Visual source: Newseum
NY Times:
The economic and political changes of the past four years have established Nevada as a major battleground this fall, while adding some unpredictability to the Republican caucuses on Saturday. Mr. Romney is widely viewed as being in a strong position to win again this time, partly because he is a Mormon and Mormons are expected to make up slightly more than a quarter of the electorate.
But the intensity of Tea Party activists in Nevada, fueled by the relentless economic downturn here, suggests the state might offer the Tea Party one of its final chances to block Mr. Romney. Ron Paul is focusing on Nevada at the expense of other states, while Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum are competing intensely for Tea Party backers. On Wednesday, Mr. Santorum released an advertisement here that attacked Mr. Gingrich for supporting the Wall Street bailouts, describing them as “a slap in the face of the Tea Party.”
Sharron Angle! No bailouts! Smaller government! For thee, not for me.
Bay Area News Group:
"The Western Latino electorate is overwhelmingly Mexican-American and overwhelmingly Democratic," said Gary Segura, a Stanford University professor.
"Their participation in Republican caucuses tends to be low. Those who do participate tend to be moderate."
That means that although Nevada's population is now 27 percent Latino, and its Latino voting population about 15 percent, the small base of Latino Republicans is unlikely to make a big difference in the Saturday caucus.
But come November, many experts say the Latino electorate in Nevada and other Western states is critical in deciding the next president. "It's going to matter the most in the general election. We're a battleground state, a swing state," said Ken Fernandez, a professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Turned off by Republican congressional candidate Sharron Angle's harsh immigration tone, Latinos helped Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, keep his job in 2010, Fernandez said.
Speaking of thee, not me... Greg Sargent:
You’ve got to take the whole sentence? Interesting. That rule did not apply when Romney personally approved an ad attacking Obama that lifted his words out of context in a hilariously dishonest way, implying that Obama said something about himself he’d actually attributed to a McCain adviser. The Romney campaign subsequently boasted about all the media attention the ad’s dishonesty earned.
WaPo:
The connection between the two is an opportunity for Ron Paul to gain a seat at the table if his bid for the presidency fails; for Mitt Romney, it’s a chance to gain support from one of the most vibrant subgroups within the GOP.
From a comment at the Washington Post: 'Mitt Romney should throw his support to Ron Paul ...' What I love about Paul supporters is their unerring practical sense and close ties to the 11th dimension.
WaPo:
Despite Romney’s dominating win in Florida, it was clear Wednesday that obstacles remain. He drew fire from some conservatives for saying in a CNN interview that is not worried about the “very poor” and would instead focus as president on the middle class.
Romney told reporters afterward that his words were misinterpreted.
Don't misinterpret his remarks. He doesn't dislike the "very poor," he just doesn't ever notice them, deal with them, or think about them. And you thought caste systems were for India? Romney is simply a "first principles" kinda guy, as in "life, liberty and property."
EJ Dionne:
Mitt Romney can argue that winning ugly is still winning, especially in a contest he could not afford to lose. But Romney’s decisive victory in Florida came at a price. He aggravated Newt Gingrich’s hostility to him, with all the trouble that could entail, and left behind a dispirited Republican electorate in a state the GOP needs to win this fall.
At least until now, this primary process has weakened, rather than strengthened, Romney. It has sowed doubts that he has any understanding of how average people live and opened up a slew of questions about his personal wealth and the taxes he pays.
Jennifer Rubin:
Romney derangement syndrome (on the right)
But it’s hard to ignore the conclusion that for some in the conservative press there is an element of anti-Romney animosity that is not quite grounded in reason or ideological consistency — it is personal. And other than Romney’s being “handsome, rich and successful,” as Kathleen put it, it’s really hard to fathom where it comes from.
Gee, it couldn't be his religion, his inability to connect with ordinary people, his diminishing chances of actually winning, or his representing the same Republican establishment that stirs up the base but gives them no seat at the table (in their eyes) in return for their support and plays them as chumps every election year, could it?
In any case, it's fun reading Rubin, who is all in for Romney and can't understand how anyone (like the press for example), can criticize him.