Romney family intervention altered campaign, polls
UPDATE: 9:07:
From The Hill:
Mitt Romney has overtaken President Obama in a Public Policy Polling survey released on Tuesday.
Romney won 49 percent support from likely voters in the poll, compared to 47 percent for Obama.
It’s the first time all year Romney has led in the poll, which was conducted on behalf of liberal Daily Kos website and the Service Employees International Union. Obama led 49-45 percent in the group’s previous poll, conducted before last week’s debate.
The PPP poll, like the Pew poll cited below, was taken in the immediate aftermath of last week’s debate.
—————————
Source: Pew Research Center
In a new nationwide Pew poll taken in the immediate wake of last week’s debate, Mitt Romney holds a four-point lead over Barack Obama. Until that’s confirmed by other polling, count me unconvinced. Yes, Obama did poorly in the debate, but there’s little to support the contention that a 12-point swing took place — Pew’s pre-debate numbers gave Obama an eight-point lead, a little on the high side — or that the debate completely erased Obama’s 18-point lead among women, as Pew reports.
There’s no question that Romney got a good bump out of the debate. The question is how large and whether it lasts. Gallup and Rasmussen provide evidence that it has begun to fade, perhaps because of the good jobs report, but time will tell.
And what inspired this apparent shift in Romney strategy and fortunes? In an interesting new story at Politico, the change is attributed to an intervention on Romney’s behalf by his eldest son, Tagg, and his wife, Ann, in which they demanded a more moderate approach.
“Even now, many Romney officials wonder whether the change can be sustained. In essence, Romney is trying to undergo a political metamorphosis — to shed an image of personal stiffness, and to emerge loose and willing to compromise. Romney, advisers concede, is at his worst when improvising — and this shift is the biggest improvisation of the campaign. Right now, Romney is described as going with the flow, trying to quickly grow into this new public persona, most notably with his decision to tell personal stories on the stump.
Campaign officials said any change will be confined by Romney’s own cautious nature. And they are candid that their electoral map still looks terrible: Romney is behind in nearly every vital state. Ohio still looks very tough to win and New Hampshire, once a possibility, looks very bleak, officials say.”
So we’ll see. Again, there’s no question the narrative arc of the campaign has been altered. As that great political strategist Yogi Berra once noted, it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
– Jay Bookman
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743 comments Add your comment
DownInAlbany
October 9th, 2012
2:16 pm
Oh, and Fred, you’ve gotten so confused that you’re repeating yourself…”silly little man” twice in the same paragraph! Wow! Name calling…that’s all ‘ya got!
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:18 pm
Doomy please. Quit playing the idiot because I know you are smarter than that. By the time he “started” Bain, he was already made. And as for Bain/ As I told TBG: The money there came from “refugees” from El Salvador who pillaged their Country’s coffers before they left and stored the money in off shore banks, in untraceable accounts.
Google is your friend.
Don't Forget
October 9th, 2012
2:18 pm
Good start in really eliminating wasteful programs.
Yeah right, and deciding to take your clothes off before getting on the scale is a good start to a weight loss program.
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:20 pm
RF,
Its not a debateable point sir. He gave away his inheritance. All of it to BYU. Plain and simple. Just cause it blows away your pre-conceived hateful narrative of the man doesn’t make it not true.
From the reading it looks like he started off at Bain management and then after awhile he founded Bain capital. Now I’m sure he probably raised money through investors or put some of his money into it along with other venture capital partners. What does it matter? The point is that he and his company created enormous amounts of wealth. The fact that he didn’t do it sweating his ass off in a factory is beside the point. After all neither did Obama.
And I’ll take a business man who understands the economy and business which pays almost all of our taxes and gives us paychecks before I’ll take a freaking community organizer who has no govt experience and whose only job was agitating for more welfare for folks. We’ve had 4 years of the latter and all we have to show for it is another 6 trillion in debt, household real income down 8% in 4 years, and the worst economic recovery from a recession since the great Depression.
Erwin's cat
October 9th, 2012
2:20 pm
Fred – Thulsa: Come on. He’s as much a “self made man” as Ted Turner is.
Ted had the luxury of taking over a billboard sign company after his father committed suicide….stay classy
Junior Samples
October 9th, 2012
2:25 pm
whatever happens the pubs are going to have to clean up the mess that the democtrats left ‘em; …and that does not mean to sit on your rump and blame bush for 4 years;
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:26 pm
Erwins Cat: i don’t care HOW his daddy died, the fact remains that Ted was handed a 1 MILLION DOLLAR business, back in 1963 when 1 million dollars was big money. What’s that in “today’s” cash?
Bottom line, I started MY company with the cash I got from pawning my keyboards and amp so I could buy a circular saw and a nail gun. That’s a far cry from having a million dollar running business. i’m tired of hearing how Ted Turner and Mitt Romney are “self made men.” Self made men my fat ass.
RF
October 9th, 2012
2:27 pm
“Its not a debateable point sir.”
Okay, say he did. The point is, he is only “self-made” in that he managed to get enough investors to start Bain Capital. As I said, he’s obviously intelligent. No dummy could make his money and keep it. I don’t doubt his financial skill or business acumen. But sef-made? Not so much.
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:29 pm
“By the time he “started” Bain, he was already made”
Bullshyte. And if it weren’t bs you would provide a credible link to back it up.
“The money there came from “refugees” from El Salvador who pillaged their Country’s coffers before they left and stored the money in off shore banks, in untraceable accounts.”
Sure buddy. Now you’re sounding like some of those right wing listening to Rush Limbaugh loons that you are always complaining about. I did use google. And found some crazy ass left wing pubs saying crazy stuff. The credible stuff had him making his money through Bain. I’ll stick with the credible stuff as opposed to locknut left wing kook sites.
Erwin's cat
October 9th, 2012
2:32 pm
Fred – a million dollar company that was bleeding money…that’s some silver spoon huh?
Jay
October 9th, 2012
2:32 pm
Fred, a serious warning: Cease the attacks and personal insults immediately.
RF
October 9th, 2012
2:32 pm
Thulsa: let’s not forget also what put us in the Great Recession. Eight years of hands-off, deregulated Wall St. investors, deficit spending on two wars and tax cuts that couldnt’ be funded by the federal budget. Yeah, those corporate guys really know how to run government…right into the fiscal ditch. Recovery from that isn’t going to happen any faster by returning to some of the same policies that put us there in the first place. That’s like giving a kid the keys to a race car after he wrecked mom’s Impala driving it like a reckless idiot.
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:33 pm
Doomy: Bain & Company: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bain_%26_Company
Bain Capital: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bain_Capital
Spin away pal as I know you will. But what you will learn AND IGNORE is that Bain Capitol was created using a sham 10 million and dirty El Salvadorian blood money. Bai & Company was saved from bankruptcy by cheating the Gov’t out of cash.
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:33 pm
“The point is, he is only “self-made” in that he managed to get enough investors to start Bain Capital.”
RF,
Nope. Part of being self made is selling investors and others on your concepts of how you can succeed and then making it happen. He may have used their money on top of his own but he still had to sell them on the idea, he still then had to take the capital and put it to work. Seems like you just aren’t happy unless you can do everything and anything to discredit the man’s accomplishments. And if you really want to be technical about it for that matter no one on Earth is self made. They still had to have the help of their employees to succeed. That goes for Bill Gates, Obama, anyone really.
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:34 pm
Am I allowed to feel pity Jay?
DownInAlbany
October 9th, 2012
2:35 pm
Your hatred for Obama has made you lose what little brains you ever had
Nope, just hate what he’s doing to our great nation.
we ALL know he is omnipotent and all power rests with him.
Those are damn sure your words, they are not mine. That’s the problem. In your mind, O does no wrong!
You have no desire OR more importantly capacity for rational discourse.
But, you refuse to listen to reason. You ask for examples, I give them to you. Not good enough.
I pity you.
Probably not nearly as much as I pity you.
See ‘ya. I see Jay’s got another subject up. So many Dems to harass, so little time!
DownInAlbany
October 9th, 2012
2:36 pm
But, Jay, that’s all he’s got….
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:36 pm
Erwins Cat: This doesn’t exactly read “bleeding cash” but spin it as you will since you will anyway:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Turner
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:38 pm
I realize Jay that identifying stupidity makes you feel uncomfortable. I don’t know why. I do it logically and clearly, just as I point out the lies. Just identifying a liar AS a liar is some how a bad thing. Is identifying a Big Mac as a Big mac a terrible crime as well?
