TPM Editors’ Blog Opinions, Context & Ideas from TPM Editors
All That Glitters
Romney's night of humiliation is capped as someone moves to glitter-bomb him following his Denver speech.
Wipeout
It's looking like Romney will not win a single county in Missouri.
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Minnesota Goes To Santorum
Make that 2 out of 2 so far for Rick Santorum. Missouri and Minnesota, with Colorado still to be decided.
That Doesn't Make Sense
The word coming from the Mitt campaign is that Missouri doesn't really matter because there are no delegates there and they didn't commit time or money. The problem, though, is that Santorum doesn't really have any time or money to commit there either. And if you're the frontrunner, the presumed nominee, you get clobbered in a swing state just because you didn't aggressively campaign there? That's a very, very low standard. Santorum is clearly leaning hard on evangelicals. And really this isn't about Santorum. It's about Romney. Absent crushing spending and a week or so to focus on a single state, Romney seems to have a really rough time. That's bad, especially in the Midwest where a Republican candidate has to run strong. And especially when he's faltering in national polls versus President Obama.
Mitt Hoping for Jazz
I'm looking at the county by county breakdown of the Missouri numbers here. And there are no results in from either Kansas City or St. Louis. I'd figure those have to be better for Mitt than most of the rest of the state. But but at the moment, with 23% of precincts reporting, Santorum is up over Romney by over 27%. So they're going to have to be radically different or Mitt's toast.
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In WTF Territory?
As they say, we're still really, really early. But we have 12% reporting in Missouri and Santorum is up over Romney by over 24 points. That's a big spread even with so few results. It's a similar margin in Minnesota, albeit with a meager 3%. If Romney loses 2 of 3 of these contests, what's the headline tomorrow morning?
The First Trickle of Results
8:31 PM: We've got a tiny trickle of results in from both Missouri and Minnesota. And they show Rick Santorum ahead in both states. But at again, at or 1%. So just the first hints. Nothing more.
9:02 PM: So in case you're wondering why a bunch of votes just seemed to disappear in Missouri, the AP adjusted their numbers down. A bit weird. But it's something that happens. Not something to read anything into.
Results Moments Away
We're a few minutes away from the first results from the Missouri primary. We'll have live county by county results here.
This is, to put it mildly, a weird contest. First, it's non-binding. No delegates are actually at stake. Second, Newt Gingrich did not manage to get on the ballot. So it's Romney, Santorum and Paul.
There's been very little polling of this contest. But the latest poll out this morning shows Rick Santorum with a double digit lead over Romney. Add anecdotal reports of light turnout. And that makes it even more unpredictable.
#SecurityStateFail
Free advice for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad: Don't use the password "12345."
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And the Winner is ....?
At CPAC, the big annual conservative confab that kicks off in DC on Thursday, Accuracy in Media will be presenting the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award to Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News.
Gay (Marriage) Across the USA
Map shows the status of Gay Marriage in states across the USA.
Click image to see full chart.
Photo of the Day
Michelle Obama in a tug of war with Jimmy Fallon in the Blue Room of the White House. Really.
'Tear Down This Recovery' Watch
Why the payroll tax extension is really in jeopardy.
Awaiting the Tsunami
Obama describes the looming $500 million Koch/Rove attacks that made them rethink Super PACs.
Want To See This Movie
Dems get out the popcorn for Ryan Plan: Part II.
Dissent on Contraception
TPM Reader Anon asks for a rethink ...
I'm a long time reader. I gave several hundred dollars to the Obama campaign in 2008 (and am sure I was well over a thousand given to all Democrats I supported). I worry about conservative Catholic bishops. I worry about the GOP in this time of talk radio and Fox News. I fear greatly the possibility of the GOP winning in 2012. I am not a conservative, by any stretch of the imagination.Read More →
What Mitt Was After
TPM Reader JW thinks he knows why Team Mitt went ballistic. (And I think he's right.)
Ultimately Mitt's primary campaign is based on electability. If Republican voters don't think he is more likely to beat Obama, what is actually left for Mitt?Read More →
Change of Plans
Obama campaign announces dramatic reversal on Super Pacs, will greenlight rivals to the mega-Super Pacs currently raising for the GOP nominee.
What Were They Thinking?
TPM Reader JR wonders what the Romney camp was thinking going so all out to discredit today's ABC/WaPo poll ...
I've followed with curiosity today Team Mitt's complaint about the WaPo/ABC poll methodology on the horse race question.Read More →It's a very strange complaint that leaves me scratching my head as to what they hoped to gain from this, and how sincere their complaint really is.
Just Gets Better
What's the latest on the Pete Hoekstra "Chinese" ad that's been generating all the controversy? A follower on Twitter points out that in the html code on Hoekstra's site the woman in the ad is identified as "yellowgirl." I checked and sure enough he's right.
It seems from the context that they might be referring to the yellow shirt the "Chinese" woman is wearing. But probably just another level of the unfortunateness.
VIDEO: Secret Service Saves Romney From Glitter
Putting less-than-dignified end on a undignified night, Mitt’s new Secret Service protection was forced to step in Tuesday.
Romney: ‘This Was A Good Night For Santorum’
Romney thanked supporters in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, but said Rick Santorum had a “good night.”
Court Rules Proposition 8 Is Unconstitutional
A federal appeals court in California has upheld a lower court’s ruling that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.
Ex-Komen Official: Planned Parenthood Is Political
Karen Handel, the controversial former Komen executive, defended the group’s cuts to Planned Parenthood.
Dems: GOP Out Of Talking Points On Economy
Democratic leaders say that Republicans are running out of talking points as the economy improves.
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