Talk Elections

Author's Note: Welcome to my first timeline! I've been enjoying other people's timelines, but what I haven't really seen is a long-term timeline that covers the duration of a campaign. That's what I'm trying to do here. This timeline will play out in real time as it follows Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign for president. I'm currently running about two days ahead of the actual calendar, which means you can probably expect Election Night 2012 to be posted on November 4th, 2012.

That being said, I understand this timeline will be a pretty big commitment to read. So to everyone who is reading, thank you, thank you, thank you. Either way, lack of comments isn't going to hurt my feelings: This is for personal enjoyment as much as public enjoyment. Still, comments are always welcome and encouraged. I you hope enjoy the timeline!

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Breaking the story earlier today, the Drudge Report claims Romney will name Senator John Thune (R-SD) as his choice for running mate. Thune, who has served in the senate since 2005, hails from a blue-collar background and grew up in small-town South Dakota.

While the staunch evangelical senator brings balance to Governor Romney’s ticket, some are already wondering if Thune is the right choice.

Sarah Palin commented to that on The Sean Hannity Show earlier today: “Oh, he’s a great guy, doing wonders for South Dakota. But one has to wonder, Sean, whether Thune will be enough to get people talking—to energize Republicans, which after all is what we need to win, or so the pundits say. It’s not the choice I would’ve made, but I’m unconventional in that regard. Romney can still change his mind, and I hope he does.”

Drudge suggests the announcement will be made any time between now and the weekend. The information is reported to come from a source close to Governor Romney.

A new PPP poll released today suggests Mitt Romney is only five points behind the president in New Mexico. The poll, showing a 49% to 44% edge for President Obama, indicates Romney’s strongest showing in the state to date. The results become even closer in a hypothetical race with New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez on the ticket (48% to 46% for Obama).

In general, the race for the White House remains steady, despite a tough week for Mitt Romney. According to an aggregate of polls, Obama has a slight advantage in the Electoral College. Our polling map can be seen below.

I would think Johnson would poll higher than 2% in New Mexico.

What leads you to believe he's only polling 2%? :)

Sorry, I was only counting the poll data with Martinez :(

Wouldn't that still be 6% for Johnson? I always wonder what it means with these polls when the numbers don't add up to 100% lol. I'm trying to make this is accurate as I can, so all input is welcome.

I 'dun goofed up :P Great timeline, especially hearing Palins input on Thune.

Responding to criticism over the release of his tax returns Wednesday, Mitt Romney told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that two years’ worth of returns is enough.

“Wolf—Wolf, let me finish. This tax return issue is a distraction on the part of the president. I’ve been more than transparent, and I’m beginning to get, well, just a little tired of this. I will not be releasing any more documents, and President Obama is just going to have to get used to it. And you know, if I were him, I'd be apologizing for running on such a truly false message.”

The Situation Room interview saw Romney get visibly annoyed and testy. The interview comes amidst a devastating week for the all-but-certain GOP nominee. Questions about the real date of Romney’s departure from Bain Capital have dogged the former governor, and both Republicans and Democrats have called on Romney to release his tax records.

“People are beginning to wonder what Mitt has to hide,” Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger told Blitzer yesterday. “He wouldn’t be suffering through this hailstorm if he didn’t think releasing the documents would be worse.”

Governor Romney will be holding a large rally tomorrow in Albuquerque, where his campaign says he will address these controversies.

Cool

Senator John Thune insisted he has not been asked to serve as Mitt Romney’s running mate when cornered by reporters in Washington on Thursday. While he refused to offer any additional details, Thune’s denials are among the firmest from any prospective VP candidate to date.

“Drudge has it wrong. I won’t be Governor Romney’s running mate, even if I wanted to be. I wish you’d stop asking. Governor Romney will make the announcement when he's ready.”

With Thune out of the running, Romney’s short-list would appear to contain such names as Tim Pawlenty, Rob Portman, Paul Ryan, and Bobby Jindal.

Let me guess: head fake involving Martinez? :P Keep it coming. :D

;)

A new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll released this morning shows Romney’s favorables at just 26%—down seven points from their last poll in June.

Former presidential candidate and Romney surrogate John McCain commented on the numbers this morning with John King: “Well, Governor Romney’s gotta make the judgment for himself about fixing this problem. It’s pretty clear people aren’t excited about him, but I know Mitt—he’s a good guy and people will come around.” McCain chuckled, adding, “Maybe after he releases his tax returns.”

The question of Romney’s tax returns has become a big negative for the candidate in recent days. A new e-mail from President Obama to his supporters alleges Romney might be hiding information from the public that could potentially be fatal to his election prospects.

“Romney needs the headlines to change—fast,” McCain later said. “Maybe he should pick Sarah Palin.”

Earlier this week, an anonymous Romney source claimed Mitt would quit the race before releasing more tax returns.

“Susana Martinez is an American hero,” Mitt Romney said to a crowd of thousands in Albuquerque, “and I know she’ll be the best Vice President this country has seen in a long, long time!”

The veepstakes game finally came to a resounding finish this afternoon in New Mexico when Mitt Romney announced his choice for running mate: Governor Susana Martinez. While many pundits speculated Romney would go with a more traditional choice like South Dakota Senator John Thune, it was Martinez who got the nod for her “sympathetic tenacity” and “passionate conviction.”

Her speech in New Mexico was well-attended and even better received. The V.P announcement was not expected until later in the week. Citing her experience as governor, Martinez sought to define herself as a compassionate conservative. “As governor, I have fought for you,” she said. “It wasn’t easy—it’s never easy… but we managed to pass two balanced budgets in the state of New Mexico. Some felt we should have raised taxes, despite the jobs that would’ve been lost. Others felt we needed deep cuts in education and Medicaid. But we came together and found a better way. No tax hikes and no cuts to precious programs like the ones I mentioned. I’ve learned that we can  makes things work, as long as we’re willing to try. We canbring these changes to Washington, if only we’d believe in America.”

The Sarah Palin comparisons have been inevitable. Both women were less than two years into their first terms as governor, and both women are extremely charismatic.

“Mitt Romney’s taken a big risk here,” said CNN’s David Gergen shortly after the announcement. “Most of us on the panel can agree that Susana Martinez is no Palin. But will the voters see that? I’m not sure.”

Governor Martinez brings an impressive resume on education, a steadfast pro-life record, and some much-needed energy to the Romney campaign. But questions remain: Is she a Sarah Palin? Would she be ready to take over the presidency?

Martinez and Romney will appear in a series of joint interviews tomorrow. Romney spokespeople claim Martinez will address these Palin comparisons head-on. Campaigning is set to continue through the weekend.

I think Martinez is a risky choice, but I think its a chance I'd want to take if I were Mitt. Looking forward to more! :)

Thanks!
I noticed a little too late that you did a timeline with Martinez last year... sorry. :P
It was really good though.

As for me, I've always loved Martinez. I think she'd be an awesome pick for Mitt. Unfortunately, it's looking like that will be pretty unlikely... but one can always hope. You'll definitely get to see a bit of the riskiness of a Martinez pick here though,  that's for sure.

Thanks for reading! :D

Just hours after Romney introduced his running mate to the country, he is already dealing with criticism that his choice (New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez) is too similar to Sarah Palin. Palin herself did little to quell these concerns Thursday night, when she spoke with FOX’s Greta Van Susteren.

“I like Susana Martinez a lot more than I like John Thune, I’ll tell you that,” Palin said. “She’s a fiery conservative—I once called her a Mama Grizzly—and more importantly, she’ll bring excitement, and buzz, and energy that these good ol’ boy Republicans so desperately need. Honestly, I’m surprised at Governor Romney—I would not have guessed he’d make a choice like this. But Greta, I’m over the moon: Susana Martinez is a lot like me.”

The Obama campaign, caught off-guard by today’s surprise running mate announcement, has not yet commented on the selection of Governor Martinez. Palin’s remarks will no doubt give the president’s team some heavy ammunition to launch at Romney.

The Romney campaign awoke Friday to an onslaught of negative coverage over the selection of Susana Martinez for running mate. While some women’s rights activists laud Romney for choosing a woman to run with, many have also expressed disdain that the Martinez choice appears to be a blatant ploy to win the female vote.

As pundits continue to compare Susana Martinez to John McCain’s 2008 running mate, the Romney campaign has an uphill battle when it comes to reassuring voters that Martinez is a qualified candidate for the position of vice president.

Just wait till she gives her acceptance speech - her and Palin have very few similarities outside of both being conservative women.

Oh, I know. She's probably my favourite female politician at the moment. Her whole career in law was about fighting for children. When she speaks about kids, you could hear a pin drop... it's amazing. She'd be able to connect to women without relying on folksy garbage like Palin did.

She'll have an uphill battle against the MSM in this timeline though.

Also, just a note to anyone reading... I expect this to be a pretty detailed timeline lol. So don't expect election night for a while. I might do some fastforwards through the boring weeks, but I can't make any promises.

They handled that fantastically.  The only potential problem is Sarah's response

Exactly what I was thinking.

This is great!

Two Rasmussen polls released today out of New Hampshire and Iowa show a deadlocked race between President Barack Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney. While the polls were conducted before Romney announced his surprise choice for running mate, the results are significant—especially the results from New Hampshire. Romney has closed the gap between himself and the president, polling 46% to Obama’s 48%. The race in Iowa is equally tight, with Romney enjoying 48% support and Obama enjoying 46%.

Most significant though is Romney’s registered decline in today’s daily tracking poll from Gallup. The poll is widely seen as one of the first measures of support for Romney’s new running mate, Governor Martinez. The head-to-head matchup shows Romney garnering 43% support to the president’s 48%.

A CNN flash poll also out today corroborates the idea that Romney’s waning support might be attributed to voter perceptions of Martinez. Martinez earned a 32% favorability rating compared to a 30% unfavorable score. In an interview with FOX’s Shepard Smith, Romney expressed optimism that the numbers will change once people “get to know Martinez and stop comparing her to other figures in the party.”

The Romney campaign is set to air a series of national television ads that will introduce Martinez to the country.

Mitt Romney and Susana Martinez kicked off a three-day campaign tour at a rally in Henderson, Nevada earlier today. The rally, attended by thousands, is the first in a series of many that is designed to introduce running mate Susana Martinez to the American populace. The tour will feature rallies in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado before Romney leaves on Tuesday for a trip to Europe. The rallies come after polls released Friday suggest negative perceptions of former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin could be tainting Americans’ opinions of Susana Martinez.

According to one Romney aide, the tour is designed to capitalize on Governor Martinez’s appeal in the West. Colorado has long been a toss-up throughout the course of the campaign, and the Romney team is hoping they’ll be able to lock up that state with Martinez on the ticket.

“We need your help!” Governor Martinez said at today’s Henderson event. “If we win in the West, we win in November!”

She went on to make a direct pitch for herself as vice president: “I know some of you have concerns about me—I read the papers… and I’m prepared to give you a concrete list of the ones I consult.” She drew chuckles from the audience for her nod to Sarah Palin’s vice presidential candidacy in 2008. “But I’m here to reassure you that I am a Westerner at heart. I fought for children who could not defend themselves while I was an attorney in New Mexico. I balanced our state budgets as governor. I will fight for a solution to illegal immigration that respects the integrity of the law, but makes sure Hispanics aren’t left in the dust! I’m your woman, Nevada!”

No news yet whether Martinez will accompany Romney on his European tour.

