I need to say it again how truly sad it is for those of us who went to journalism school (I was at the Medill School of Journalism) in the early 70s to watch the current incarnation of Geraldo Rivera. Once upon a 1970s time he was the quintessential aspiring investigative broadcast journalist who was indeed something of a role model due to his “enterprise reporting” and charisma when he was on TV. The current Geraldo Rivera incarnation is increasingly a Saturday Night Live sketch and...

The Washington Post Chris Cillizza has these must read comments on the failure of Americans Elect and the significance of that failure. The failure was for any potential candidate to reach the national support threshold the group itself set. And the failure will go down as yet another instance in American political history where those who yearn for a strong, viable third party getting fired up, putting their hearts, minds and money into it and ending up with bupkis. That’s a somewhat remarkable...

Arizona’s birther Secretary of State is insisting, why, he’s no birther. Watch the Chris Matthews segment -- and listen to the words of someone who is now proclaiming, why, he’s no birther: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Yes, is is happening. Arizona’s top official who can determine who can go on the ballot in November, Secretary of State Ken Bennett, is seriously suggesting that he might keep President Barack Obama off Arizona’s November ballot until he provides the state with a birth certificate to its liking. Two things that need to be said about this, if it is indeed a serious threat and not one more Twilight Zone verbal moment from someone who is clearly a partisan: 1. I can’t believe this...

If you surf the web a lot (like I do) and travel a lot in the car (like I have the past 9 months) and listen to tons of talk radio and cable new shows on all the networks (as I do on XM Radio) there has been a kind of smug attitude among many Democrats that in the end they’ll hold the White House. It reminds me of the attitude Democrats had when Ronald Reagan ran for President, like “There’s no way on election day that when the votes are counted Americans will elect this guy!”...

Could this be an example of an idea whose time has not come — or may never come the way our political system and the thirst for politics that also doubles as anger-funneling entertainment is set up? American’s Elect has, in effect, thrown in the election towel. From an email (also is on this URL). Statement by Americans Elect May 17, 2012 There is a desire among Delegates and millions of Americans who have supported Americans Elect to see a credible candidate emerge from this process. However,...

I travel a lot and I know that Arby’s has upgraded its menu with some great sandwiches. But maybe their finger food is going too far: A Michigan teen ordered a junior roast beef sandwich at a local Arby’s restaurant, only to make a gruesome discovery halfway through the meal. Ryan Hart, 14, of Blackman Township, said he had nearly polished off his sandwich last Friday when he sunk his teeth into something tough that tasted like rubber, so he spit it out. As the boy discovered to his horror,...

Our political Quote — it must be — of the Century was created today by presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who again shows what happens when he talks seriously off script. When asked about his past statements on Fox News he said this: ROMNEY: I’m actually gonna — I’m not familiar precisely with exactly what I said, but I stand by what I said, whatever it was. I’ll go back and take a look at what was said there. I stand by my previous posts on Mitt Romney....

Amid a report by the New York Times that a Republican Super PAC is considering in essence playing the race card (even to the extent of thinking about hiring an African-American as a kind of front-man to combat allegations of race baiting) and planning a $10 million attack on Barack Obama by dredging up all the Reverend Wright mantras, Andrew Sullivan gives us our political Quote of the Day on why he now believes Mitt Romney could win the White House: And the Tea Party, utterly indifferent to massive...

The big political story is that presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney has nearly matched Barack Obama in fund raising for April. Coming on the heels of some polls that suggest Barack Obama’s campaign faces an ever tougher fight than some Democrats had predicted, and the belief that PACS supporting Romney and the Republicans can dwarf Democratic PACs, it adds confirmation to Democratic political maven James Carville’s call for Democrats to “wake up” and realize...

Try reprehensible: it will not get Mitt Romney any new voters but turn off some voter who feel that if you sit next to a skunk you start to smell like one. And this smells.

Many partisans may think this is cute, fun and effective but I’m betting a lot of independent voters are going to be turned off by language aimed at Presidential candidates that don’t really have to do with strong language about their policies or ideology — but just, basicallly, lash out, name calling hate language. And we saw prime example of one: a fundraising letter under the name of GOPer Mike Huckabee. The problem for the Republicans who sent it out: Huckabee insists he not...

Barack Obama and the Democrats found their April fundraising take was down from the previous month — but they’re expecting May to be better. Many Democrats who still seem confident (alarmingly so according to James Carville) that they’ll win in the end underestimate the financial battle they’re in with the GOP. For instance, when Team Obama’s PAC made a big TV buy it was countered -and matched — by Karl Rove’s Super PAC.

See saw polls. Partisan on each side on weblogs touting polls that show their side ahead as proof that the other side is in trouble and often ignoring polls that show the opposite. When a poll comes out that gets a lot of attention showing the other side ahead, using the increasingly tired mantra of “bad methodology” (the latest example is Team Obama). And YES there are partisans on each side that do try to analyze and give a non-spin take on what they see in polls. But the big question...

Is another and worse debt ceiling looming? Is Barack Obama in serious political trouble? One of the most intelligent discussions on these issues was aired this morning on Morning Joe. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Of course the other factor here, is how Mitt Romney is defined by others and himself.

Two new reports seem to give a boost to George Zimmerman’s defense in the Trayvon Martin killing in his claims that there was a big physical struggle that ended in him shooting the unarmed Martin. The trial will sort out what led up to the struggle in light of the fact evidence now confirms there was a fight to the death — and who was at fault. But speculation that Zimmerman was actually not injured and that there was no real fight is laid to rest with these reports: George Zimmerman...

David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star America’s 2012 Presidential election has now officially entered its “English Class” stage. On Election Day they’ll get a pop quiz to see how well the national voting class learned the teachers’ definitions. Top grade goes to the teacher whose definition was learned. In this game, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney better get cracking. Defining opponents is an art that goes back many years. Think Republican Thomas...

If you’ve read my many posts on TMV or my Tweets about polls you’ll remember that I have often pointed out that if partisans don’t like a poll that puts their side in a bad light the FIRST thing they do is start to talk about it having flawed methodology. If that same poll delivered news that was wonderful to them, they would not be questioning the methodology. And here we have a classic RPT classic case of Team Obama trying to dismiss and a poll that they don’t like…and...

This is really a nonstory since the Bush family has made it clear they are all supporting former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for President. And if you took out Romney’s pivots to make best buds with Tea Party movement members and talk show hosts, he was almost the same kind of (more center-right to center) Governor in Massachusetts as GWB was in Texas. But now it’s official: “I’m for Mitt Romney,” Bush told ABC News this morning as the doors of an elevator closed on him, after...

A new CBS News/New York Times poll finds resumptive Republican Presidential nominee Republican has taken a slight lead over President Barack Obama in the 2012 election sweepstakes. The margin is within the margin of error but it is a lead (and not the big lead shown by one recent poll that no other polls seem to agree with): Presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has a slight edge over President Obama in the race for the White House in the latest CBS News/New York Times poll. According...