Charlie Rose with Mark Halperin, Nate Silver (video)

Charlie Rose, with video (52:13) from hulu.

Howie P.S.: Charlie talks with his guests about polls and the 2012 election.

"Christie's Gift to Obama"

John Baer (Philly.com):

Gov. Christie, who in past tagged President Obama as a Windy City pol without leadership skills, now gives Obama a glowing review just days before the election. The outspoken Republican whose August GOP convention address included the line that Obama is "nothing more than a Chicago ward politician," is touting the president's response to devastation in New Jersey in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. “I have to say the administration, the president himself and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate have been outstanding with us so far. We have a great partnership with them, and I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this,” Christie said Tuesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Christie and Obama were scheduled to visit New Jersey's hardest hit areas together on Wednesday. As I wrote in Wednesday's column, how voters view the president during the next few days (and by contrast Mitt Romney) could help decide the election next Tuesday. Even on FOX, Christie hugged Obama, saying, "I have to give the president great credit...I spoke to the president three times yesterday...he called me for the last time at midnight last night, asking what he could do.” And when FOX-casters asked if maybe Mitt would tour Jersey with him, Christie said, "I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested...If you think right now I give a damn about presidential politics, then you don’t know me.” Love him, hate him, have no opinion or just don't care, Christie's national reputation for straight talk most of the time is, in this case, a gift to the incumbent. Cynics might say Christie (as many said of his convention speech) is more interested in pushing himself for a 2016 presidential run than doing anything to help Romney. Others will argue he's a Jersey-first leader doing all he can to help his state. Either way, right now, he's also helping Obama.

Howie P.S.: Now Brownie is saying Obama "acted too soon."

"Handy candidate comparison chart"

(Click to enlarge)
Jen Sorensen (Daily Kos):

I find that people who spew the platitude that "the candidates are the same" tend to be the ones who have the least to lose if the wrong candidate is elected. At risk of sounding melodramatic, these elections truly are a matter of life and death. If you end the Affordable Care Act and millions of Americans lose their health insurance, people will die as a result. A recent estimate puts the number at 26,000 deaths per year due to lack of insurance; that's more than a few September 11ths. Then there's the Global Gag Rule, which Romney would reinstate. It rarely gets mentioned, but this policy wreaks havoc on women in impoverished nations. Romney would also end contributions to the U.N. Population Fund, which combats the spread of HIV and prevents 22,000 deaths annually.
These are but a few examples. Turning Medicare into a voucher program, radicalizing the Supreme Court for a generation, and displaying an open hostility toward science probably won't help things either. Obama isn't perfect, but as far as I'm concerned, voting is a moral arithmetic problem with a clear answer.

"Clinton steps in for Obama in Florida as he spearheads drive for youth vote"

 Bill Clinton in Florida said Romney had 'failed the arithmetic test' and that his economic numbers do not add up. Photograph: John Raoux/AP

Chris McGreal (GuardianUK):

Bill Clinton spearheaded the drive to get the crucial youth vote out for the Democrats in swing state Florida on Monday, stepping in for the president to fire up a student audience by deriding Mitt Romney over climate change, student loans and an inability to do arithmetic.
"I have very strong feelings about this election. I'm not mad at anybody. Shucks, I don't mind Governor Romney for wanting to be president. I did too. But this is not about the candidates. This about you and your future," Clinton told a receptive crowd at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. "It's about two very different approaches and which one is more likely to build a 21st century of the American dream." MORE...

"Romnopoly" (with video)

americanbridge21st, with video (01:01):

From opposing the auto recovery plan and laying off workers during his time at Bain to gutting education to pay for tax cuts to the rich, the ad runs through the many reasons that if Mitt Romney wins, the middle class will lose. Learn more, please visit Romnopoly.org

Seattle Times---"The Truth Needle: Details don't add up in Times Co.'s McKenna ads"

Susan Kelleher and Linda Shaw (Seattle Times):

Truth Needle: Two ads in The Seattle Times supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna make several claims. Some are true, some are not. The claim: The Seattle Times has been running newspaper ads supporting Republican Rob McKenna's candidacy for governor. Two recent ads — one focused on education, the other on jobs — made a variety of claims. The education ad notes the student failure rate in K-12 schools, per-student funding and how well prepared students are for college. The jobs ad addresses the state's unemployment rate. What we found: Half true The ads are an independent-expenditure campaign by the corporate side of The Seattle Times Co., which said it is running a series of political ads as an experiment to attract more political advertising. The company said the ads were prepared by a contractor it declined to name. MORE...

