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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor: Romney is THE MAN

March 4th, 2012 Jayde Wyatt Comments off


Following a rock-solid win in Washington state last night and fresh off Michigan and Arizona victories, the good news leading to Super Tuesday continues for Governor Mitt Romney. He received a key endorsement this morning…

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) says Romney is the only candidate who has come out with a bold pro-growth, pro-jobs plan for the future:

Eric Cantor - Majority Leader, U.S. House of Representatives

Cantor announced his endorsement two days before his home state, Virginia, is set to hold its primary. Romney is a strong favorite in the state, because Ron Paul is the only other candidate who managed to qualify for the ballot.

“I cast my vote already in Virginia for Mitt Romney and I’m here today to tell you that I’m endorsing Mitt Romney in his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States,” Cantor said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday morning.

“Who’s going to best be able to lead this economy back to a growth mode, create jobs so people can feel better about the future,” he added. “And I just think there’s one candidate in the race who can do that, and that’s Mitt Romney.”

Cantor personally called Romney last week, the day after the former Massachusetts governor won the Michigan and Arizona primaries, to say he would publicly support Romney, said Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney senior adviser told reporters traveling aboard the candidate’s plane Sunday morning en route to Atlanta.

Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom weighed in:

“Republicans want coat tails, not concrete shoes,” Fehrnstrom said. “Rick Santorum is a concrete shoe for Republicans who are running for the Senate or for the House. . .He didn’t say it, but I’ve got to believe that in the back of Eric Cantor’s mind is maintaining the Republican majority in the House. I think it’s easier to do that with Mitt Romney at the top of the ticket as our strongest possible jobs candidate.

Stressing the importance and historical nature of the upcoming presidential election, Cantor firmly believes Romney can beat Obama next fall. Continue reading here.

Cantor’s endorsement on Meet the Press:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


Cantor is the second-ranking Republican in the House.

Romney is backed by 16 U.S. senators, 67 House members, and 10 governors. Ron Paul has the backing of one senator… Rand Paul. Gingrich has the backing of one governor – Rick Perry.

Now, that’s political pudding filled with plenty of proof for which candidate is most respected and trusted!

► Jayde Wyatt

Cincinnati Enquirer: “Romney Deserves Ohio’s Support”

March 3rd, 2012 Paul Johnson Comments off

Mitt Romney today received another:

(Thanks to the campaign’s official site, from which I borrowed the above graphic. I highly encourage you to go there and donate.)

The Cincinnati Enquirer today “wholeheartedly” endorsed Mitt Romney as the GOP nominee.

In an op ed piece the newspaper said of Governor Romney:

Republican voters can no longer ignore the obvious: There is only one GOP candidate for president who has the temperament, character and discipline to lead the nation. One candidate with the business experience and management skills befitting a chief executive. One candidate who can appeal to a broad enough spectrum of voters to win in November. That candidate is Mitt Romney.

We endorse him wholeheartedly in Tuesday’s Ohio primary. Romney is best suited to represent the GOP mainstream, advance a thoughtful conservative agenda, offer a strong alternative to President Obama and lead the nation into a new era of progress if elected this fall.

The article goes on to list Mitt’s conservative credentials, listing private sector experience, turning around the first post-9/11 Olympic games, his success working in deep blue state Massachusetts for conservative principles (cutting taxes and wiping out a deficit), his focus on problem-solving, his managerial skills, his cool temper and lack of debilitating ego.

And, of course, this election is going to be all about the national debt, the economy, and jobs:

Read more…

New Polls Show Mitt Up Nationally and in MI; A Few Other Thoughts

February 27th, 2012 Paul Johnson Comments off
Mitt Romney Thumbs Up

Direction of Latest Polls.

A new poll came out today showing Mitt with a 2% lead over Rick Santorum in Michigan.

Gallup’s Tracking Poll yesterday showed Mitt with a new nationwide lead, but that’s just window-dressing (note the link is to the poll as updated daily, so the results may have changed by the time you click on it; for the story at CNN click here).

More importantly, since the nomination is won state by state, the real story is that PPP‘s polling today showed Mitt up 39% to 37% in Michigan:

Mitt Romney’s taken a small lead over Rick Santorum in PPP’s newest Michigan poll. He’s at 39% to 37% for Santorum, 13% for Ron Paul, and 9% for Newt Gingrich. Compared to a week ago Romney’s gained 6 points, while Santorum’s just stayed in place.

