the big guns. Yes, that’s right, the real head of the Republcan Party, Barbara Bush, recorded a robo-call for Romney that should put an end to the discussion. On the other hand, we hear that someone claiming to be George Soros has insinuated that Obama wants Romney on his ticket. Santorum’s ad are claiming Romney is “not one of us,” exposing the fact that Mitt is, indeed, a robot. Just like you thought.
Back in the real world, one reason the President has broken the 50 percent mark in approval is the improving economy. Steven Pearlstein at Wonkblog spells out some of the signs that show the definite gains we have made, but Paul Krugman brings us some very pertinent facts about how job cuts made in the states struggling with budget deficits have held the economy back. Key figure? “If government employment under Mr. Obama had grown at Reagan-era rates, 1.3 million more Americans would be working as schoolteachers, firefighters, police officers, etc., than are currently employed in such jobs.” Rough estimates figure that unemployment would be 1.5 points lower as well. Bottom line: “Austerity” hurts economic growth. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities has more.
Seven advertisers left the Rush Limbaugh show over the weekend, and today we learn that AOL is dropping its advertising as well. Maybe he and Glenn Beck can advertise on each other’s shows. Birds of a feather and all that. PPP finds that Limbaugh is starting to wear out his welcome with Republican voters, to them we say, “Welcome aboard!”
Did you know that as of last summer, there were plenty of acres of land available for drilling that oil companies had leased but weren’t using? True story. In case you missed it last Friday, Robert Reich was on the show to explain some of the reasons why gas prices are the way they are. Check it out here:
Join us tonight for two full hours of ‘The War Room’ starting at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