Howie P.S.: Have you ever seen a news story calling out the editorial content in the same newspaper?

"Eric Smalls: Dear Mr. President" (with video)

BarackObamadotcom, with video (03:00):

Eric Smalls wrote a letter to the President, this is his story.
Dear Mr. President, My name is Eric Smalls. At a young age I was inspired by NASA and their expeditions to the moon. As a career I would love to build robots to explore the first earth-like planets and beyond. However, when I was three years old my mother passed away due to breast cancer. For several months my family was homeless and forced to live out of a car. With my dad doing his best to take care of my sister and I, those years were very difficult and college was just a pipe dream. As we lived paycheck to paycheck, the three of us shared two dollars a day for food. Some days, my sister and I were faced with choosing between going to school or eating that day. For a while I feared I might never be able to achieve my dreams. But I was motivated to change my circumstance. I got back on my feet and went to live in Philadelphia with my grandmother. I started attending an engineering and science academy in North Philly. I was determined to achieve my dreams. It was largely due to your STEM initiatives that I found my calling as the President of the robotics club at my high school. I became thoroughly motivated no matter how hard life became around me. Today, I can say that I'm well on my way to achieving my dreams and that your education initiatives are helping make it possible. Your doubling of Pell Grants have made college more affordable for students like me. This year I'll begin my first year of college. I'm proud to say that I'm the first in my family to go to college. Currently, I'm pursuing an engineering degree in computer science and artificial intelligence at Stanford University. As a person who overcame homelessness and now has the opportunity to pursue higher education, I want to thank you and tell the American people 'It is possible.' Perhaps I could not see my dreams from the backseat of a car window, but, today my dream has been made possible thanks to you. We're moving forward in the right direction and I'm excited for the next four years, both for college and what you can do for the country. Sincerely, Eric Smalls.

Seattle: "AM1090 Election Night Party"

AM 1090:

Tuesday, November 6^th at 88 Keys in Pioneer Square, it’s the AM1090 Election Night Party hosted by Norman Goldman.  Join with fellow progressives for a night full of election results and analysis, food and drink specials, AM1090 prizes and more. Admission is free and no tickets are needed.  The doors open at 5pm, the event kicks off at 6pm, and will roll on as the votes are tallied and the final results come in.  88 Keys at 2nd  Jackson in Pioneer Square is the place to be on election night, so join us for the AM1090 Election Night Party.

"'Wake up, go vote... and eat some carrots!': Michelle Obama brings campaign to Jimmy Kimmel's bedroom with election skit " (with video)

Daily Mail (UK) with video (00:58)from ABC News:

Michelle Obama made her get-out-the vote campaign personal on Thursday night when she sneaked into Jimmy Kimmel's bedroom with an air horn to roust him out of bed at 5.30am. The humorous skit featuring the First Lady aired on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC. It is part of a last-minute push by the Obamas to win over skeptical voters a week and a half before Election Day. MORE...

"Powell Gives Obama His Endorsement for a Second Time" (with video)

Jeff Zeleny-NY Times with video (02:07) from DNCClips:

12:22 p.m. | Updated Colin L. Powell, the former Republican secretary of state and retired four-star general, said on Thursday that he had decided to endorse President Obama’s bid for re-election and was concerned that Mitt Romney was “a moving target” on foreign policy.
In an interview on “CBS This Morning,” Mr. Powell said that he was “more comfortable” with the president’s views on immigration, education and foreign policy. MORE...