Saturday saw the airwaves pick up with duelling ads from the Romney and Obama campaigns. The president has released two ads that seek to compare GOP vice presidential candidate Susana Martinez with Sarah Palin. One ad, entitled “Two Mama Grizzlies,” features video footage from Sarah Palin’s 2010 endorsement of Martinez’s gubernatorial bid in New Mexico, as well as a statement Palin made Thursday about “being a lot like” Martinez. The other ad, “Changing the Headlines,” asserts that Romney made an attention-grabbing running mate choice to divert attention from his record at Bain.

The one-minute ad from camp Romney (called “The Right Choice”) highlights Susana Martinez’s tenure as governor and District Attorney. In her own words, Martinez explains how she prosecuted criminals who committed crimes against children: “We had to fight for those kids who were killed this way.”  The ad represents increased efforts on the part of the Romney camp to define their ticket as the “family values” option in the race.

Both campaigns made significant ad buys for their television spots. The Romney campaign will be spending close to $12 million to run its ad in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. Obama’s campaign spent a combined $16 million to run its ads in those same states, as well as New Hampshire and North Carolina.

The ads come after Romney and Martinez executed a well-received media blitz on Friday to debunk misconceptions about the New Mexico governor.

I don't know how you get all of these graphics, but it's simply amazing.

It's ironic Obama is attacking Romney for diverting the subject from Bain, considering he's diverting the subject from the economy, which is what voters mostly care about.

The common Obama tactic haha.

And thanks tmth. I tinker with most of the pictures myself--it's a lot of fun! :)

Earlier today, President Barack Obama hit the Sunday morning talk show circuit to hammer Mitt Romney for his running mate choice of Susana Martinez. The President mostly sought to characterize Martinez as inexperienced, and recalled the 2008 campaign when GOP nominee John McCain made a “gimmick choice” to change the narrative.

Obama’s responses to questions from Meet the Press’s David Gregory were largely in-line with talking points from two negative ads his campaign released yesterday. “Mitt Romney’s dealing with a little bit of trouble on his tax returns,” Obama told Gregory. “Americans want to know what he’s hiding, and David… I think that’s a fair thing to wanna know. But you see, Mitt Romney doesn’t want us asking these questions. So he, um, he threw the kitchen sink at us when he chose Governor Palin—sorry, Governor Martinez. And people are smart enough to see through that, I’m not worried.”

The president later went on to assert that he wouldn’t have made the choice Romney made, mostly because of Martinez’s “poor record with Latinos in New Mexcio.” He also argued Romney would have been smarter to name a running mate with more foreign policy experience: “It’s not my place to say,” said Obama, “but I’d want to choose someone who made up for my weaknesses—Romney doesn’t have a foreign policy resume.”

A recent CNN flash poll released Friday showed poor favorability ratings for Governor Martinez. The poll suggests President Obama could be winning the battle to define the governor amongst Americans.

The Mitt Romney campaign has devastating news to contend with after newly released polls from Purple Strategies show Romney falling far behind President Obama in a number of swing states. The shift in the polls would seem to directly correlate with Romney’s recent announcement of New Mexico Susana Martinez as governor. According to numbers from Purple Strategies, Romney is trailing in Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia, and he has lost significant ground in Indiana, which was once considered a lock for the former Massachusetts governor.

A national poll released this morning was also unkind to Governor Romney, showing him running nine points behind the president.

The Romney campaign has not yet commented on these new numbers. The Obama camp, however, was quick to characterize the polls as a referendum on Governor Martinez. The statement from Obama’s campaign largely followed the president’s recent line of attack against Romney’s running mate.

The Mitt Romney campaign could be dealing with an internal civil war, suggests one aide who spoke to our reporters on the condition of anonymity Monday. According to the aide, factions within the campaign and even some of Romney’s most valued advisors are feuding over the candidates’s “rogue decision” to select Martinez. Interestingly, the campaign had already been preparing to roll out a Romney-Thune ticket when the GOP candidate announced he had changed his mind.

