Last week, the Ron Paul campaign released a blistering two-minute web video attacking Newt Gingrich for his “Serial Hypocrisy.” The video went viral on the Internet, but it is not clear how many Iowa caucus goers it reached.
Since then three new polls have come out all showing Gingrich in first place in Iowa, but only securing between a third and fourth of the vote. Paul came in second or third in all of these polls, each time nearly getting a fifth of the vote. Paul is with in striking distance of Gingrich.
That distance may close fast as the Paul campaign announced yesterday they had trimmed their two-minute web video down to one minute and will air it on television in Iowa.
“The people who like Ron Paul are intensely loyal and they will turn out [on caucus day] no matter what,” said Jeff Stein, a political analyst and Iowa caucus historian tells The Washington Examiner. “I don’t think there is that kind of loyalty for any other candidate in the field.”
Around the Bigs
The Washington Examiner, Democrats box in GOP on payroll tax cut Read more: It is beginning to dawn on some Republicans that opposing tax cuts, even a payroll tax cut, is not a winning position politically. “There certainly is ample evidence that the Democrats are winning this debate,” Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told The Washington Examiner. “Clearly, Republicans haven’t gotten our cohesive plan together.”
The Wall Street Journal, Geithner Predicts Europe Will Succeed: U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said Wednesday from Paris, that he was confident that the efforts made by European governments to tackle the sovereign-debt crisis.
The New York Times, U.S. to Aid Gay Rights Abroad, Obama and Clinton Say: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced Tuesday that the United States would use all the tools of American diplomacy to promote gay rights around the world.
The Wall Street Journal, Obama Takes Populist Swing: Adopting a sharply partisan and populist tone, President Barack Obama abandoned optimism about the U.S. in a speech in Kansas Tuesday, instead embracing the anger and skepticism emanating from the electorate.
The Washington Examiner, McPherson Square businesses getting fed up with Occupy D.C.: Increased shoplifting and the pervasive smell of portable toilets is beginning to turn surrounding businesses against Occupy DC.
The Los Angeles Times, Californians would reject bullet train in revote, polls finds: Fifty-nine percent of registered voters would oppose the high-speed rail project if another vote was held today, because its cost has soared to more than $98 billion and the completion date has been moved from 2020 to 2033.
Campaign 2012
Gingrich: The Washington Post reports that, as of the end of September, Newt Gingrich was $1.2 million in debt. The campaign says they plan to be debt free by the end of this year.
Romney: Mitt Romney’s campaign announced yesterday that they will not be participating in Donald Trump’s December 27th debate. Only Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have confirmed so far. Romney will appear on Fox News Sunday on December 18th.
Righty Playbook
RedState’s Erick Erickson says he is praying for a brokered convention that can deliver a candidate other than Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney and he confesses that he just may end up supporting Jon Huntsman.
The American Enterprise Institute‘s James Pethokoukis talks to Jon Huntsman about Obama’s New Nationalism speech.
Hit and Run‘s Jacob Sullum details how Obama uses the phrase “There are some who…” to create the strawmen he then demonizes.
Lefty Playbook
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi talks with Talking Points Memo about her long term plan to fight conservative efforts to reform Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
The Huffington Post reports that the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees formally endorsed President Barack Obama’s reelection on Tuesday, and pledged to spend $100 million on his campaign.
The Nation‘s Ari Berman notes that Obama’s New Nationalism speech shows Democrats have abandoned any effort to decrease the debt and will focus solely on income inequality in 2012.