"Netroots Bloggers Mark 10th Birthday in Decline and Struggling for Survival"

David Freelander (The Daily Beast):

Susie Madrak started blogging in 2001, just after Sept. 11, back when the country was hurtling head-first into war and the blogosphere was a mysterious frontier on the far edges of the Internet. “It was infuriating,” Madrak recalled of the political moment that spurred her to start throwing her own commentary online. “I could see that they were fabricating the reasons for war. Blogging was what I did instead of throwing a brick through the window.” She started her own site, called Suburban Guerilla, and it soon became one of the boldface blogs of the “Netroots,” a new network of engaged political progressives giving a voice they thought was missing in the mainstream press. In time, millions like her took to their own keyboards, and thousands of similar sites bloomed. The Netroots became the world’s first online grassroots political organizing effort, and the goal was nothing less than to remake the American political system by pushing Democrats leftward. “We didn’t trust the traditional progressive movement—labor, the issue orgs, the party—because of a record of failure and futility,” writes Markos Moulitsas, founder of Daily Kos, in an email. “In turn, they didn’t like us petulant upstarts. A popular sentiment was, ‘What are those bloggers going to do, hit George Bush in the head with a laptop?’” MORE...

"US election: Barack Obama welcomed to Las Vegas by Katy Perry in polling card dress" (with video)

TelegraphUK, with video (02:02):

The singer showed her support for the US President by wearing a voting ballot dress as she performed at a Barack Obama campaign rally in Las Vegas. MORE...

"Barack Obama mocks Donald Trump in Jay Leno interview" (with video)

Telegraph UK, with video (02:14):

Barack Obama mocked Donald Trump's $5m deal in an interview with talk show host Jay Leno on Wednesday, saying the real estate tycoon's feud with him dated back to "when we were growing up together in Kenya." MORE...

"Obama's Edge: The Ground Game That Could Put Him Over the Top"

Molly Ball (The Atlantic):

In a close election, the president's sophisticated organization -- which Republicans don't seem to have matched -- could make all the difference. STERLING, Virginia -- A giant chalkboard takes up a wall in this unassuming office suite hung with Obama signs, one of more than 60 of campaign offices for the president in this battleground state. On it is drawn a calendar of the final weeks before the election. Phone banks, canvasses, and campaign events are marked in color-coded chalk. And every Saturday through Nov. 6, in capital letters, is marked "DRY RUN" -- a precision-timed Election Day simulation drill, where everything from data reporting to snacks is rehearsed down to the minute. Forget the polls, the debates, the last-minute ads and volleys of insults. This is how the Obama campaign plans to win the election. MORE...

"537" - Obama for America TV Ad (video)

BarackObamadotcom, video (00:32):

 Make your voice heard, vote: http://OFA.BO/7oEdyo

George McGovern: "A Letter to Barack Obama"

George McGovern (Harper's-from the September 2011 issue):

I recently conferred with President Obama in his White House office, urging him to withdraw from Afghanistan. I’m pleased that he has since announced the withdrawal of 10,000 troops in 2011 and 23,000 in 2012. I would have been even more pleased if all our 100,000 troops now in Afghanistan, as well as those in Iraq, were on the way home. The president may be reluctant to follow the advice of a presidential candidate who in 1972 lost forty-nine states to Richard Nixon. I can appreciate that concern. On the other hand, shortly after the 1972 election, two bipartisan investigations—one by the House and one by the Senate—forced the incumbent who beat me to resign his office in disgrace. A question from the New Testament comes to mind: What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world or wins a big election and loses his own soul? The late Sargent Shriver, my running mate in 1972, came to me the day after the election and said, “George, we may have lost fortyine states but we never lost our souls.” MORE...

TODAY in Ohio---"President Obama: I Bet on American Workers. I Bet on American Manufacturing. And I'd Do it Again" (video)

OFAClips, (01:40).

WA: "Cougs for Marriage Equality: Approve Ref 74" (with video)

Lakecia Farmer, with video (03:12):

Students at Washington State University support marriage equality for all. We want to move this state forward and APPROVE referendum 74. We are challenging other universities to remind their students to do the same. About: Here in Washington state, there is an important measure on the ballot this election- Referendum 74. On February 13th, Governor Christine Gregoire signed a bill into law allowing loving and committed same-sex couples to marry. Despite this momentous moment, opponents gathered enough signatures to put this law up to a vote. Now the voters will decide, let's prove we are indeed a state on the right side of history. PS, sorry for the confusion. It's APPROVE on the ballot not YES. Measures in WA can be a tad confusing.

"Only days remain before the Presidential election..." (with video)

Ben Skwiercz, Organizing For America Team Leader, with video (01:27) from BarackObamadotcom:

"Only days remain before the Presidential election. Please help us knock on doors in West Seattle or pass out the walking lists from the Uptown Espresso to elect President Obama and other Democrats. Please contact Laurence Redman 206-947-4065, wlredman@hotmail.com."

