Hotline Sort: Tarheel Blues
Welcome back to Hotline Sort. Romney performs well in the latest debate, and sees some encouraging news in the latest Q poll of Florida. Meanwhile, the race to replace Bev Perdue is on in North Carolina, but Roy Cooper won't be in the mix. Here's today's rundown:
9) Round two of Bill Maloney versus Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is officially underway in West Virginia, as Maloney, the 2011 GOP nominee, announced his campaign on Thursday.
8) House Democrats like President Obama's confrontational posture toward congressional Republicans.
7) Americans Elect has gained ballot access in Maine, the 15th state in which the group has been granted access.
6) Daily Caller's Matt Lewis spotted a number of errors in a Reuters piece on Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
5) According to the latest Suffolk University/7NEWS poll of the Florida Senate race, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson leads Republican Rep. Connie Mack 42-32 percent, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner 47-23 percent, former Sen. George LeMieux 46-22 percent and former Army Col. Mike McCalister 45-26 percent.
4) With just over a month to go until the filing deadline closes in North Carolina, the scramble to replace retiring Democratic Gov. Bev Perdue on the ticket in North Carolina has begun. Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton is running, and Attorney General Roy Cooper -- who many viewed as a top prospect -- is not.
Then there are a whole host of maybes, including: Former Rep. Bob Etheridge, state Rep. Bill Faison, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, Rep. Mike McIntyre and former state Treasurer Richard Moore.
Progressive Change Campaign Committee is pushing for Rep. Brad Miller, who announced on Thursday that he is not running for reelection. Rep. Heath Shuler is also considering a run. Bottom line: There is no consensus favorite right now, meaning a competitive primary could ensue. That stands in contrast to the GOP side, which has already rallied behind Pat McCrory.
3) Some harsh words for Newt Gingrich from Jeb Bush, who wants the former speaker to stop perpetuating the idea that aides to Mitt Romney, who used to work for Charlie Crist, are part of a moderate Republican conspiracy. "That's not a serious accusation," Bush told National Review. "Candidates win elections. I'm not a big Charlie Crist fan, as you recall, but these guys shouldn't have that moniker attached to them, as if Governor Romney is part of some evil plot. That's ridiculous."
Rubio -- though he is neutral in the GOP race -- has already stepped in to defend Romney along similar lines. They may not be endorsing Romney, but they're clearly taking sides.
2) Romney turned in an impressive debate performance in Florida on Thursday evening, while Gingrich, who was sharp in South Carolina, seemed to lose a bit of his edge and was unsteady at times. The debate was two hours long, but its most instructive portion may have been the very beginning, as Ron Brownstein explains:
By luck of the draw, the debate's first two questions allowed Romney to conspicuously position himself to Gingrich's right-and in so doing may have sealed Romney's advantage in the state. ... In the debate's first half-hour, it was Romney who identified both with conservative and populist causes through an extended discussion about illegal immigration and then housing (which again allowed him to criticize Gingrich for his work for Freddie Mac).
The GOP race has largely been shaped by the frequency of debates. But the next one isn't until Feb. 22 in Arizona, and there's no telling what the shape of the race may look like by then.
1) Following a roller coaster week, it now appears once again that Romney is in solid position in the lead-up to Tuesday's Florida primary. Prominent figures are coming to his defense, he's turned in two consecutive solid debate performances, he's viewed in polls as more electable than Gingrich and this morning, in a new Quinnipiac poll, he leads the ex-speaker 38-29 percent. Romney has a ways to go with conservatives, according to the survey, but he can't be unhappy with the week he's had.
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