Sunday opinion. (And in case you forgot, it's International Talk Like a Pirate Day. - thanks for the reminder, NCrissieB.) Arrr!
Nate Silver:
So, my conclusion, is that Ms. Murkowski indeed stands a chance –- and more than a trivial chance -– in her write-in bid. The race would probably be competitive if Ms. Murkowski were running a conventional, independent candidacy. And there is not sufficient evidence to conclude that being a write-in will harm her to the point that she is not viable in a race where she otherwise would have been.
Still, being a write-in does require more effort -– quite literally -– on the part of one’s voters, and so I wonder how well Ms. Murkowski will fare if she chooses to run a negative campaign (her rhetoric last night, in a rally announcing her write-in bid, was fairly combative).
LA Times:
Indiana Rep. Mike Pence is the top choice in a field of more well-known GOP figures, including Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, with 24% of the vote at this weekend's Values Voter Summit...
Perkins attributed Palin's underwhelming performance to the fact that she did not speak to the group in person. But he also said it could show that voters see her more as a "cheerleader who rallies conservatives together" than as a potential elected leader.
"She is a great spokesman," he said. "She says what a lot of people think. But a lot of people sometimes realize we shouldn't say everything we think."
Why not? What are you hiding?
WaPo:
Democrats immediately seized upon O'Donnell as emblematic of what they say is an untested and fringe element that is taking over the Republican Party.
And among Republicans, her victory stoked the fear that has followed them all year: that there will be a backlash against the tea party that could dampen support for their candidates and cost them a shot at taking over Congress.
There can't be a backlash against the tea party. David Brooks (The Backlash Myth) says so.
Maureen Dowd:
"We’re rowdy, we’re passionate," she told the enraptured crowd. "It reminds me of the C. S. Lewis Narnia books, where the little girl asks someone about Aslan the lion, who represents God, and she says with a little concern over such a fearsome lion, ‘Is he safe?’ And her friend says, ‘Safe? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.’ "
She’s right that there’s an untamed beast rampaging through American politics. But this beast does not seem blessed; rather it has loosed a kind of ugliness and wildness in the land.
But don't be fooled. This is a column about how O'Donnell is Obama's fault.
Charles Blow:
The Democrats’ strategy of highlighting the scary Tea Party-supported candidates isn’t working for them. Fear factors don’t provide much traction. They turn off instead of turn out.
These voters came to the polls in 2008 because they were inspired and hopeful, not angry and scared. They need to be inspired anew. Democrats must ignite their fealty, and they must do so with a positive, idea-based message.
They must stop running away from their legislative accomplishments — many of which directly benefit blacks, young people and women — and start running on them. And they must talk more about new proposals to jolt the economy out of stagnation.
And see Democratic Advantage:
NY Times:
The Republican brand is damaged — maybe even more so than the Democrats’. An overwhelming 72 percent of respondents to the New York Times/CBS poll said they did not think Republicans in Congress had a clear plan for solving the nation’s problems.
But one place where the Republicans hold the advantage in polls is in their potential to reduce the federal budget deficit — 42 percent of voters polled said they trusted Republicans to do so, compared with 34 percent who said they trusted Democrats.
Thirty-four percent of respondents — a plurality — "strongly disapprove" of the health care law that was enacted in March, and 15 percent somewhat disapprove, according to the Times poll, compared with 15 percent who strongly approve (and 22 percent who "somewhat" approve.)
Tea Party activists — and their candidates — pose a problem when they move the discussion into a broader one about the role of government.
That's why Republicans talk about the deficit, even as their their actions (see denying Obama's middle class tax cut) make the deficit worse. It's rhetoric designed for elections, not serious policy.