Howie P.S.: Laurence can also hook you up to other neighborhood teams in Seattle and Washington state (and the world!), if that is your preference.

"Bill Moyers: The Plutocracy Will Go to Extremes to Keep the 1% in Control" (video)

Alternet with video (49:05) from PBS:

Moyers, Matt Taibbi and Chrystia Freeland explain how the plutocrats have willfully confused their self-interest with America’s interest.--
The One Percent is not only increasing their share of wealth — they’re using it to spread millions among political candidates who serve their interests. Example: Goldman Sachs, which gave more money than any other major American corporation to Barack Obama in 2008, is switching alliances this year; their employees have given $900,000 both to Mitt Romney’s campaign and to the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future. Why?
Because, says the Wall Street Journal, the Goldman Sachs gang felt betrayed by President Obama’s modest attempts at financial reform. To discuss how the super-rich have willfully confused their self-interest with America’s interest, Bill is joined by Rolling Stone magazine’s Matt Taibbi, who regularly shines his spotlight on scandals involving big business and government, and journalist Chrystia Freeland, author of the new book Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else. MORE...

"Getting Grills and Growing Dreads with Mayor Mike McGinn"

"MCGINN Will sway you on the reggae issue."

Trent Moorman (The Stranger):

Seattle is a deeply musical city, and our mayor, Mike McGinn, is a devout music fan. Originally from Long Island, McGinn spent his teenage years in the context of local star Bruce Springsteen's Greetings from Asbury Park. He also had his ear pinned to the reggae sounds coming out of Queens, where Jamaicans were toasting over their records through sound systems on the streets. Earlier, McGinn's parents had immersed him in folk and big-band music—his mother strumming Woody Guthrie on her guitar. This past Sunday afternoon, the mayor was organizing his CDs and invited me over to hear some tunes. I brought selections from Lesbian, Nacho Picasso, and Tea Cozies to play for him. When I got there, the first McGinn to greet me (by licking me) was black Labrador Midge. There was no security guard, no one patting me down, and no mayoral mansion on a hill; there was Midge, wagging. I went in through the kitchen where McGinn's wife was making cookies, then to the living room where the mayor sat hunched over disarrayed stacks of CDs and CD folders. Pink Floyd wafted out of two speakers. MORE...

Howie P.S.: Are feeling Hizzoner now?

"The Dirty Dozen-The top 12 election issues nobody is talking about"

Michael I. Niman (ARTVOICE):

I’m sick of endless pontificating about body language at debates, who “connects” with voters, who’s polling better with gerbil owners, or any other nonsense that diverts us from discussing crucially import issues. I think we’re all pretty much in agreement that we’re at a scary juncture in human history, though we might disagree about what scares us. (Sometimes I think it’s mostly each other.) The reality is, if we’re going to move forward sharing a fragile planet, fragile economy, and fragile democracy, we’d damn well better upgrade our political conversation. Toward that end, I’ve put together a list of 12 issues that should be central to political debates and discussions but are being ignored or fatally downplayed by our media and politicians. MORE...

Howie P.S.: Video (04:43): President Obama in Fairfax, Virginia: "Romnesia."

"Obama Shares Vision for Second Term on 'Daily Show'" (with video)

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Rolling Stone with video (10:05):

President Barack Obama visited The Daily Show last night for an interview that touched on his first debate performance and his vision for a second term. Obama started by giving a shoutout to "women warriors" that the USO had brought to the show, before jumping into the presidential debates. After host Jon Stewart asked if Obama performed as well as he'd liked, the president played it cool and honest. MORE...

"Rick Steves discusses pro-pot initiative" (audio)

KIRORADIO, audio (08:12):

Rick Steves joins the Ron and Don Show to argue in favor of legalized marijuana and explain why protesters disrupted the start of his statewide tour.

TODAY IN IOWA; President Obama on Romney's "Sketchy Tax Deal" (video)

naspapbms, video (01:51):

"Mount Vernon, IA, 10/17/12, Video from C-SPAN."

"Town Hall Debate Songified" (video)

schmoyoho, with video (02:41):

Obama and Romney join the would-be motown band, Crowley and the Town Hallians, in the 3rd Presidential Debate.