Even better news, however, is that Mitt may have a lead in early voting that Santorum could find hard to overcome:

Romney will go into election day with a large lead in the bank. Only 16% of Michigan voters say they’ve already cast their ballots, but Romney has a whooping 62-29 advantage over Santorum with that group. Santorum actually leads Romney 39-34 with those who are planning to cast their votes on Tuesday, but he’d need to win election day voters by even more than that to neutralize the advantage Romney’s built up.

As I’ve been opining here on MittRomneyCentral, Santorum’s very socially conservative comments appear to be doing him damage, even among those that are inclined to agree with him (and I thought the damage would be mostly with the independents; also note who’s running the negative ads):

The last week of the campaign in Michigan has seen significant damage to Santorum’s image with GOP voters in the state. His net favorability has declined 29 points from +44 (67/23) to now only +15 (54/39). Negative attacks on Romney meanwhile have had no negative effect with his favorability steady at +20 (57/37). Two weeks ago Santorum’s net favorability in Michigan was 34 points better than Romney’s. Now Romney’s is 5 points better than Santorum’s. Those kinds of wild swings are the story of the GOP race.

One place Santorum may have hurt himself in the last week is an overemphasis on social issues. 69% of voters say they’re generally more concerned with economic issues this year to only 17% who pick social issues. And with the overwhelming majority of voters more concerned about the economy, Romney leads Santorum 45-30. Santorum’s winning those more concerned about social issues 79-12 but it’s just not that big a piece of the pie.

Mitt is also cutting into Santorum’s lead in key support groups:

Romney has made significant in roads with all of Santorum’s key groups of support. 2 weeks ago Santorum had leads around 30 points with Evangelicals, Tea Party voters, and those describing themselves as ‘very conservative.’ Santorum’s still winning all those groups, but by significantly diminished margins- it’s only 7 points with Evangelicals and Tea Partiers and 10 with ‘very conservative’ Republicans.

So much for not being able to convince the conservative base. Did anyone really believe that? Bueller?

A Few Other Thoughts

Mitt’s Availability to the Press. Interestingly there were two contrasting stories in Politico today, one criticizing Mitt for not appearing on Meet the Press, with the other reporting how available he has been to local talk shows in Michigan. Hmm…if I were running for a national office but the voting was state-by-state, where would I go? National shows or the ones where the voters are? (LOTS MORE AFTER THE BREAK!)

Read more…

Last Polls Show Mitt Upswing

February 24th, 2012 Paul Johnson Comments off

We thought this may be coming after the debate.

It appears the vetting of Rick Santorum and the contrast between his projected image and reality are catching up to him. Two polls released today now show (one still within the margin of error) that Mitt has a slight edge in Michigan. Rasmussen shows a 6 point lead with a 4% margin for error, and Mitchell / Rosetta Stone shows a 3 point lead with a 4.7% margin for error. Another Rasmussen poll shows a more sizable 13 point lead in Arizona. These polls seem to indicate people are thinking like I am: Rick Santorum has electability issues. In addition, if the rationale for your presidency is that you stick to your principles, but you admit in a debate you will vote against them when expedient, the entire basis for your candidacy is seriously undermined and calling yourself “courageous” is a bit of a stretch.

We know we can’t live by polls; there’s still lots of work to do to get out Mitt’s positive message of turning around the American economy, repealing Obamacare and putting a man in the White House with executive experience rather than an inexperienced legislator (out of the GOP or the Democratic parties).

Mitt of course has been steady since the beginning as the only candidate with executive experience or economic know-how. He has a 59 point plan to turn around the economy, like he’s turned around failing businesses, the Olympics and Massachusetts. He balanced the budget in Massachusetts by cutting programs, while lowering taxes. He’s proposed lowering marginal tax rates as President by 20%, and he’s committed to being a pro-life president and choosing strict constructionists for the Supreme Court. He knows how the economy works, and will be ready when the next major shock to our economy hits (gas prices, anyone?) As I’ve said before, one of the main security risks to our country is the $15 trillion national debt, and only Mitt has a real plan to address that or the appreciation of what a risk it is. When I compare Mitt vs. the alternatives, to me it’s a no-brainer. Mitt is experienced and principled. The others fall short. That’s why they’ve all come and gone, while Mitt stays steady at or near the top.

Big #CNNDebate TONIGHT in AZ: Gov Jan Brewer “Arizonans Concerned About Jobs/Economy/Border Security/States’ Rights”

February 22nd, 2012 Jayde Wyatt Comments off

Update: Watch the entire debate here.