RF
October 9th, 2012
2:40 pm
Thulsa: hellooooo, I’m not discrediting the man’s business accomplishments. I was just pointing out that the notion of his being self-made is inaccurate. He’s a smart man- has to be to keep up with all the changing political positions he has. His history, in my humble opinion, only points out that he had an incredible opportunity to succeed, that while not offering any guarantees, certainly set him up from a better starting point than any small business owner I know. I don’t doubt his accomplishments, I just question whether they qualify him for the presidency, and I don’t think they do. That’s my opinion, for the penny it’s worth.
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:41 pm
:we ALL know he is omnipotent and all power rests with him.
Those are damn sure your words, they are not mine. That’s the problem. In your mind, O does no wrong!”
Nope. In YOUR words he is responsible for signing defense contracts and hiring security guards and everything else. “Tjhe buck stops with O.”
That is utter stupidity. There is no way ANY man can check all purchases, contacts, and hires for this country and to suggest otherwise is lunacy.
But “that’s all you got” is lies and radio talk phrases.
godless heathen
October 9th, 2012
2:42 pm
All squabbling aside, I don’t think we’ll ever see this out the off-spring on any President again.
In February 1944, Roosevelt was assigned to England to help lead the Normandy invasion. He was assigned to the staff of the U.S. 4th Infantry Division. After several verbal requests to the division’s commanding officer, Major General “Tubby” Barton, were denied, Roosevelt sent a written petition:
“The force and skill with which the first elements hit the beach and proceed may determine the ultimate success of the operation…. With troops engaged for the first time, the behavior pattern of all is apt to be set by those first engagements. [It is] considered that accurate information of the existing situation should be available for each succeeding element as it lands. You should have when you get to shore an overall picture in which you can place confidence. I believe I can contribute materially on all of the above by going in with the assault companies. Furthermore I personally know both officers and men of these advance units and believe that it will steady them to know that I am with them.”
Barton approved this letter with much misgiving, stating that he did not expect Roosevelt to return alive.
Roosevelt would be the only general on D-Day to land by sea with the first wave of troops. At 56, he would be the oldest man in the invasion, and the only man to serve with his son on D-Day at Normandy (Captain Quentin Roosevelt II was among the first wave of soldiers to land at Omaha beach while his father commanded at Utah beach).
Ted Roosevelt was one of the first soldiers, along with Captain Leonard T. Schroeder Jr., off his landing craft as he led the U.S. 4th Infantry Division’s 8th Infantry Regiment and 70th Tank Battalion landing at Utah Beach.
-wiki
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:44 pm
Fred,
I just read that entire first link and for starters I didn’t see anything in there about some 10 million in Salvadoran dirty money making Bain capital what it is. Perhaps there is some nonsense in the footnotes but I didn’t see anything there. I’ll re-read it a 2nd time.
Secondly, I didn’t see where Bain cheated the govt out of cash. Are you imagining things or is this stuff even in there? I’ll read again but something tells me that even if I find what you are talking about the truth is a little bit different then the way you are representing it.
Thirdly, I see a lot of different financing techniques and leveraged buyouts and equity stakes that would have made them wealthy if they succeeded. Even if what you said were true about some 10 million in stolen Salvadoran money the fact of the matter is that 10 million is a pittance in the hundreds of millions of dollars of wealth created. 10 million did not make Bain capital what it is. And I suspect you know that.
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:50 pm
Doomy: Look for this part: Early investors also included members of elite Salvadoran families who fled the country’s civil war.[20] They and other wealthy Latin Americans invested $9 million primarily through offshore companies registered in Panama
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:51 pm
“Early investors also included members of elite Salvadoran families who fled the country’s civil war.[20] They and other wealthy Latin Americans invested $9 million primarily through offshore companies registered in Panama.[21]”
Fred,
I finally found it. Out of all the writing on that page(several pages on their business dealings) you focus on small paragraph about some Salvadorans and other Latins who invested a paltry 9 million? You have got to be freaking kidding me?