"Rosie Perez speaks out against Romney on immigration" (video)

MSNBC, video-Rachel Maddow (07:51):

Rosie Perez speaks out against Romney on immigration.

Howie P.S.: "US presidential debate: 60 second highlights as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney go head to head for second time," video (01:00) from the Guardian-UK.

"They told this guy not to enforce drug laws in white areas. Really." (video)

bravenewfoundation, video (02:21):

Meet Matthew Fogg, a former U.S. Marshal whose exploits led him to be nicknamed "Batman." When he noticed that all of his team's drug raids were in black areas, he suggested doing the same in the suburbs. His boss didn't take kindly to the idea.

"Obama Pride: LGBT Americans for Obama" (video)

BarackObamadotcom, video (05:09):

Jane Lynch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Billie Jean King, George Takei, Wanda Sykes, Zachary Quinto, and Chaz Bono share why they're supporting President Obama and why Mitt Romney isn't the choice for them.

"‘V.P. Debate Highlights, Songified" (with video)

V.P. Debate Highlights, Songified, with video (02:51) from the New York Times:

The Gregory Brothers present a musical mash-up of the vice-presidential debate between Representative Paul D. Ryan and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.---After watching Thursday night’s heated, partisan vice-presidential debate, we couldn’t help but think what was certainly also on the minds of millions of other disgusted Americans: “Democracy?!?  More like DemoCRAZY!!! Electoral College? More like Electoral PRESCHOOL!!!  Vice President? More like Vice GET ME OUTTA HEEEEEERE!!!”

It’s at times like these that we just wish politicians would finally learn a lesson from Mozart, Cole Porter and Rihanna. All that angst, anger and conflict might sound terrible as a spoken sentence, but when transformed into soaring melodies, human troubles can change into timeless art.

With that in mind, we present you the vice-presidential debate as it should be: Songified. It is our hope that someday, the vice-presidential candidates of the future will learn a lesson and just sing the whole thing to begin with.

The Gregory Brothers — Andrew, Michael, Evan and Sarah (who is married to Evan) Gregory — are best known for their YouTube music-video mash-ups, including the series Auto-Tune the News and Songify This!, in which they make songs out of non-songs and unintentional singers out of intentional speakers. They live in Brooklyn.

Taibbi: "The Vice Presidential Debate: Joe Biden Was Right to Laugh"

Matt Taibbi:

I've never thought much of Joe Biden. But man, did he get it right in last night's debate, and not just because he walloped sniveling little Paul Ryan on the facts. What he got absolutely right, despite what you might read this morning (many outlets are criticizing Biden's dramatic excesses), was his tone. Biden did absolutely roll his eyes, snort, laugh derisively and throw his hands up in the air whenever Ryan trotted out his little beady-eyed BS-isms.
But he should have! He was absolutely right to be doing it. We all should be doing it. That includes all of us in the media, and not just paid obnoxious-opinion-merchants like me, but so-called "objective" news reporters as well. We should all be rolling our eyes, and scoffing and saying, "Come back when you're serious." MORE...

the FIELD NEGRO: "The Andrew Sullivan's suicide watch, and a new political low."

The Field Negro:

What I am explaining is a political strategy that Barack Obama used to get elected. It worked for him because he was new, and every American was searching for that Magic Negro. Well the Magic Negro has been in power for four years, and suddenly he is not so magical anymore. Now his supporters want a fighter. They want someone to look Mitt Romney in the eye and tell him that he is a lying SOB. It's why Andrew Sullivan and others like him are so upset with his debate performance. They wanted Richard Pryor and he gave them Bill Cosby. Now, of course, we have to see if president Obama understands the dynamics of the American electorate. They don't want an angry black man, but they do want someone who is passionate and can defend his record. Mr. Obama told black folks today while talking to Tom Joyner. (Whoops, maybe I shouldn't have said that. I know how it is when you Negroes talk to each other.) He said that he was too polite during the debate. I guess that was his wink/wink to you Negroes that he is going back to being himself, and if he comes off as angry well then so be it. We will see. I am sure Andrew will be watching. Let's just hope that he isn't close to a very high bridge. If Obama loses again the poor guy might jump. MORE...