CNN GOP presidential debate at North Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, SC, Jan 19, 2012. Tonight's CNN debate will be held in Mesa, AZ. (Photo AP/David Goldman)

It has been 27 days since the last GOP presidential debate was held. Tonight’s critical face-off will serve as an important springboard into next week’s elections in Arizona and Michigan.

Here are a few details on tonight’s debate at the wonderful Mesa Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona:

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, Republican presidential hopefuls will face-off for the final debate before a dozen states take to the polls on Super Tuesday. CNN anchor and chief national correspondent John King will moderate the two-hour debate, which will air live from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET from the Mesa Performing Arts Center in Mesa, Arizona.
[…]
All four of the leading Republican presidential contenders will participate in Wednesday’s debate: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. In addition to questions posed to the candidates by King and Arizona Republicans in the audience, the network will solicit questions and comments submitted in real-time from CNN.com, the CNN Politics fan page on Facebook and by using the #CNNDebate hashtag on Twitter.

CNN will air the debate on television; a live feed may be found here. For CNN mobile apps click here.

Don’t forget to use hashtags #CNNdebate and #UnravelTheSweater when tweeting.

AZ Governor Jan Brewer weighs in:

The timing for tonight’s debate couldn’t be any better for Arizona and the Republican governor, Jan Brewer, says that the showdown is very important to her state.

“I think that Arizona will be a pivotal state. There are a lot of undecided voters in Arizona so I think that people will be tuned in and watching, and because of this debate will be making their decision, not only in Arizona but across the country,” Brewer said.

And what do Arizona voters want to hear from the candidates?

I think that just like everywhere in America, people are concerned about jobs and the economy. Here in Arizona people are also concerned with their border security, they are concerned about new federalism and states’ rights, and are very interested in natural resource issues,” Brewer said.

(emphasis added)

Details on stage arrangements (see photo below):

“This is the first CNN debate where we’ve used a table,” Feist said. “We decided to make this debate more intimate.”

And the table that candidates will be seated around has some history.

“An interesting piece of trivia is that the last time this particular table was used in a GOP debate was at the Reagan Library debate on January 30, 2008,” Feist said. “Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were both at that debate sitting at this very same table.”

Stage prep continues today for tonight's GOP debate at the Mesa Arts Center in beautiful Mesa, Arizona. Check out the lineup... Romney will be wearing double armour! GO MITT! (Click on image to enlarge.)
Photo - AP/East Valley Tribune/Tim Hacker
Feb 22, 2012

We’re gung-ho for another outstanding debate for Governor Romney!

GO MITT!!



► Jayde Wyatt

#UnravelTheSweater: Rick Santorum – Unprepared and Unqualified

February 21st, 2012 Vic Lundquist Comments off

Rick Santorum - Unravel the Sweater

EXCLUSIVE: See testimonial of Master Mariner, Arthur Grant at the end of this article as he describes the many qualifications required to captain the largest ships of the sea. Santorum’s hope to take over the Ship of State is a stretch by any measure or imagination. In fact, in the opinion of this writer, Santorum’s dream would be humorous if it were not so scary. Please carefully read Arthur’s testimonial before you consider supporting Senator Santorum for any higher office.

Barack Obama's Ship of State

The piloting of a ship as an excellent metaphor to executive leadership experience. Obama’s pre-POTUS leadership perfectly fits the metaphor of rowing a small boat in a lake; Santorum’s to a small motor boat (more years in Congress than Obama); Governor Romney’s, by comparison, is equal to that of the Master Mariner (captain) of the large freighter, oil tanker, or aircraft carrier. The stark differences exposed by this simple metaphor are not minor — they are vast and they are critical!

Of the many weaknesses and other disqualifying attributes possessed by Santorum, none compares with his lack of executive leadership experience. Anybody can run for President. Rarely has any man ever been elected President without extensive executive leadership experience. Santorum hopes to be the exception — as was Obama — how has that experiment worked out? It is my opinion, supported by the team at this site, that Santorum’s complete lack of leadership experience alone should disqualify him outright. Read more…

Why Mitt Is Still the One

February 14th, 2012 Paul Johnson Comments off

I can admit it: last week was tough. But the CPAC speech, the straw poll and Maine’s results over the weekend confirmed that Mitt is still the front-runner, and for good reason. I seriously can’t imagine Rick Santorum as POTUS. But I can imagine this guy:

And now I think it’s time for us to remember why we’re supporting Mitt, who I can easily imagine as president, and do what we can to convince our fellow Republicans.

