Wednesday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on May 16 

Rasmussen has the numbers in North Carolina:

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Tar Heel State shows the putative Republican nominee earning 51% of the vote to Obama’s 43%. Two percent (2%) like some other candidate, and four percent (4%) are undecided.

Wowzer! Is this all hype? Or the formation of a trend? Is this blowback aimed at America’s first gay president? And this is the state the National Democratic party picked for their convention – at least for now.

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on May 14 

Barack Obama: the first black gay president? At least according to Newsweek he is. Politically speaking, is this a good thing? According to a USA TODAY/Gallup poll 51% say they agree with the president’s decision. 60% say it will have no bearing on how they vote. Did Obama thread the needle?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Apr 30 

Karl Rove is out saying Obama is in a good position to be re-elected. The numbers man says Barack Obama has 220 solid electoral votes sewn away while Romney only has 93. Obama apparently agrees as he is making dog delicacy jokes at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Wednesday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Apr 25 

The “Hey baby! Cash Money!” story continues to grow some well-tanned walking legs. Senator Grassley implied that we have yet to learn the full story. The list of agents fired, resigning or retiring has grown. Sources inside the Secret Service say this behavior is nothing new. Obama has referred to these agents as a bunch of knuckleheads, but the implications seem to be growing into something more serious.

Can this story have an impact on the fall election? Do Columbian apples fall far from the tree?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Apr 16 

Mitt Romney spoke before the NRA on Friday where he warned against an unrestrained re-elected Obama: “As he told the Russian president last month when he thought no one else was listening, after a re-election he’ll have a lot more, quote, ‘flexibility’ to do what he wants.”

Dick Cheney, the man with a new heart and same old gravitas calls Barack Obama an unmitigated disaster.

Oh yeah, there’s a new sex scandal in Washington; well, technically Colombia. Numerous secret service and military personnel were sent home after reports surfaced of “inappropriate contact” with local prostitutes. If the reports are true, Obama says “I’ll be angry.”

Tebow for VP

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Race for White House 2012, Romney News on Apr 12 

Forever the avid political prognosticator, The University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato is out with his crap shoot selections as Mitt Romney’s VP. What do you think? Is anyone missing from this list? Is anyone worth putting your money on?

Check out Sabato’s full crystal ball here.

Santorum suspends

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Race for White House 2012 on Apr 10 

Rick Santorum is suspending his campaign. From The New York Times: “Rick Santorum is suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, according two of his advisers, bowing to the inevitability of Mitt Romney’s nomination and ending his improbable, come-from-behind quest to become the party’s conservative standard-bearer in the fall.”

And their evil money dog bone:

But ultimately, Mr. Santorum’s campaign struggled under a nearly-constant barrage of negative ads paid for by Mr. Romney and the “super PAC” supporting him, Restore our Future, which has spent millions in an effort to ensure that Mr. Romney captures the nomination in his second attempt.

And so, the ABR (anybody but Romney) crowd is finally turned away disappointed and the political couch potatoes must turn their attention to Romney’s VP selection. Is there a VP out there that can turn tea leaves gold?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Apr 9 

A tale of two pastors: Tim Tebow and Jeremiah Wright offered two opposing views of faith over the weekend. Tebow says we are still one nation under God. Wright says Clarence Thomas worships some other God, white supremacy governs world policy and Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was a pedophile.

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Mar 26 

Rick Santorum won the Louisiana primary over the weekend with 49% of the vote. Even with this win Romney’s delegates continue to add to his total. Santorum is telling his supporters not to worry. Romney’s lead is a bunch of fuzzy math:

“There’s a lot of bad math there that doesn’t reflect the reality of what’s going on on the ground. And so I think we’re in much, much better shape than what the numbers that are out there suggest,” Santorum said in an interview.

In other news, Obamacare finally has its day in court.

The Santorum snap

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Media Clips and Issues, Race for White House 2012 on Mar 23 

Rick Santorum has come out with an endorsement of Barack Obama, if the other choice is Mitt Romney. Is this the beginning of the end? Are the campaign pressures getting to Rick or is he right?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Mar 19 

Mitt Romney inched closer to the nomination this weekend by winning the GOP primary in the Spanish speaking country island of Puerto Rico.

