Way Too Early to Count Romney Out

After Mitt Romney?s latest stumble, and polls showing leads in key states for President Obama, the tone in the political universe has become decidedly bullish on the president?s chances, with some people acting as if he has locked it up.

But the voters don?t seem ready to declare the campaign over, and it is way too early to be writing Romney?s political obituary. In a Twitter world, six weeks -- with four debates -- is an eternity.

Undeniably shell-shocked by two weeks that seemed to bring bad news on each day, Republicans are trying to regain their footing and start challenging what they fear is a growing consensus that Romney is blowing his challenge to a decidedly vulnerable president.

Exhibiting a trace of urgency to try to prevent that consensus from taking hold, their argument echoes the president?s defense of his tax plan: It?s not politics; it?s math. They contend the math of the latest polls shows ?Romney behind, but not so far behind that it justifies some of the claims heard this week on cable television.

Tom Rath, the longtime Republican figure in New Hampshire, said he is encouraged by the willingness of voters to still consider Romney despite all the recent bad publicity ? some of which he blamed on a ?Greek chorus of unemployed consultants? taking shots at the campaign?s decision-makers in Boston.

?We can still win. It?s doable,? he said. ?But we?ll have to thread the needle a little bit.? Read more

?George E. Condon Jr.

NATIONAL JOURNAL?S PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT

Obama Has More Campaign Money to Spend Than Romney
[Associated Press, 9/20/12] President Obama has $88.8 million to spend in the final months of his campaign, according to August financial reports. This is nearly twice as much as Romney, who has $50.4 million in the bank and $15 million left on a loan.

TV Ad Spending on Presidential Race Surpasses Two-Thirds of a Billion
[National Journal, 9/21/12] Spending on television advertising in the race for the White House has topped two-thirds of a billion dollars, according to sources watching the advertising market, with Republicans only narrowly outpacing those who back Obama.

Before Debates, Romney Faces a Daunting Path
[New York Times, 9/20/12] With seven days until early voting begins in Iowa and less than two weeks until the debates, it?s crunch time for the Romney campaign. Plagued by negative coverage, the Times analyses that it?s up to Romney himself to change the dynamic.

Romney, Obama Quiet on Tax Plan Details
[Boston Globe, 9/21/12] Even in light of Romney?s ?47 percent? remarks, both campaigns have been vague with their tax policy plans. Romney won?t reveal which tax deductions he would eliminate and Obama won?t say what corporate tax havens he would cut.

Ryan to Challenge Obama on Medicare at AARP
[National Journal, 9/21/12] Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan is set to speak at the AARP national conference in New Orleans on Friday, where he is expected to say, ?the first step to a stronger Medicare is to repeal Obamacare.? Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., also wrote an op-ed on Friday slamming the AARP and Obama on Medicare.

Noonan: Romney Needs a New CEO
[Wall Street Journal, 9/20/12] Columnist Peggy Noonan is going after the Romney campaign once again in an op-ed on Friday. She writes, ?This week I called it incompetent, but only because I was being polite. I really meant ?rolling calamity.?

Polls: Obama ahead in Colorado, Iowa and Wisconsin
[NBC News, 9/20/12] Another slate of battleground-state polls released late Thursday confirms that President Obama holds a clear, if tenuous, advantage in the race to 270 electoral votes, reaching 50 percent in smaller swing states Colorado, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Black Women Rally Against Voter ID Laws
[National Journal, 9/21/12] A cadre of black women are organizing to protect voter rights in light of new voter I.D. laws across the country. Given that black women had the highest turnout of any demographic group in 2008, the say they are trying to protect the first black president.

Obama Tears Into Romney?s 47 Percent Remarks
[TPM, 9/20/12] At a Univision forum on Thursday night, President Obama took some time to attack Mitt Romney on his ?47 percent? remarks, suggesting Romney hasn?t ?gotten around a lot.? The Obama campaign on Friday also released an online video hitting Romney on the comments.

Heartland Monitor Poll: Obama Leads 50 Percent to 43 Percent
[National Journal, 9/21/12] Obama has opened a solid lead over Romney by largely reassembling the ?coalition of the ascendant? that powered the Democrat to his landmark 2008 victory, the latest Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll has found.

Clinton: '47 percent' Comments Put 'heavier burden' on Romney in Debates
[CNN, 9/21/12] Former President Bill Clinton told CNN on Thursday that Romney needs to further explain his ?47 percent" comments. He said, ?I think it puts a heavier burden on him in the debates to talk about what he meant.?

Romney Ridicules Obama on ?Change? Remark
[National Journal, 9/20/12] In his latest broadside against Obama, Romney on Thursday characterized a remark by the president that ?you can?t change Washington from the inside? as an acknowledgment of weakness ? a charge that Obama?s campaign said was ?wildly? out of context.

Citizens United to Air Anti-Obama Radio Ads during U.N. General Assembly
[Politico, 9/20/12] The now infamous Citizens United group is planning a $40,000 radio ad buy in New York and Florida to attack Obama on his Mideast policy. The United Nations General Assembly will be meeting during that time.

Ann Romney, to Critics in GOP: ?You want to try it? Get in the ring.??
[Radio Iowa, 9/20/12] The wife of the Republican presidential nominee went after her husband?s critics within the party on Thursday. ?Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it? Get in the ring,? she said.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/way-too-early-count-romney-074124191--politics.html

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