Genius graphic of the day: As the New York Times shows in the amazing interactive piece “512 Paths to the White House,” Obama’s path to winning the Electoral College is much easier than that of Romney. In fact, if Obama wins Florida, Romney would have to win eight other toss-up states to topple that blow. That’s less likely than an Obama Ohio win at the moment, but … ah, why explain it?! Play with the fun, interactive, awesome graphic! (ht Jason Smedvik)
— Ernie @ ShortFormBlog
(via shortformblog)
I believe that FEMA plays a key role in working with states and localities to prepare for and respond to natural disasters. As president, I will ensure FEMA has the funding it needs to fulfill its mission, while directing maximum resources to the first responders who work tirelessly to help those in need, because states and localities are in the best position to get aid to the individuals and communities affected by natural disasters.
— Scott @ ShortFormBlog
Source: The Huffington Post
John Elway is an American football legend — a #1 draft pick, five-time Superbowl quarterback and, as everyone in the swing state of Colorado can tell you, the man who engineered THE DRIVE. As Wikipedia breathlessly explains, THE DRIVE is known in NFL “lore” as:
…one of the most clutch and iconic performances in sports and in NFL history, helping engineer the Broncos on a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive [in a critical 1987 playoff game].
In Colorado, Elway’s endorsement can rival most politicians and newspapers. And Mitt Romney got it, as his new, sporty video attests.
I’ve spent the morning reading various endorsements of Mitt Romney for president, and they all say the same thing: Mitch McConnell and John Boehner’s strategy worked.
Ezra Klein • In a new post on WonkBlog, commenting on a number of Romney endorsements that surprised him — most notably the Des Moines Register’s decision to endorse Mitt Romney, after endorsing the Democratic candidate in the previous five races. In his piece, Klein challenges the paper’s suggestion that President Obama was ineffective when dealing with Congress. He stops short of giving President Obama an endorsement, and recognizes the leadership abilities of Romney, but Klein is not unclear about his feelings on this particular line of logic. “There are good reasons to endorse Mitt Romney for president,” said Klein, adding, “But if you want the political system to work more smoothly, endorsing McConnell and Boehner’s strategy over the last four years is folly.”
— Scott @ ShortFormBlog
Source: Washington Post
The Fight for Ohio
New polls show Obama solidly ahead in Wisconsin and Iowa, which would meanhe would only need to also win either Ohio or Virginia to carry the election. Put another way, if Obama wins Wisconsin and Iowa — what some have started calling his “Midwest firewall” — the only way Romney could win is if he carries Ohio.
“There are no secrets. We’ll win Ohio,” said Romney’s top strategist Stuart Stevens.
And what if they don’t win Ohio?
“It’s a silly question . . . we’re going to win Ohio,” he said. “This is like conscientious objection: if you’re going over the cliff and you have to throw your mother, or your sister, or your father out, which one would you? We’ll win Ohio.”
The Romney ticket is confident it will win Ohio, and it doesn’t even want to talk about the possibility that it won’t (which of course belies its confidence).
The above photo has been making the Tumblr rounds as further evidence that Mitt Romney, who once allegedly roughed up a gay prep school classmate and cut off his hair, was indeed a homophobic bully in his younger years. There’s just one problem: The picture is a fake. Vanity Fair made it for a satirical slideshow of “imagined” old Romney photos.
If you’d like to attack Romney for his real anti-gay views—and there are some signficant ones—feel free to do so. But don’t form any opinions about him based on this silly photoshopped image.
These were Romney’s exact words:
I hope you make it very clear to your employees what you believe is in the best interest of your enterprise and therefore their job and their future in the upcoming elections. And whether you agree with me or you agree with President Obama, or whatever your political view, I hope, I hope you pass those along to your employees…. Nothing illegal about you talking to your employees about what you believe is best for the business, because I think that will figure into their election decision, their voting decision…
Why wasn’t it a bigger story when Mitt Romney spoke to business leaders back in June and told them to warn their employees their jobs could be in danger if he doesn’t win the election? How do we feel about presidential candidates having to remind people that what they’re asking them to do isn’t illegal?
Source: Gawker
Does Obama Have a Better Sense of Humor than Romney?
Today, CNN’s Reliable Sources looked at recent attempts by President Obama and Mitt Romney to humanize themselves and appeal to a broader audience.
President Obama wins the second presidential debate on SNL.
Source: gotchamediablog.com
