TPM: Big takeaway from Iowa poll: Newt looks lot like Nixon '68

[Pirate Smile]

More News Out of Iowa



There are some more details out this morning on that poll from last night showing Newt Gingrich moving into a solid lead in Iowa. The poll is the Des Moines Register poll, conducted by J. Ann Selzer, which is considered the gold standard for Iowa polls. (Another poll out this morning from NBC-Marist shows broadly comparable results.)

The good news for Gingrich is that he’s not only in first place; he’s also the candidate respondents chose most as their second choice. In other words, he’s got room to grow as other candidates fade.
The silver lining for Romney is that respondents he him as most electable (38%), most likable and most presidential. And Mitt is the second choice of most Newt supporters.

-snip-
Looking at the internal data in the poll, a couple more points stick out to me. Iowans don’t really like Newt (only 8% call him most likable) but by massive proportions consider him the experienced (58%) and knowledgable (58%) candidate in the race. He also wins handily as “best able to bring about real change” (27%). Romney doesn’t come close to Newt on any of those measures. Newt’s margins on those measures are much stronger than the Mitt’s margins on the ones he wins.

In the DMR poll Newt wins the who’s most like Reagan question hands down (25%). But, while it may not be an analogy many think of these days, these numbers make Newt look a lot like another Republican president: Richard Nixon, particularly Nixon era 1968. Nixon was never particularly well liked as a politician, no less when he finally won the presidency in 1968. (Too awkward and insecure to have that sort of political magic.) But he was seen as someone who was knowledgable and experienced and able to get things done. That’s what this poll says about Newt Gingrich. And it’s what’s not only shot him to the head of the pack but seems — at least for the moment — to be keeping him there.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2011/12/more_news_out_of_iowa.php

At the same time I was getting ready to post this, CTyankee posted this thread:

CTyankee Sun Dec-04-11 08:54 AM
This has dismayed me. The SECOND flag story related to Occupy New Haven in local press!

Three arrested after shouting match over upside-down American flag at Occupy New Haven

NEW HAVEN — A shouting match at the Occupy New Haven encampment over improper displaying of the American flag resulted in the arrests of three people Friday.

Zequir Berishai, 69, of Waterbury, was angry protesters were flying American flags upside-down and confronted the protesters Friday evening, waving his own, properly oriented flag.

Police arrested Berishai and two protesters on breach of peace charges, police spokesman Officer David Hartman said.

Link to story here: http://www.newhavenregister.com/articles/2011/12/02/new...

I feel like we are seeing the late 60s all over again, albeit on a much smaller scale here in New Haven.

IMO, we'd be better off by not doing the upside down flag thing, even though we have the perfect right to do so and I even agree with the idea behind it. So to me it's not even a question of whether it is "correct," it is a question of whether it is helpful or hurtful to our cause.

But the flag has become a hot button issue all by itself. The flag is truly a source of derangement to some (sadly unhinged as in this story) people and it is cynically used by the RW. They love it because it distracts the public from the Occupy movement's real messages of fairness, of protest against the greed of a few against the many, of corruption and bailouts for the banks but not for the ordinary people. Those are areas that can resonate with most people. Once the flag gets involved however, reason flies out the window and it becomes THE issue...

And OF COURSE the RW press, such as our NH Register, LOVES to magnify this story with yet ANOTHER minor incident to stir up lots of anger against us.

I find this unfortunate...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2426077

[Submariner]

1. This turd constantly reminds me of Rock Snot

We do our best to get rid of it, but it keeps coming back.

[Enrique]

2. Nixon had too much baggage in 1968

and everyone had considered him politically dead.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Did Nixon have a war against the poor. Newt certainly does!

the right wing dings love the idea of torturing the poor. Maybe we should occupy Newt?

[Mz Pip]

4. Compared to Newt,

Nixon was a liberal.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. The Rove is behind this one

[INdemo]

5. Republicans are just dumb enough (brainwashed enough) to

nominate this guy and Democrats in Congress are just dumb enough not to have banned electronic voting machines...If the election is close Gingrich could actually win and Congressional Democrats will run and hide..Yep..there are a hell-of-a-lot of states that could be the prime target for pulling this off and don't think for one minute it wont happen. I think 2012 election theft is already in the pipeline for the Teabaggers..They will steal it

[Pirate Smile]

6. kick

[Ikonoklast]

8. Nixon wasn't married three times.

Nixon didn't have a half-million dollar revolving credit account at Tiffany's.

Newt will falter, but it will be his own doing...his bloated ego will make his mouth say something enormously stupid and piss off millions of voters who might have considered him.

[JCMach1]

9. Stop insulting Nixon... jeesh

:sarcasm: