TUESDAY’S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP…. Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign slogan — “Believe in America Again” — was John Kerry’s presidential campaign slogan in 2003, and John Glenn’s presidential campaign slogan in 1983. Worse, Romney’s campaign logo looks an awful lot like a toothpaste ad.
* As expected, GOP officials in Indiana have redrawn congressional district lines, and carefully ensured that Rep. Joe Donnelly (D) got screwed. It not only increases the likelihood of a Republican pick-up, but also the chances of Donnelly giving up his seat and running for the Senate.
* Speaking of Hoosiers, Sen. Dick Lugar (R) is facing a tough primary challenge in Indiana, but he raised about $1 million in the first quarter, and now has a campaign war chest of about $3 million.
* How is President Obama doing in Florida? It depends on which pollster you ask — PPP shows the president doing fairly well, Quinnipiac and Mason-Dixon show him faring much worse. For that matter, PPP shows Obama leading his likely GOP challengers, while Mason-Dixon shows the president trailing Romney and Huckabee in hypothetical match-ups.
* Is Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) planning a third pointless presidential campaign? Apparently, yes. If so, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is unlikely to launch a pointless campaign of his own.
* The media establishment’s love for him notwithstanding, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is largely unknown to most Americans.
* In Virginia, Republican Senate hopeful Jamie Radtke, taking on former Sen. George Allen in a GOP primary, is now arguing that the minimum wage should be eliminated entirely.
* In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is almost implausibly popular, with a new Siena Research Institute poll finding that 73% of his constituents view the governor favorably.
* And after television personality Donald Trump fails to win the Republican presidential nomination, he will “probably” run as an independent. Trump said he thought he “could possibly win as an independent,” adding, “I’m not doing it for any other reason. I like winning.”
