George Will Predicts Romney Landslide 321-217 on ABC’s ‘This Week” … Similar to Barone’s Landslide Prediction

Most pundits are calling the 2012 Presidential race too close to call as the RCP averages of polls have it a dead tie.

However, that did not stop conservative columnist on ABC’s “This Week’ to predict a Mitt Romney electoral landslide. Will predicted a 321-217 electoral victory for Romney. What I do find interesting is that a couple of people have gone out on a limb and said that Romney will get over 300 electoral votes; however, no one is really saying that Obama will do such. What we are seeing from Will and Barone is that if the undecided’s break for the challenger Mitt Romney, battleground states could fall like dominoes for Romney.

On this weekend’s broadcast of “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on ABC, Will revealed his prediction and added a bonus surprise by saying traditional Democratic state Minnesota would go for Romney as well.

“I’m projecting Minnesota to go for Romney,” Will said. “It’s the only state that’s voted democratic in nine consecutive elections, but this year, there’s marriage amendment on the ballot that will bring out the evangelicals and I think could make the difference.”

Add Will’s landslide prediction to that of numbers cruncher extraordinaire Michael Barone. His prediction of a landslide is based
on fundamentals, a majority of Americans are against Obama’s policies.  and a sluggish economy where job growth and recovery has been far too slow. Barone is predicting a Romney 315, Obama 223 landslide. Barone stated that it sounds high for Romney, but he could lose Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and still win the election.

Which candidate will get the electoral votes of the target states? I’ll go out on a limb and predict them, in ascending order of 2008 Obama percentages — fully aware that I’m likely to get some wrong.

Indiana (11 ). Uncontested. Romney.

North Carolina (15). Obama has abandoned this target. Romney.

Florida (29). The biggest target state has trended Romney since the Denver debate. I don’t see any segment of the electorate favoring Obama more than in 2008, and I see some (South Florida Jews) favoring him less. Romney.

Ohio (18). The anti-Romney auto bailout ads have Obama running well enough among blue-collar voters for him to lead most polls. But many polls anticipate a more Democratic electorate than in 2008. Early voting tells another story, and so does the registration decline in Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County. In 2004, intensity among rural, small -town and evangelical voters, undetected by political reporters who don’t mix in such circles, produced a narrow Bush victory. I see that happening again. Romney.
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Obamanomics & Job Recovery … Unemployment rates rose in 44 U.S. states in July Including 9 Battleground States

Just more evidence that the Obama jobs recovery and Obamanomics has been an epic failure.

Not only did the national US unemployment rise from 8.2% to 8.3% in July, but also the unemployment rates rose in 44 US states. That includes the increase in the unemployment rates in 9 battleground states like Nevada, that saw the rate rise to 12%  in July from 11.6% and in Michigan, where the rate increased to 9% from 8.5%. Other battleground states that saw increases in the unemployment rates were Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.

Unemployment rates rose in 44 U.S. states in July, the most states to show a monthly increase in more than three years and a reflection of weak hiring nationwide.

The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates fell in only two states and were unchanged in four.

Unemployment rates rose in nine states that are considered battlegrounds in the presidential election. That trend, if it continued, could pose a threat to President Barack Obama’s re-election bid in less than three months.

Nationwide, hiring improved in July after three months of tepid job gains. But the national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.3 percent from 8.2 percent. Monthly job gains have averaged 150,000 this year. That’s barely enough to accommodate population growth. As a result, the unemployment rate is the same as when the year began.

What is Obama’s answer, more stimulus money for infrastructure projects. Obama code for giving jobs to union workers. Even though Obama said in the past when his previous stimulus plan was a failure, there were no shovel ready jobs then or now.  At best these are temporary jobs, not permanent.

More bad news for Obama and Democrats, Americans prefer the GOP to Democrats in trusting them to fix the economy.

Brian in a Blue State

The Obama Job Recovery: Unemployment Rises in 27 States Including 6 Battle Ground States in June

When all is said and done, unemployment  will eventually sink Obama’s reelection in 2012 …

As much as President Barack Obama wants to avoid the primary issue of the 2012 elections, there is no way he can hide the fact that the economy has stalled and going backwards. The Obama job recovery has been a failure and has hit the skids at the worst possible time for Obama’s reelection bid. In June 27 states saw their unemployment rate rise. Worse yet for Obama, unemployment rates rose in six of ten battleground states.  According to the Department of Labor, the jobless rate climbed a 10th of a percentage point last month in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Iowa, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Unemployment rates rose in 27 states last month, the most in almost a year.

The Labor Department said Friday that unemployment rates fell in 11 states and Washington, D.C. — the fewest declines since August. Rates were unchanged in 12 states.

Nationwide, employers added only 80,000 jobs last month, third straight month of weak job growth. The national unemployment rate stayed at 8.2%.

Some of the states that saw a decline:

• Nevada recorded the highest unemployment rate, at 11.6%, same as the previous month.
• It was followed by Rhode Island at 10.9% and California at 10.7%
• North Dakota had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.9%, followed by Nebraska at 3.8%
• Several states reported big increases in unemployment. Rates rose 0.4 percentage points in Alabama and New Jersey, to 7.8% and 9.6%, respectively.
• Still others lost jobs. Wisconsin shed 13,200, the most of any state. It was followed by Tennessee, where employers cut 12,100 jobs.

What else could one expect but poor economic jobs numbers when you have a President who failed to meet with his much touted Jobs Council in the last six months, yet has time for fundraiser and golf?  Retail sales fell in June for the third straight month as well.

Town of Durham, NH Asks Barack Obama Campaign to Pay for Extra Scurity Costs for Upcoming Visit

The town of Durham, NH is asking the Obama campaign to pony up between $20,000 – $30,000 to pay for the extra security required for the Presidents upcoming visit to the Granite state. President Obama will be visiting the University of New Hampshire this coming Monday. Local officials do not believe that Obama’s campaign visit should be paid by the tax payers. An officials Presidential visit is one thing, but shilling for votes is another. Maybe the voters of NH will remember this at the ballot box in 2012.

New Hampshire town is asking the Obama campaign to foot the up to $30,000 bill for the president’s upcoming campaign stop in their city.

MyFoxBoston reports the town of Durham is asking Obama’s campaign to reimburse the estimated $20,000 to $30,000 needed to fund additional police and fire safety services during his Monday visit to the University of New Hampshire.

“Community leaders do not believe that costs associated with the campaign should be borne by local taxpayers,” the release says according to MyFoxBoston.

City officials say they usually would foot the bill for a presidential visit, but since this is a campaign stop they believe the Obama campaign should have to pay for the extra security.

One would think that maybe some of the bridal, birthday and anniversary gifts that Obama gets will help pay for the extra Obama security. Since we are dealing with New England, maybe Obama can add ‘Patriot Day’ gifts to his registry money grab?