Fred ™
October 9th, 2012
2:56 pm
godless Heathen: You had me going there. I had never heard of him and thought you were talking about James Roosevelt, son of FDR who was a Marine Raider and made the Makin Raid with the Raiders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt,_Jr.
Thanks for the info. I’m still reading about him on Wiki. I guess he was FDR’s cousin?
godless heathen
October 9th, 2012
3:02 pm
Fred:
In WWI: He (Ted) braved hostile fire and gas and led his battalion in combat. So concerned was he for his men’s welfare that he even purchased combat boots for the entire battalion with his own money.
Teddy’s son. Franklin’s son was a fighter also.
the cat
October 9th, 2012
3:25 pm
This right here is what is so astonishing about Republicans sticking up for ill gotten gains made by their fellow R’s. Disgusting.
Thulsa Doom
October 9th, 2012
2:51 pm
“Early investors also included members of elite Salvadoran families who fled the country’s civil war.[20] They and other wealthy Latin Americans invested $9 million primarily through offshore companies registered in Panama.[21]”
Fred,
I finally found it. Out of all the writing on that page(several pages on their business dealings) you focus on small paragraph about some Salvadorans and other Latins who invested a paltry 9 million? You have got to be freaking kidding me?
JKL2
October 9th, 2012
3:26 pm
jamvet- You anti-intellectuals hate the well educated because you want people to be stupid like you. Because being manipulated misery loves company! And PBS counters that.
No. Must be why I’ve spent half my life in education.
-You love taking rights away from people. The examples are myriad and innumerable. And you sicko habeus corpus haters know it.
No, confusing me with Democrats. The only time they believe in choice is if you are talking about abortion.
-You would jail women for having rights over their own bodies. (In Italy, the fascists banned literature on birth control and increased penalties for abortion in 1926, declaring both crimes against the state.)
No, I’m pro choice.
-Most of you want to destroy public education in an effort to create private schools designed to do your ideological and “Christian” (LOL!) bidding.
No, but if they can give a better education for less money, have at it. You’re the left wing dinosaur against change on this subject.
-You HATE the word democracy. And put up all sorts of fifth grade argumetn sot expalin how it does not apply to this nation.
No, confusing me with obama again. He’s the one who wants to “radically transform” our country.
-You violence addicted GOPers utterly reject internationalism, statesmanship and pacifism and demand militarism and war.
No. Strong military does not equate to war. Starting to seriously question your vet status at this point.
-You glorify the traitors in the Confederacy and Joe McCarthy is your hero! Wow.
No, I’m not a confederate at all. I would say I’m a Yankee, but hard to do that when my family was in Germany at the time. I know as much about McCarthy as I do Millard Fillmore. Just another name in a history book
-You largely ignore the Civil Rights movement an dto you unread, the Founding Fathers were Republicans that agreed with everything the Republicans are doing today.
No, I do get called a racist because I don’t blindly follow the “I’m a poor black who needs help from the government” screed posted here daily. It’s the left who likes to point out skin color but that somehow makes me a racist. I do wish the Federal Government would spend a little time doing the job they were hired to do.
-And I haven’t even touched on how you fascist stooges are willing slaves to your Corporate Kings.
George Soros says,”What?”. obama luvs him some losers!
-Now go bust up some unions thugs. Because they heavily represent professions held by mostly women such as nurses and education.
Taking their hard earned money as dues to promote their own self interest. Unions haven’t been useful for about a century.
-Is it any wonder at all that American Jews vote overwhelmingly AGAINST you???
Often wondered about that. Not to worry as obama is doing his best to fix the problem.
Jamvet luvs him some censorship! Just like his hero’s obama and Hugo Chavez.
Erwin's cat
October 9th, 2012
3:49 pm
(born Nov. 19, 1938, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.) U.S. broadcasting entrepreneur. He took over his father’s Atlanta-based advertising firm after the latter’s 1963 suicide and restored it to profitability.
Britannica
independent thinker
October 9th, 2012
3:49 pm
Anybody know for sure what Romney’s tax plan is? Can you guaranty his personal taxes will not go down? How is he going to ensure that insurance companies will cover preexisting condition if he repeals Obmacare and leaves insurance matters up to the states?