“In light of recent polls,” the aide said, “I feel compelled to come forward. Martinez is not going to be a winning candidate.” The source went on to explain that she hoped increased pressure from the public would force Romney to reconsider his choice before the convention. “The governor [Romney] wanted to change the news stories, but as many of us insisted, it has backfired horribly.”

Publicly, Romney maintains that Martinez is an immeasurable asset to his campaign. Privately, Romney has doubts, but is still confident that Governor Martinez could be able to work her way into the hearts of Americans.

Many pundits were surprised at Romney’s selection of Martinez, believing he would have gone with a more risk-averse candidate.

All-but-certain GOP nominee Mitt Romney landed at Heathrow International Airport in London this afternoon to begin his weeklong tour of Europe and the Middle East. Romney will spend the first leg of his trip in England, where he will meet with Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street. After the formal meeting, the candidate will tour some sports venues for the 2012 London Olympic Games with IOC President Jacques Rogge. Governor Romney will attend the opening ceremonies of the games on Friday and then continue on to Poland and Israel.

The trip comes amidst news of grumblings within the Romney camp over the direction Romney has steered the campaign. While most criticism involves the selection of New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez for running mate, new sources have since expressed confusion over the purpose of Romney’s trip. With polls released Monday showing Romney losing serious ground to President Obama, some wonder if Romney might have been better to continue campaigning at home in the United States.

Obama, too, has capitalized on Romney’s overseas trip. President Obama’s campaign released a web ad today, called “Skipping Out,” which condemns Romney for meeting with international “fat cat” oil industry donors instead of worrying about issues here at home. Romney has not commented.

There had been some speculation whether vice presidential candidate Susana Martinez would accompany Romney this week. Yesterday, the campaign announced that she’d be staying behind to headline several high profile fundraisers and campaign events in the Rust Belt.

Martinez held her first solo event this morning. Although the event—a fundraiser—was closed to the press, several guests said Martinez made a concerted effort to assure supporters she is not a Sarah Palin redux.

Martinez did not respond to yesterday's news that Romney had abruptly replaced John Thune with herself on the ticket.

Sarah Palin didn’t mince any words in Daytona Beach this afternoon when talking about Mitt Romney’s “crisis management” over the Martinez pick. While most of the rally was dedicated to announcing a Tea Party Express bus tour that will begin next month, Palin did give some advice to Mitt Romney: Don’t attack your own.

“Governor Romney seems to think being a passionate voice for the no-nonsense right is a bad thing. Well—I think we all know better than that, Florida,” Palin said. "This tour will be the 'Fix American Now Tour,' and I think we need to tell Mr. Romney not to run from the only ideology that will fix this great nation! So Florida, I ask you: Why is Mitt Romney running from me? Why is Susana Martinez insisting that me and her are, quote, very different? I have to say, I’m a little upset. We need a president who’ll have the courage to stand up for what’s right, not one who’ll get sucked in and spat out by the establishment—we’ve already got that! Hopefully that European vacation will help our candidate clear his head.”

This scathing criticism of Romney comes in the wake of a Romney campaign strategy that seems to involve creating as much distance between Sarah Palin and Susana Martinez as possible. Although the announced bus tour is meant to galvanize voters to come out for Mitt Romney, an affronted Palin will hardly be able to offer the fiery, public endorsement that she is known for—even if she is only scheduled to speak at a few stops along the tour.

The “Fix America Now” rallies be held across the Eastern Seaboard and Rust Belt, with events in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.

Prime Minister Cameron and Governor Mitt Romney made public statements outside Number 10 Downing Street this morning before heading inside for a private meeting. In his statement, Prime Minister Cameron officially welcomed Romney to the United Kingdom. He told the press that he was looking forward to hosting Romney at the Olympic Opening Ceremony on Friday and thanked him for his contributions to “Olympic spirit” in 2002 and beyond. Romney was the President of the 2002 organizing committee for the Salt Lake games.

