2012 Election

Mudcat explained on MSNBC with Chuck Todd that he did not see the Commonwealth as a "purple" state, but rather still as a "red" state, based on the makeup of the General Assembly. At a local state level, he is without doubt correct (and it must look extremely red from his perch down there in Roanoke), but thanks to continuing demographic changes and a growing urban population, particularly in NOVA, the picture is not quite as clear on a statewide basis. It is now possible for Democrats to statewide elections without attracting significant numbers of "independents" to its side.

Early voter numbers released this morning by the Colorado secretary of state’s office bring good news for Democrats. The lead notched by registered Republicans dipped a point over the weekend to 38 percent of all votes cast so far in the state. Registered Democrats stayed even at 36 percent and unaffiliated voters gained two points to hit 25 percent.

The latest impreMedia-Latino Decisions tracking poll shows that Latinos are more enthusiastic and more likely to vote than ten weeks ago when the initial poll was fielded. Forty-five percent of Latino voters say they are more enthusiastic about voting in 2012 compared to 2008.

Obama: "I am not worried about the impact on the election...I'm worried about the impact on families ...first responders...the economy."
Editor's Note: The GOP response has been a little different. They have vowed to help collect supplies for those people in swing states. How considerate and selfless.

It seems Chevron likes Boehner's House Republicans more than Nancy Pelosi and that should tell us something. Chevron owns John Boehner and the Republican members in the House of Representatives. See page 9 in this Federal Election Commission filing PDF.

You've heard this, right? This morning Colin Powell went on television and endorsed President Obama's reelection. Big deal, right? After all, he endorsed him in 2008 so why wouldn't we expect him to endorse him again this year?Here's why it is a big deal.First, we know that if Powell had endorsed Romney in 2012 after endorsing Obama in 2008 it would have been a HUGE deal. He would have been on every talk show and every commercial Romney ran from ...

General Colin Powell is a man many people in both parties admire and have a great respect for. He supported and voted for Obama in 2008 and he is doing it again in 2012:
"I think we ought to keep on the track that we are on."

An ad from the Obama campaign:
Narrator: Five hundred and thirty-seven. The number of votes that changed the course of American history.
Voice: Florida is too close to call.
Narrator: the difference between what was and what could have been.
So this year, if you're thinking that your vote doesn't count, that it won't matter, well, back then there were probably at least five hundred thirty...

In the end, that could turn out to be the case, at least in part. But if you watch the video, which I have, it sure doesn't look good for Patrick Moran (nor can I think of any plausible explanation for his behavior here, even if he was "set up" by O'Keefe). In short, what we see and hear in the video is absolutely unacceptable - morally, of course, and maybe also legally - behavior by anyone, let alone by a Democratic campaign official, let alone by the son of a sitting Congressman, let alone by...well, you get the picture.

Leakey, Texas is home to a malicious church named Church in the Valley. Look at their sign earlier this week:

Texas Freedom Network reports that Americans United for Separation of Church and State has asked the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the church. The church is in clear violation of the IRS tax exemption for churches that remain nonpolitical.