(Updated) Jimmy Fallon: "Mr. Romney's Neighborhood." (video)

 
  UPDATE: I hate to have to say it, again, but it still seems like our best political commentary comes the "comedians."
NBC via Greg Mitchell, video (05:56).   

Howie P.S.: In this video, the part of Mitt Romney is played by Jimmy Fallon. On a more serious note: "Romney runs from 47 percent tape again," MSNBC-video (10:32), starring Ari Melber, Crystal Ball and Lawrence O'Donnell (listed in alphabetical order). Michelle Obama also appears, in a supporting role.

"The Worst Debate Performance Ever, Really?"

The American Prospect:

Some of the most bitter language I’ve heard about Obama in five years has been muttered in the last five days by Obama supporters, who you would think might have ire left over for a Republican nominee as audacious as Governor Mitt Romney was in flatly denying what he’s been campaigning on for months. MORE...

ED Show: "Donald Trump joins conspiracy over dropping job rate" (video)

MSNBC-ED Show, with video (05:43):

Donald Trump has sided with conspiracy theorists over the drop in unemployment. The Nation's Ari Melber joins Ed Schultz to talk about Republican alternate reality.

Greenwald: "The US presidential debates' illusion of political choice"

Glenn Greenwald (Guardian UK):

Most of what matters in American political life is nowhere to be found in its national election debates. Penal policies vividly illustrate this point. America imprisons more of its citizens than any other nation on earth by far, including countries with far greater populations. As the New York Times reported in April 2008: "The United States has less than 5% of the world's population. But it has almost a quarter of the world's prisoners." MORE...

Fairview Fannie: "Pot dispensaries clouding medical marijuana's image"

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)  
Maureen O'Hagan and Jonathan Martin (Seattle Times):

Seattle's first-ever Medical Cannabis Cup — part gourmet weed contest, part trade show, part smoke-in — showcased the entrepreneurial drive and explosive growth of the local medical-marijuana industry. From dispensaries offering dozens of marijuana varieties to new potency-testing labs to makers of cannabis-infused capsules and candy corn, storefronts displaying the trademark green cross dot nearly every Seattle neighborhood. The city estimates there are at least 150 marijuana-related businesses here, more ubiquitous than Starbucks. Elsewhere in Washington, business may not be as out in the open, but it's still chugging along. MORE...

Joan Walsh: "Sunday best: Chuck Todd loses it" (with video)

Joan Walsh (SALON) with video:

He blasts Jack Welch for "corroding trust in our government" while Paul Krugman drives Mary Matalin insane---What use are Sunday morning news shows in our post-truth political era? Four days after Mitt Romney lied his way through his debate with a listless, diffident President Obama, and two days after former GE CEO Jack Welch ousted Donald Trump to become Mayor of Crazytown on Foursquare, journalists and campaign surrogates had a lot of decisions to make: Would conservatives escalate, backing Romney and Welch? Would liberals fight back more effectively than Obama (OK, that’s an easy one)? And would reporters on the panels lapse into easy “both sides do it” equivalence and ignore the way the Republican campaign, including Welch and Romney himself, has ratcheted up the prevarication and character assassination to new levels? MORE...

Ari Melber; "Why won’t the GOP talk about affirmative action?"

Ari Melber (Salon):

The right's oddly silent about a Supreme Court affirmative action challenge. Maybe because they use it all the time---In a political season packed with racial controversies, from food stamps to birth certificates, the attack on one of the nation’s most significant racial opportunity programs has managed to fly below the radar. Until now. The Supreme Court, which will hear arguments challenging the legality of affirmative action next Wednesday, is widely expected to strike down the policy as unconstitutional. That would deliver a victory that Republicans have pursued for decades. So why aren’t they talking about it? Mitt Romney, the GOP’s official, if embattled, leader, ruled the topic off-limits this year. MORE...

H/t to KarenHussein Russell

"Obama Stands Up For Big Bird and PBS" (with video)

Karoli (Crooks&Liars) with video (00:44):

Thank heavens we have one candidate who will stand for Big Bird. After Romney's callous remarks about how he'd fire Jim Lehrer and Big Bird to save the United States from falling into enemy hands, the President came out roaring at his campaign rallies with some new material. Here he is in Denver, speaking to Romney's promise to hit PBS and Big Bird by cutting all federal funding. The punch line? "He'll get rid of regulations on Wall Street, but he's going to crack down on Sesame Street." MORE...