The GOP candidate’s statement was slightly more political: He told the small crowd of members of the press and public that he would be president for human interests across the world. “I will not let China dictate the terms of trade with the West,” Romney said. “As president, I will stand up to China—and this is something that’s not just in America’s interest. Your Prime Minister will have a partner in me when it comes to keeping China honest. And I’m afraid and sorry that our current President has not worked more closely with your leaders.”

Romney’s private meeting with Cameron was reportedly friendly and casual, with the two men discussing topics that ranged from the Olympics to drought in the American plains to the problems posed by a nuclear Iran.

David Cameron is Britain’s first Conservative Prime Minister since Sir John Major left office in 1997. Cameron’s visit with Romney could be potentially problematic in England, as it usually not customary for sitting prime ministers to meet with foreign candidates for election. Romney will also meet with the British Foreign Secretary, as well as former Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Back in the United States, President Obama has released another ad decrying Romney’s foreign trip, using a comment from Sarah Palin in which she called Romney’s trip a “European vacation.” Sarah Palin is becoming something of a star in Obama’s recent ads as tension continues to build between her and the Romney camp.

The ad is aptly titled “European Vacation.”

Cool.  Keep it up ;)

Thanks Jerseyrules. I know it's something of a commitment to read :P ... but I really want to document a whole campaign. And I pretty much have nothing to do this summer lol.

Four state polls from CNN released Wednesday show Mitt Romney’s numbers steadying after a dramatic drop in support over the weekend. While Romney has not rebounded in the polls (out of Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio), his numbers have not significantly changed since Monday.

According to a sample of likely voters, if the election were held today, Obama would win Florida by four points, North Carolina by two points, Virginia by seven points, and Ohio by seven points. Nationally, Obama leads by seven.

Many pundits attributed Romney’s drop in the polls to his selection of New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. The steadying numbers for Romney would seem to suggest that many of the voters who would be turned off by Martinez have already defected from Mitt Romney’s fold. Officially, the Romney campaign remains confident that voters will come around to Governor Martinez once they get to know her. Unofficially, sources inside Romney’s camp tell us that some staffers remain disappointed with Romney’s choice of Martinez.

CNN also asked Republicans which candidate they would have preferred for vice president if given a choice between Governor Susana Martinez and Romney’s original choice, Senator John Thune. Republicans were divided on the issue. The usefulness of the survey is suspect, as many Republicans are far more familiar with Martinez than Thune.

The Romney camp has still not responded to Monday’s leaks suggesting Thune was originally going to be rolled out as Romney’s running mate.

Interesting. Will this continue after 2012?

It will, yes. It'll continue in mostly real time up until this year's election. Then, in pretty quick succession, I'll spit out a few of the biggest news stories about what happened during the next presidential term.

Then we'll be on to 2016.

John Thune continues to be elusive with reporters in Washington, but CNN’s Dana Bash was able to get a few quips from Thune over the state of the presidential race on Thursday. Thune has largely avoided the press in the wake of Romney campaign leaks alleging he was the initial running mate choice.

“I can’t confirm or deny what you’re hearing about me,” Thune said as he charged down a hallway at the Capitol. “Obviously it’s a sensitive subject.”

When pressured more, he stopped for a moment to offer the following: “The Romney folks can conduct themselves however they like. I plan on staying out of the way. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit dismayed about the way they’re going about their campaign. Sarah Palin won’t be steamrolled, and neither will I.”

Comments from Sarah Palin have already been used again Mitt Romney in ads from the Obama camp; there is no word yet if Thune’s comments will see the same fate. His remarks have already been interpreted as confirmation of the rumor that he was indeed the original choice for Romney’s number two.

Several PPP polls released this morning show a sharp jump in support for the Mitt Romney-Susana Martinez presidential ticket out West. While Romney has been disappointed by a substantial polling drop across the Rust Belt and Eastern Seaboard, the polls out of Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico come as welcome news to his struggling campaign.

Pundits are already speculating that Romney’s better showings in these states are direct results of Susana Martinez’s addition to the ticket.

