Here’s a good piece by Nate Silver in the Times. Simple point: once you get past the simple fact that the terrible unemployment rate has a lot to do with the Dems’ awful electoral prospects, it’s very hard to make any definitive statements about why they’re struggling. There are numerous theories, many of which are plausible, but very few of which have a really solid factual basis behind them. So everybody picks the theory that validates their assumptions.
Dems and Obama’s poll numbers are so bad because …
Republicans: Terrible policies and he’s probably a Muslim.
Right Democrats: No CEOs in the administration. And why does he keep getting into the black thing?
Down-the-Line Obamaites: Economy’s bad. Nothing he could do. Give it a rest.
Left Democrats: He wasn’t liberal or tough enough and me and my eight friends are deeply disillusioned.
Politico: Chronic failure to win the morning.
What else am I forgetting?
In response to the post below TPM Reader MC responded …
What?
XXXXXXXXXX to talk
6:08 PM (17 minutes ago)“Left Democrats: He wasn’t liberal or tough enough and me and my eight friends are deeply disillusioned.”
Oh really? Please insert a suitably insulting comment here, jerk.
I mean, a reader who will only stipulate to an insult rather than take the time to actually craft one? Makes me wonder what America’s coming to. Don’t have time for that.
(ed.note: Is it the last day of August? Yes, it’s the last day of August.)
Obama’s Oval Office address on Iraq (with a little domestic economy oratory thrown in for good measure) starts at 8 p.m. ET. Watch live here.
We’ve posted the full text of President Obama’s Oval Office address.
I should have known that we were at the point in the mosque controversy where the inexorable laws of the universe were going to prompt some wiseacre to make a voice dub parody with that Hitler in the bunker film segment that gets reused every year or so.
It’s moronic but I found it pretty funny. With a few moments of real comic genius.
After the jump … Read More
We’re making decent progress ironing out the issues with our new TPM login/comment system. We’ve put together this new FAQ that answers some of the most asked questions about the new system.
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is cutting short his State Department sponsored trip to the Middle East to return to the US and deal with the mosque controversy.
Constitution Party candidate Eric Deaton’s Senate run in Ohio is looking like a longshot tonight after he was indicted on a single count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The alleged relationship with an unnamed 15 year old girl occurred in 2006 and 2007 when Deaton served as an elder at the girl’s church.
Said Perry Township Police Chief Bob Bowman: “He would tutor some classes and allowed her to come to his residences to do some work and earn some money.”
And there may be more.
Chief Bowman told reporter Mark Bruce of WHIO TV: “There are additional hotel dates that don’t correspond with information from our victim. We also have information from early on that there may be other girls from the church.”
Deaton, who has the support of major Tea Party groups in Ohio, is not backing down. He plans to remain in the race and says he believes the charges are “politically motivated.” According to Deaton, the “powers that be don’t like” his decision to enter the Senate race.