The clown car strikes again by @DavidOAtkins

The clown car strikes again

by David Atkins

Did you hear there was another GOP debate last night? Apparently, President Obama won the debate by not being there.



Also, apparently Mitt Romney made a ridiculous bet with Rick Perry, who thinks that the best way to the nomination is to keep attacking Romney instead of Gingrich. Fun bunch of people.



In a normal election, President Obama would be in serious trouble. In this election, the Republicans he's up against aren't much of a threat. Take this poll out of Florida and South Carolina, where Obama is leading Romney and Gingrich (h/t Zandar at Balloon Juice. Yes, that's South Carolina with Obama in the lead:

Turning to the general election, President Obama’s standing has improved in Florida, always a key presidential battleground state.

Forty-six percent of registered voters in the state approve of his job, which is up five points since October.

In hypothetical match-ups, the president leads Romney by seven points (48 to 41 percent) and Gingrich by 12 points (51 to 39 percent).

In South Carolina—a reliable Republican state in presidential contests—Obama’s approval rating stands at 44 percent, and he holds narrow leads over Romney (45 to 42 percent) and Gingrich (46 to 42 percent).

That lead in Florida may hold up, of course, while the lead in South Carolina almost certainly will not once the nominee is decided. Still, it shows that base discontent with Presidential choices isn't limited to the Dem/progressive side of the aisle.


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