According to the polls, Romney is leading by five points in Colorado, two points in Nevada, and one point in New Mexico. In 2008, then-candidate Obama defeated John McCain in Colorado by almost nine points, in Nevada by over twelve, and in New Mexico by fifteen.

Governors Martinez and Romney held a series of joint rallies in the West before Romney left for Europe on Tuesday.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney attended the opening ceremony of the London Olympics earlier this evening. Mitt Romney, who ran the 2002 Salt Lake City winter Olympics, expressed some concerns about the city’s readiness for the games this morning in an interview with a local newspaper. Although the comments have not been well-received by the British press, many American pundits have indicated their agreement with Romney’s comments.

In that same interview, Romney discussed his enthusiasm about the opening ceremonies and wished the city well during this international sporting event.

To capitalize on the games, the Romney campaign has released an Olympic-themed ad  touting the candidate’s successful turnaround of the Salt Lake Olympics. The spot shows images of the candidate with an Olympic torch, and features excerpts of his 2002 speech from the opening ceremonies.

Tonight’s opening ceremonies in London were widely watched across the world, but have already received mixed reviews. The ceremony featured the talents of Paul McCartney, Daniel Craig, Her Majesty the Queen, Rowan Atkinson, J.K. Rowling, and Kenneth Branagh.

Mitt Romney will head to Poland for the next leg of his trip tomorrow afternoon.

Romney is finally catching a break :P What a rough week for week.

Keep it coming Hagrid! :D

Governor Susana Martinez rushed back to El Paso, Texas early this morning after receiving news that her father had taken seriously ill and was in hospital. Her father, Jake Martinez, passed away peacefully with family at his side before the governor was able to reach his sickbed. Details surrounding the death have not been made public. Martinez suffered from Alzheimer’s disease.

Before being tapped as Romney’s running mate, Governor Martinez had expressed some concern about moving her developmentally disabled sister (of whom she is the legal guardian) away from her father. Martinez maintained a close relationship with her father, and this news came as a major shock to her and the Romney campaign.

Mitt Romney called his running mate from England to convey his sympathies. In an interview with Sky News this morning, Romney expressed his regret at never having the chance to meet Jake Martinez.. “Susana spoke fondly of her dad, and I’m only sorry I never had the opportunity to meet her role model, friend, and personal hero. Susana can count on the full support of Ann and myself during this heartbreaking time.”

Romney has not made any plans to cut short his European tour. In spite of this devastating personal tragedy, members of Martinez’s staff have also suggested that the vice presidential candidate might, shockingly, continue with her schedule on Monday.

Martinez has been lauded for her tenacity and charisma on the campaign trail. Recent polls from Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico show the Republican ticket leading Barack Obama, thanks in large part to Martinez’s ability to connect to Westerners.

The loss of Martinez’s father has already led to calls for the Obama camp to take several ads attacking the governor off the airwaves. The Obama campaign has yet to comment.

Funeral arrangements have been tentatively set for next Friday.

Thanks for reading, guys.

This is where Martinez starts becoming a real hero… for the time being. ;)

Barack Obama once again hit the Sunday airwaves this week to talk about the state of the presidential race. While President Obama discussed ranging topics on State of the Union with CNN’s Candy Crowley, his comments on the recent passing of Susana Martinez’s father have received much attention.

The President offered his condolences to the family of the deceased, but when pressed on the negative attacks his campaign has been launching against the GOP vice presidential candidate, Obama appeared less diplomatic.

“What happened is obviously a huge tragedy for Governor Martinez,” the president said, “but now is not the time to stop the conversation. The American people have serious questions about Governor Martinez as well as Governor Romney. Our campaign feels that we’ve got to draw these contrasts.”

Political pundits on both sides of the spectrum have decried the president for this stance. Martinez will continue campaigning on Monday.

Dick move, Barry. Attack Mitt, his dad didn't just die.

Politics ain't bean bag.

