The Best Poll Ever - Grover Who?

Public Policy Polling did a poll which reveals some fun information about our country and the Republican Party. In fact, this is my favorite poll of 2012 so far, with a touch of Schadenfreude and a confirmation that the present-day GOP is out of touch with their own party, which in turn is out of step with the rest of America. And let's face it, some Repubs are just nutty as the proverbial Christmas Fruitcake.

For instance half of the Republicans polled - 49% - see the now-defunct and non-existent since 2010 ACORN group as the reason Obama won - "We Was Robbed by ACORN." OMG. AND they believe Secession is the answer to . . . well, everything. Secede to what, and to where, they seem to have no clue. That's what happens to a party who insists that the Civil War was no big deal, or that we should go back to those wonderful days of slavery, when women couldn't vote, and white men were in charge - oh, and they made a huge mess of things, but women and FREED slaves were there to help them rebuild society.

PPP: Republicans Not Handling Election Results Well

49% of GOP voters nationally say they think that ACORN stole the election for President Obama. We found that 52% of Republicans thought that ACORN stole the 2008 election for Obama, so this is a modest decline, but perhaps smaller than might have been expected given that ACORN doesn't exist anymore.

Some GOP voters are so unhappy with the outcome that they no longer care to be a part of the United States. 25% of Republicans say they would like their state to secede from the union compared to 56% who want to stay and 19% who aren't sure.

More on ACORN dementia here:
Snark Amendment: GOP Nutters Can't Let Go of Imaginary ACORN

More on Secessionists Here:
Snark Lane: The Sound and the Fury of Secessionist Idiots Signifying Nothing
Snark Amendment: Secession Wars!
To Secede, or Merely "Succeed," that is the Question for Red States

But my favorite part is this gem about Grover Norquist, who seems to have so much power in Washington. In the rest of the country, not so much. Grover Who? Bahahahaha!

-Grover Norquist is largely unknown nationally, and among voters who are familiar with him he is generally disliked. Only 15% have a favorable opinion of him to 37% with a negative one, with 48% not holding an opinion one way or the other. Even among Republicans just 18% see him positively, while 23% have an unfavorable view. Only 23% of voters think it's important for politicians to follow Norquist's tax pledge to 39% who think it's not important and 38% who don't have an opinion.

So Grover is either viewed unfavorably, or indifferently - 38% don't even have an opinion!!!!!!!!!!  The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. So stick that "Pledge" where the sun never shines, Grover baby. You may be the boogey-man or a demigogue or a demon to certain spineless politicians who have signed over their souls to you, but the rank and file in the heartland basically don't give diddly squat!

In fact, Poppy Bush, ex-President and Republican elder-statesman, had his finger more on the pulse of America when he said last year: "Who the Hell is Grover Norquist?"

Romneys Say "Trust Us, We're Rich"

Mother Jones has a slideshow of Mitt Romney looking unhappy on the campaign trail, and it's not surprising. What seems most depressing to the candidate is that ordinary people just won't trust him and believe whatever he says about his past business deals, his offshore accounts, and especially his old tax returns. To Mitt it is just unreal that he might be questioned or mocked over money, of all things, when money is what has come easiest for him in life up till now.

Paul Krugman has a column in the New York Times about why the Romneys feel entitled to be unquestioned by  "we-the-people."

Pathos of the Plutocrat

Like everyone else following the news, I’ve been awe-struck by the way questions about Mr. Romney’s career at Bain Capital, the private-equity firm he founded, and his refusal to release tax returns have so obviously caught the Romney campaign off guard. Shouldn’t a very wealthy man running for president — and running specifically on the premise that his business success makes him qualified for office — have expected the nature of that success to become an issue? Shouldn’t it have been obvious that refusing to release tax returns from before 2010 would raise all kinds of suspicions? By the way, while we don’t know what Mr. Romney is hiding in earlier returns, the fact that he is still stonewalling despite calls by Republicans as well as Democrats to come clean suggests that it could be something seriously damaging.

Ann Romney is simply outraged that anyone would question her husband's ability as a financier, espcially that "undignified" President Obama. In an interview with ABC News yesterday, she got quite huffy when asked about their tax returns, which led to the not-politically-savvy move of making a remark with the now trending-on-Twitter phrase "You People" which some have taken as dismissive and condescending.

Honestly, Ann Romney doesn't sound like a seasoned political wife, and this stonewalling strikes me as a form of deep denial about the state of her husband's campaign right now. How long do they think they can wait on the tax returns?  Sorry, Ann ~ "Trust Us, We're Rich" just isn't going to cut it. In fact, that's a line many con men use to lure suckers, and "we people" just aren't as stupid as you think.




From ABC News

Robin Roberts: One distraction has been the tax returns. Both Bushes gave multiple years, ten, twelve years. President Obama gave 7 years of tax returns. Your husband has been adamant about only the two years that have been released. Why won't he follow the example of others on both sides of the aisle?

Ann Romney: You know, I think there's reasons for all of these things. You should really look at where Mitt has led his life, where he's been financially. He's a very generous person. We give 10% of our income to our church every year. Do you think that's the kind of person who is trying to hide things or do things? No, he is so good about it. When he was governor of Massachusetts, didn't take a salary in the four years.

Robin Roberts: Why not show that then? Why not release the returns because then it's a moot point?

Ann Romney: Because there are so many things that will be open again for more attack, and you just want to give more material for more attack. And that's really -- that's just the answer. We've given all you people need to know and understand about our financial situation and about how we live our life. . .

On the attacks from the Obama administration over Bain outsourcing and whether Romney lied in his SEC filings:

Ann Romney: I'm not disappointed, I'm not surprised but I think it was beneath the dignity of the office of the president. to do something as egregious as that. To do something on that level, I believe it was beneath the dignity of the presidency.

Bain is Plain and Mitt Needs to Explain

If you can't get enough of the Romneylicious Bain Denials, here are some links to peruse this Saturday:

Full Text of Mitt Romney's CBS Interview

Huffington Post: Romney's Five Network Blitz

Here's a Daily Kos Diary explaining that Romney can dismiss and deny his interactions with Bain after 1999, but the proof is in the rather old-fashioned but searchable database.
Mitt meet EDGAR Hammer meet Nail by 8ackgr0und N015eFollow

Rachel Maddow's Interview with the Boston Globe Reporter who wrote the original viral article that started all this:

Wonderfully effective new ad, found Via Political Carnival