Mitt’s speech at CPAC was a home run.

Not much still gives me goosebumps, but Mitt’s speech did (click on the link for the video). He was right on point, and we need him in the White House. No more Clinton-esque surprises with interns. No more Obama-esque surprises trampling religious liberties (and if you think contraception is the last of the controversies with Obamacare you need to think again). It’s all the more clear we need to elect someone with the leadership and vision to keep this country rooted in what made it strong: individual liberty, not government assistance. And that person, unlike our current president and all of the other candidates, needs to have the sheer ability to run the executive branch. Rick Santorum? Hardly. He hasn’t even run a national campaign and is just the latest flavor of the month, who is just now being vetted. The person we need is Mitt Romney.

Read more…

Mitt Romney: The Only True Executive Leader — The Most Conservative, Proven Leader (by David Parker)

February 12th, 2012 Vic Lundquist Comments off

NOTE: The guest editorial that accompanies the table below is absolutely outstanding. Due to the length of this “Experience Comparative,” in order to read the whole editorial, you will need to click the “CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING…” link at the bottom.

In 2006, a close friend of mine introduced me to David Parker, a personal friend of Governor Mitt Romney. I was contemplating doing some grassroots work to promote his run for President and wanted to know more about the man. Candidly, I was skeptical. How could a governor of such a liberal state be a Republican, let alone a conservative? David met me for lunch at Strawberry Farms and laid out the high points of Governor Romney’s strong conservative action, from his record of protecting life to his hundreds of vetoes. I was sold!

David L. Parker

David organized this amazing matrix, comparing the leadership experience and skills of the four remaining Republican presidential candidates. In my opinion, this table — along with the accompanying Op-Ed piece by David — should be published in every major newspaper in the nation, including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal! I honestly believe that if every literate voter were to carefully study this table and Op-Ed, the nomination would be over now.

As you compare each candidate below, add Obama to the list and subject his experience to these points — the results of his trial and error leadership are dismal indeed. Most impressive to me is the comparison below of leadership experience in the private, public, and philanthropic sectors — Santorum, Gingrich, and Paul simply don’t measure up to Governor Romney’s extensive background of executive leadership. Why any person would consider voting for a candidate without proven executive experience — after voting for Obama the community organizer — I will never understand. (there is good reason it is extremely rare that a congressman or senator is ever elected as POTUS)

You can make a big difference in this elections season. Please pass this Op-Ed piece by David Parker to as many people you know as possible.

“No Apology, the Case for Mitt Romney” — by David Parker

Are we so blind in our pursuit of our conservative ideology that we fail to recognize needed pragmatism? Our nation, a center-right nation, is not conservative, nor liberal, but an amalgamation of many people, each with individual agency, thought and perspective that leans center-right in the majority.

[ editorial continues below the table ]

Yes, we are clumped together at times in ideological conclaves, but to impose or dictate our conservative ideology in absolute myopia is a failed and fractured model, just as it is with those on the other side of the aisle. We cannot win and they lose, nor visa versa. We are one Nation under God, and thus we need to be sufficiently pragmatic and persuasive to win the majority, and lead those who believe in contrary principles of liberal thought to the more conservative Promised Land — America, an exceptional nation!

Accordingly, leadership and governance, and ideological advocacy demands pragmatism over some perceived capacity of force majeure.

Read more…

Maine: Twenty More Elected Officials/Leaders Back Mitt Romney

February 6th, 2012 Jayde Wyatt Comments off

The mantle of winter surrounds Pemaquid Point Lightouse in Maine.
(Photo / Bob Whitmire)




Ahead of the GOP Maine caucuses this Saturday (Feb 11th), Mitt Romney today announced 20 more endorsements from elected officials and leaders in the magnificent Pine Tree State:

“I am proud to have such a strong backing by elected officials and leaders from across the state of Maine,” said Mitt Romney. “Their support proves that my pro-growth message is breaking through and that Maine voters want someone with real world economic experience in the White House.”

Announcing his endorsement of Mitt Romney, Maine Senate President Kevin Raye said, “In order for the economy to rebound, Washington needs to stop erecting roadblocks for job creators. Mitt Romney understands the importance of strengthening small business and American manufacturing. As President, he will lead the way to rein in the federal debt, reverse the explosive growth of government, and reduce the regulatory burden on America’s businesses to foster an environment that is favorable for job creation. That is why I support Mitt Romney, and why so many other Maine leaders are endorsing his campaign.”