Is he going to send troops back into Iraq if the insurgency increases or if Iraq continues to aid Iran?
How exactly is he going to get involved in the civil war in Syria?
Is he going to sever ties with Egypt or remove the Muslim Brotherhood by force? same for Hamas and Hezbollah?
JamVet
October 9th, 2012
3:59 pm
2, YOU are in education???
In what capacity?
A school bus driver?
RF
October 9th, 2012
4:20 pm
independent: don’t look for specifics from Mittens. When pushed on taxes, he says “it’s complicated” or “we’d rather deal with Congress on that…” It’s like pinning Jello to the wall, but hey he’s a conservative business mogul, so they’re ready to bring him on into the WH on a taxpayer funded golden throne. No sense wasting corporate profits on that.
DownInAlbany
October 9th, 2012
4:41 pm
Yeah, probably drove the short bus that you rode on…
Lar5
October 9th, 2012
4:45 pm
Which Mitt is the liar? The new moderate Mitt or the extreme right wing Mitt. Perhaps maybe both.
It will make no difference because if elected he will be collared by the leash held by the zealot’s in control of the GOP.
Tom(Independent Viet Vet-USAF)
October 9th, 2012
4:51 pm
RF- Since you insist on calling Romney “mittens”, from now until election day, I’ll call the Pres, Barack Hussein Obama! I’m sure he is very fond of his Muslim middle name anyway!
RF
October 9th, 2012
6:50 pm
Tom: whatever floats your boat buddy….have at it!
JKL2
October 9th, 2012
8:00 pm
jamvet- 2, YOU are in education??? In what capacity? A school bus driver?
0-10-1 in what you thought I believed and that’s the best you got?
First became an instructor in 1987. Never had a bus license, but I can drive anything with wheels.
Z
October 9th, 2012
11:00 pm
Wasn’t it Anne Romney, who said that she was worried about Mitten’s mental condition. Mitt was hyper on debate night, one possibility could be he was on Prozac or some other mind altering drug. He was wild eyed, jittery and fast talking, like others I’ve seen on drugs for depression. Compare the Obama debate to Romney’s 47% speech to his wealthy friends in Florida, no comparison. Of course Liar’s have to talk fast as I understand it so that makes his speech in Florida the truther Romney because he was talking in a normal tone.
A REAL American Here
October 10th, 2012
6:33 am
I am sorry, but Romney said no tax cuts? I am sorry, but he has been promising them for the last 18 months, and Ryan just reiterated that promise 3 days ago. All ROmney did was lie, lie and lie. But as that is all he knows how to do, Obama sould have expected that. Mitt Romney; Pro Choice, Pro Life, Big Government, No GOvernment, HUge Tax cut for the top 1% (now called Job Creators), at debate No Tax Cuts. Romney, give control back to the states, at debate take control BACK. My God, as that is only a mere sample of his lies, does he just fall down when he getts out of bed as his head must still be spinning from preparing for all the lies to tell the next day!
A REAL American Here
October 10th, 2012
6:37 am
If anyone was not worried about Mitt’s mental condition before, they sure should be by know. Now how do you debate someone who, if you say the sky is blue says no, it’s actually green? How many faces dows this man have? He is a crack pot! And he willl d o whatever Cheney and Bolton tell him to do once elected. He knows numbers, he just does not have a conscious or a soul.
14.1% taxes on ONLY THE MONEY WE KNOW ABOUT!
A REAL American Here
October 10th, 2012
6:42 am
If you vote for Romney, do not blame me when the econamy collapses again. It will be ALL YOUR FAULT! But he needs to keep some left over cash from his campaign to finish his car elevator, enjoy some “SPORT”, get on an AIRCRAFT” and meet with his football, Nascar and Baseball owner friends to keep up with “SPORT”. He better stay away from bright lights as plastic melys! Who inthe world talks like that? Anyone? Maybe he is from another planet, as Mormons believe in God, they just think he was born on another planet and traveled to here. Have you ever known any Mormons? They are frickin CRAZY!
Kal
October 14th, 2012
3:13 pm
JUST IN……………… Stock Tip………. Buy KMB. (they own Kleenex) The liberals are already crying and buying at a record pace to wipe away their tears. The Obamanation of the USA is about to end this November.