Romney Landslide Possible? Plus: Obama Recommends ‘Revenge’; Steyn Recommends Getting Serious

The Heritage Foundation’s Michael Franc offers an encouraging word in “Parsing the Polls: If Gallup is right, Tuesday will be a long night for the Democratic party.”  (On the main page, National Review Online subtitles it “If Gallup’s right, Obama’s toast.”)

Second-term Agenda? Plus: Romney Pulls Ahead in N. C., Electoral College

After Tuesday’s debate, Charles Cooke had a good line:

As far as I can see, Obama’s main plan for the next four years is to be president in them, and that may well not be enough to win reelection . . . .

Hat tip to unassumingpseudonym of Far-flung Fancies, who sent it to me.

In other news, Real Clear Politics’ Electoral College map has just moved North Carolina into Romney’s column, putting Romney ahead in that count for the first time this whole election cycle; it’s now 206 to 201, Romney’s favor.  (It’s big news—by coincidence, Rush Limbaugh mentioned it just as I was writing this!)  But arguably North Carolina had already been lost to Obama for some time—recall “Pollster Writes Off Three Swing States, Says Obama Won’t Win Them”.  Just look at Real Clear Politics’ polling averages in North Carolina:  Romney has been rising and Obama falling, steeply, all month.  Romney currently leads 50.3-44.7.

Gallup: Romney Won Debate 72-20

Last week I related that, according to a CNN poll, 67% of people who watched the debate last Wednesday thought Romney won, while only 25% thought Obama won.  Today Gallup reports an even bigger Romney win:

Those who viewed the debate overwhelmingly believe Romney did a better job than Obama, 72% to 20%. Republicans were nearly unanimous in judging Romney the winner. But even Democrats rated Romney as doing a better job than Obama, 49% to 39%.

(Emphasis added.)

As with the CNN poll, I can say again with this one:  Not to put too fine a point on it, Romney did better than anyone else ever:

Alternate Interpretations of the Polls

Many conservatives are arguing that recent polls, showing Obama in the lead, probably are not accurate.  Here are a few of those arguments:

• Jim Geraghty at National Review Online:
  “This Morning’s Polls Project More Heavily Democratic Electorates Than 2008”
  “Why Party ID Matters, and Why Pollsters Avert Their Eyes”

• Ed Morrissey, Hot Air: “Are we too sensitive to partisan skew in polls?”

• Da Tech Guy: “Demoralized as Hell, The poll the media isn’t talking about edition”
  (Hat tip to Wintery Knight)

Josh Mandel Could Win Ohio

State Treasurer Josh Mandel is the Republican nominee for Senate from Ohio.  He is running against incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown.

Santorum: Fiscal Conservative

Appearing in three Fourth of July parades in Iowa last week, Rick Santorum said, “What we need is an Independence Day candidate that believes in the independence of the American people, not its dependence on government and government programs.”

I think Rick Santorum may be that candidate.  Any number of the current contenders might make an excellent president, but as Santorum points out, he already has a record of doing the work that needed to be done, even when it was unpopular—even when it cost him his senate seat.  We could do with more principled politicians like him.