Maine Elected Officials and Leaders Endorsing Mitt Romney:

· Bruce Poliquin; State Treasurer
· Kevin Raye; Senate President
· Nichi Farnham State Senator
· David Hastings; State Senator
· Roger Katz; State Senator
· Brian Langley; State Senator
· Tom Martin; State Senator
· Garrett Mason; State Senator
· Earle McCormick; State Senator
· Christopher Rector; State Senator
· Tom Saviello; State Senator
· Cary Weston; Mayor of Bangor
· Peter Mills; Former State Senator
· Philip Harriman; Former State Senator
· Mark Gartley; Former Secretary of State
· Kathy Watson; Former Maine Republican Party Chairwoman
· Jim Fossel; Augusta City Republican Chairman
· Angela Courchesney; Jay Town Republican Chairwoman
· Dawn Gilbert; Lincoln Town Republican Chairman
· Dwayne Bickford; Former ED of Maine GOP

Maine elected officials and leaders endorsing Romney:

· William Schneider; Attorney General
· Peter Cianchette; Former U.S. Ambassador
· Dave Emery; Former U.S. Congressman
· Jon Courtney; Senate Majority Leader
· Ron Collins; State Senator
· Richard Rosen; State Senator
· Lois Snowe-Mello; State Senator
· Bruce Bickford; State Representative
· Richard Cebra; State Representative
· Dean Cray; State Representative
· Stacey Fitts; State Representative
· Leslie Fossel; State Representative
· Ken Fredette; State Representative
· Peter Johnson; State Representative
· Jim Donnelly; Former House Republican Leader
· Josh Tardy; Former House Republican Leader
· Rick Bennett; Former Senate President & RNC National Committeeman
· Jan Staples; RNC National Committeewoman
· Charlie Cragin; Former National Committeeman
· Maureen Cragin; Ret.Naval Captain, fmr Assist. Sec of Veterans Affairs for Public & Intergovernmental Affairs
· Doris Russell; Former National Committeewoman
· Hattie Bickmore; Former Maine Republican Party Chairman
· Mark Ellis; Former Maine Republican Party Chairman
· Steve Abbott; 2010 Republican Candidate for Governor
· Jason Levesque; Former 2010 Republican Candidate for Congress
· Tim Woodcock; Attorney and former Republican Candidate for Congress
· Chris Gardiner; Washington County Chair
· Howard Bickford: Wilton Town Republican Chair
· David Coleman; Limerick Town Republican Chair
· Gerald Morrison; Perry Town Republican Chair
· Pat Percy; Phippsburg Town Republican Chair
· Janet Plausse; Lincolnville Town Republican Chair
· Jonathan Reisman; Cooper Town Republican Chair
· George Sanborn; Poland Town Republican Chair
· Glyneta Thomson; Surry Town Republican Chair
· Ben Gilman; 2008 Maine State Victory Director
· Ann Robinson; Co-Chair, Transition Team for Governor-Elect Paul LePage
· Kathy Summers-Grice; General Consultant to the Maine Senate Republican Caucus
· Halsey Frank
· Merton Henry

Regarding Maine’s caucuses, The Portland Press Herald reports (Feb 1, 2012):

Read more…

Romney Dominates Nevada Caucus; Entrance Polls Tidbits

February 5th, 2012 Jeff Fuller Comments off

Well, the final results aren’t final yet . . . but it’s clear that Romney won this important swing state’s caucus, and won it big. (Update . . . Romney did get just over 50%, but the entrance poll results have just been revised this morning, so much of what you see quoted below is somewhat off from what the linked poll says NOW. Sorry, I’m not going back and re-calculating things at this point).

He’s got 43% of the vote with 43% of precincts reporting, but the results of Clark County (Las Vegas) as not coming in as fast as expected. Don’t fret though Romney fans, Mitt will win a majority of the votes and I’m guessing he’ll be somewhere between 52-55% of the total vote when all is said and done. If things track as closely as they are in the entrance polls, Clark County should go for Mitt by over 60% (and they’ve nailed the non-Clark County…rest of NV…percentage at 43%, exactly how the real results have turned out)

Debunking the “Romney won Nevada because of the Mormon factor” myth:

Yes, Mitt dominated among LDS voters with 90% choosing Romney, BUT (and it’s a very big “but”), EVEN IF NOT A SINGLE MORMON WENT TO VOTE, ROMNEY WOULD HAVE WON THE STATE WITH A 42%-26% margin over Gingrich.  Romney won Catholics 52%-19% over Newt and “White Evangelical/Born Again” by a solid margin of 46%-26% over the former Speaker.