After the passing of her father early yesterday morning, Susana Martinez’s face has been plastered on television screens across the country. Many Sunday night news programs, including 60 Minutes on CBS, cancelled previous programming tonight to air specials profiling the family life and career of New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. The programs emphasized the governor’s relationship with her late father and developmentally disabled sister, Lettie.

60 Minutes host Steve Croft even went so far as to concede that coverage of the New Mexico governor “has been slightly unfair,” and that, “perhaps now is fitting time to properly, and fairly, introduce the Republican vice presidential candidate to Americans.”

The programs touched on Martinez’s childhood roots helping out at her parents’ small business; on her marriage to Chuck Franco; on her switch from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party; on her career in law; and, finally, on her campaign for, and tenure as, New Mexico governor.

This coverage comes amidst news that the Obama campaign will continue hammering Martinez over her perceived inexperience and tokenism. Mitt Romney condemned the president's "lack of class" from Poland in a press release.

Well Romney and Martinez got their positive coverage, but for how long and at what cost?

On Monday in Fort Lauderdale, vice presidential candidate Susana Martinez held her first event since the death of her father. The event, a town hall, had to be moved out of a grade school gymnasium to the school’s football field after hundreds more people than expected showed up at the school.

Martinez received an extremely warm welcome and directly addressed the death of her father before taking questions: “My family is going through a time of hurt,” the candidate said. “And… you know… personally, I’m devastated. My father was an exceptional man who profoundly shaped the person I’ve grown into today. I wasn’t sure whether or not it was the right thing to do—if jumping back onto the campaign trail so soon would be too hard for my family. But I got thinking about my dad, and how proud of me he was, and I realized: I would be doing him such a disservice if I cooped myself up to mourn. I have a chance to change this country for the better alongside Mitt Romney… and that’s what we’re going to do. Your support during this time has been magnificent—thank you. It’s time to give back.”

Many people in the crowd were visibly moved by Martinez’s strength, and the governor was warmly received. Many of the supporters who asked the governor questions expressed their distaste over President Obama’s decision to continue running negative ads.

“I voted for Obama in ’08,” one Cuban American, Missy Valencia, told Martinez. “How do you feel about the negativity he’s been launching at you? You did nothing wrong. I won’t be voting for Obama again. We need you to turn our country around.”

Martinez will be campaign in Florida for the next two days. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney heads to Israel after receiving the endorsement of former Polish President Lech Walesa.

Five state polls from Rasmussen released this morning show Romney recovering ground in five key swing states. In the initial wake of Romney’s roll-out of the Susana Martinez vice presidential campaign, Romney’s numbers had sunk considerably in the Rust Belt, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida. Today’s improved numbers come as welcome news for the GOP ticket.

In fact, a CNN favorability poll, also released today, shows Governor Martinez’s numbers rising significantly amongst voters nationwide. The governor, whose father passed away over the weekend, returned to the campaign trail on Monday at a town hall meeting in Fort Lauderdale. Many pundits have gone so far as to call this town hall meeting a “game changer” for the Mitt Romney campaign.

Nationally, Mitt Romney and Barack Obama are tied at 47%.

This afternoon in an e-mail to supporters, Barack Obama made an about-face, deciding to pull all negative ads targeting New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. The president expressed his condolences for the loss of Martinez’s father and talked about running a campaign above disrespect and smear tactics. This change in strategy comes after a new poll released today showed Martinez’s favorables skyrocketing amongst the population.

The Romney campaign, however, is not putting much faith in Obama’s change of heart. A new ad from team Romney, called “Courage,” accuses Obama of unfairly attacking Martinez. It also highlights the New Mexico governor’s devotion to family and the strength she’s shown in dealing with her father’s death.

The ad will run in several battleground states through next week.

Excited for the next update and the conventions :)

Thanks folks. I've been on vacation with family for a few days and I've just had way less time for this than I thought I would. Hopefully I'll get it up-to-date fairly soon. The news cycle will be getting a bit lighter, too. ;)

Looking forward to it ;)