Howard Dean: Romney has "no core belief" (with video)

Lindsey Boerma, CBS News, with video (04:11):

Mitt Romney's strong performance against President Obama in Wednesday's debate "did some damage," former Vermont governor and Democratic National Chair Howard Dean admitted Friday on "CBS This Morning." But on some of his positions, Dean added, the Republican nominee came off as "a guy who will say anything to be president of the United States." MORE...

John Nichols: "In a Debate Between Romney and Romney, Obama Was the Spectator"

John Nichols (The Nation):

It was not Romney versus Obama in the first presidential debate of 2012.
It was Romney versus Romney. And one of them prevailed.
A restrained Barack Obama, who went into the debate with a solid lead in the polls, and an even more solid lead in the battleground states, often seemed to be more of a spectator than a participant.
Obama’s reluctance handed Romney an opening that the Republican took.
Indeed, Romney took it to every side of every issue. MORE...

"Mitt Romney's Debate Performance: Mostly Fiction" (with video)

BarackObamadotcom, with video (01:26).

The results are in: Mitt Romney played fast and loose with the facts.

Noam Scheiber; "The Strategic Flaw in Obama's Debate Performance"

Noam Scheiber (TNR):

But what Romney’s performance will do is re-energize the Republican elites who were on the verge of ditching him after these last four soul-crushing weeks. Without them, Romney had no hope of winning—no one to help raise money, no one to plead his case in the media, no one to pitch their constituents for him. With them, he has a fighting chance. He can hang around long enough to capitalize on an Obama mistake. That’s not exactly a game-changer. But considering that the only possible game-changer last night was a performance that ended his candidacy, Team Romney will probably take it. MORE...

"Presidential Debate Time Tonight: Live Stream, Where to Watch Online & on TV - 2012 First Debate (9PM ET)"

Jim Gardner (Christian Post):

The first Presidential Debate takes place on Wednesday evening. Coverage time is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, as well as cable news channels C-SPAN, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. The debate can also be watched online through an official live stream through the video player below, with coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET. MORE...

"Tune in Oct. 2 to 'Vote 2012: Debate for Governor'"

aarp.org:

To help you make an informed vote, AARP is proud to sponsor KCTS 9’s upcoming “Vote 2012: Debate for Governor.”

AARP has a 26-year history of non-partisan voter education. We don’t endorse candidates, we don’t give money to campaigns and we don’t have a political action committee. Our priority is ensuring you know where the candidates stand before you cast your vote this November.

KCTS 9 and KYVE 47, in collaboration with the Yakima Herald-Republic and the Association of Washington State Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (AWSHCC), will produce and broadcast this live, one-hour gubernatorial debate between Jay Inslee (D) and Rob McKenna (R) Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. from the Yakima Convention Center.

The candidates will answer questions posed by a panel of journalists including KCTS 9’s Enrique Cerna and the Yakima Herald Republic’s Frank Purdy and Leah Ward. Enrique Cerna will moderate the debate. Inslee and McKenna will also be given “challenge cards” where they can directly challenge or rebut something stated by their opponent.

Make sure the candidates discuss the issues you care about.  Submit your questions to the candidates to vote2012@KCTS9.org or yakimaherald.com/askthecandidates.

Vote 2012: Debate for Governor will air live Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. on KCTS 9 in Seattle and KYVE 47 in Yakima. The debate will also air live on KSPS, KWSU, KTNW, and Northwest Public Radio. The program, like all KCTS 9 local productions, will be available via Comcast Video On Demand after its initial broadcast, and will be available for streaming and viewing online at KCTS9.org and also at yakimaherald.com. MORE HERE...

"How Howard Dean’s bid gave birth to Web campaigning"

Steve Friess (Politico):

Almost every innovation now commonplace in politics — search ads, social networking, online video hubs, do-it-yourself grass-roots tools — has traceable roots to a ragtag bunch of techies whose dream candidate was a loser. (SNIP) The most visible alum is the Obama 2012 campaign’s chief digital strategist, Joe Rospars, 31, whose key innovation for Dean for America, by some accounts, was his craftsmanship in writing email fundraising solicitations, a skill clearly evidenced in the Obama team’s prolific and intensely successful email program. MORE...