Debunking the “See, the poor won’t vote for Romney” myth:

On CNN’s coverage tonight, the anchors/pundits seemed to be getting as much mileage as possible out of the fact that the only economic demographic that Romney did NOT win was those that make $30,000 or less (which were only 10% of the voters in NV last night).  They were trying to tie this to Romney’s “I’m not concerned about the very poor” comment and even went on to conclude that this “underscores the fact that blue-collar workers, who you can’t win without their support, do not see that this is a guy that will fight for them.”  SERIOUSLY?!?!?  I realize that these pundits aren’t statisticians, but it’s pretty straightforward to figure out why he didn’t win this demographic.  First off, he hardly “lost” this demographic.  Paul and Newt both got 31%, and Mitt got 30%, a virtual 3 way tie for first.  Secondly, the age of the voter is VERY determinative of income when looking at your youngest age group especially.  Voters aged 18-29 were only 8% of the vote (quite similar to the 10% in that income of $30K or less), and Paul won that group 40% to 39% over Romney.  Paul has been wining the young college-aged voters in almost every state . . . it’s his base and he’s definitely turning out this group of folks that do not typically vote in a GOP primary.  Good for Paul. But these college kids are a HUGE portion of the “makes less than $30,000 year” group, and I don’t think anyone would consider college kids “the very poor,” they are just in a temporary low-income stage of their lives.

“Strong Moral Character;” Mitt good, Newt Very Very Bad:

In perhaps the most revealing entrance poll finding, those that felt a candidate having “Strong Moral Character” was their number one trait they sought in a President, Mitt got 54% of the vote … Newt got 1% of those voters.  No, that is not a typo, ONE PERCENT (Paul got 32% and Santorum got 13%).  Looks like Nevada voters are pretty good judges of character, eh?  THIS IS WHY YOU’RE LOSING NEWT!! YOU BLAME MITT FOR YOUR LAGGING VOTE TALLIES, BUT YOU NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR BUDDY!

Debunking the “Strong Conservatives and Tea Party voters don’t like Romney” myth:

Like New Hampshire and Florida, Romney, once again, won self-identified conservatives and supporters of the Tea Party in Nevada.  This time though, he won A MAJORITY of these groups.  Romney beat Newt 54%-21% among conservative voters and 50%-23% among Tea Party supporters.  Yet I still see pundit after pundit say that Romney still has a lot of work to do to appeal to conservatives (while they “obviously” love Newt).  CAN THEY NOT READ A POLL?!?  Among “very conservative” voters he Mitt still won 49%-24% over Newt, and even beat him 39%-30% among those “strongly supportive of Tea Party.”  Some narratives are hard to kill, but when a state in the Northeast (NH), Southeast (FL), and West (NV) all show Romney winning conservatives and Tea Party supporters I think it’s proof positive against that media meme. The real take-away/new-media-narrative should be that Newt has work to do to appeal to as many conservatives as Romney has been.

Odds and Ends:

The Economy was the number one (even by a majority) issue on voters minds, and Romney carried these voters by 62%.  By an even larger margin, the candidate quality of “Can Defeat Obama” was number one, and Romney absolutely dominated here with 73% of the vote.  WOW!  ”Right Experience” was the top quality to only 15% of voters, but Romney cleaned up here too with 55% (Rick Santorum pulled in a whopping 1% here).   Romney also continues to dominate the Suburbs winning with 69% there; historically this is a key demographic for winning a general election.

Turnout Issue:

Newt and some liberals keeps saying that Mitt’s trying to suppress turnout in order to win.  When we look at the field compared to 2008, however, I don’t think it’s any surprise that turnout is lower.  Last time around there was much more diversity, and much more famous personalities in the field.  You had a Pro-Choice candidate with strong personal appeal/popularity in Rudy Giuliani, War Hero John McCain, popular actor Fred Thompson, and folksy former pastor Mike Huckabee in addition to Mitt and Paul all in the race this far into the process.  Substituting character-challenged Gingrich and personality/experience-challenged Rick Santorum in place of Giuliani, McCain, Thompson, and Huckabee is beyond even comparing apples and oranges. They all had more money and organization that either Newt or Rick too and that is how turnout is driven. Like all of Newt’s complaints/excuses, this one rings hollow as well.

CONGRATS MITT AND NEVADA!! ANOTHER GREAT WIN FOR ROMNEY!!