Politico: Iraq is a testament to Obama leadership.
ABC: Sen. Scott Brown jabs at Santorum for finally using protection.
DC Examiner: ‘Only’ 20 million may lose health insurance coverage.
ESPN: Obama is winning PD’s March Madness.

PoliticalDerby’s annual march madness

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Outside the Track on Mar 14 

Once again politicalderby.com is partnering with ESPN.com to bring you March madness. The rules are easy. Login to ESPN here and make your selection for which NCAA basketball teams will make it to the big dance. Create a bracket and join our group:

Group: PoliticalDerby
Password: Obama-Clinton’12

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Mar 5 

Romney won Washington and is pulling ahead in the delegate count (also here, and here and here). Is it all over except for the fat lady? Santorum says if Gingrich drops put, he can beat Romney. Santorum is also calling Matt Drudge a Romney cheerleader. What say ye?

Rate that trailer

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Foreign Affairs, Media Clips and Issues, Obama News on Mar 3 

The Emergency Committee for Israel has released a trailer for the soon to be released 30 minutes video: Daylight: The Story of Obama and Israel.

According to Josh Rogin (Foreign Policy, The Washington Post) the video “cuts together clips of Obama quotes and outside commentary to put forth the narrative that Obama has made statements and taken actions as president that have put him out of step with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters.”

Will this deepen the crack in Obama’s DNC-Jewish voter alliance?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Feb 27 

Tomorrow primaries are being held in Arizona and Michigan. Romney looks to take the prize in Arizona. Rasmussen shows Romney in the lead in Michigan with 40%. The PD composite has it much closer. Many are squaring Michigan as a must win for Romney. If he wins, does he walk away with the nomination? What if he loses? Do you take NJ Gov. Christie’s position, that if Romney loses Michigan, it sets up a brokered convention? Political Junkies, hold onto your seats!

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Feb 13 

Romney won the Maine caucus. Romney won the CPAC straw poll. Which was more important?

Sarah Palin has weighed in. She says Romney is a great candidate. A conservative? Not so much.

If you’ve been under a rock all weekend, and are just crawling out, Whitney Houston is dead.

Wednesday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Feb 8 

Rick Santorum had a big night. Can he ride this pony long enough to give his campaign the breath it needs to survive? Or is Romney the GOP’s man? Is it just a matter of time?

Catholics across the spectrum are annoyed by the contraception/ abortion-lite approach of the administrations new HHS rule. Eric Metaxas (NY Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy) compares the move to Nazi Germany. What say you – another lame nazi reference or the real deal?

Monday open thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Feb 6 

Eli Manning and the New York Giants were victors Sunday night, beating The Patriots, 21-17. Will 2012 go down as a dark year for New England pretty boys? Or can Romney satisfy the troops where Tom Brady failed?

Did you see Clint Eastwood’s commercial, It’s Half-time In America? Too much melodrama, or just the right spot?

In an interview with Matt Lauer, President Obama says Israel has not yet made the decision on whether to bomb Iran. Do you believe him? If he is right, should he be saying so?

You say it’s your birthday

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Humor on Feb 1 

Wright and Kaiser - the early years

Political Derby is in that birthday kind of way! Please join us in celebrating the birthday’s of two of our esteemed editors Jason Wright and David Kaiser. Kaiser punched the clock on Sunday and Wright enters the spotlight today! For all you’ll do, Happy Birthday!

Monday Open Thread

By Stephen Fountain, Editor

Filed Under Open Thread on Jan 30 

Mr. Gravitas, Former Senator Fred Thompson, says Mitt Romney has Matt Drudge in his back pocket. Former Press Secretary Robert Gibbs is officially back on O’s campaign payroll.

In Massachusetts, a probate court ruling was overturned which found that an order for abortion and sterilization was in order because the drugs taken by the mother for mental illness were harmful to the fetus (But the abortion was not!?!).

And stop the presses, Romney is breaking a stride in the PD composite for Florida, coming in at 41.9%, extending his advantage. Can he keep it up?