Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that won’t necessarily generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:
* Rumors are becoming more common that Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign won’t make a concerted effort to win the Iowa caucuses, counting instead on big wins in New Hampshire and Nevada.
* With Florida Republicans remaining stubborn, New Hampshire’s elections chief is prepared to move the state’s first-in-the-nation primary to mid-January.
* Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman told Florida voters this week that he still supports Paul Ryan’s right-wing budget agenda. “I was called a radical because I’ve embraced the Ryan plan,” Huntsman said, adding, “All I can say is, guilty as charged.”
* While Tim Pawlenty and Michele Bachmann were the first candidates to launch television ad campaigns this season, Ron Paul will be the first to make a significant ad buy, spending $166,000 on a spot that will air on cable and broadcast in five different television markets in Iowa and New Hampshire.
* In Pennsylvania, the latest survey from Public Poling Polling shows President Obama leading all of his GOP challengers except Mitt Romney, with whom he is tied at 44% each.
* Pawlenty believes the science is “in dispute” about whether sexual orientation is a choice. He’s wrong.
* Rick Santorum’s weak fundraising won’t help change the perception that he’s not a credible presidential candidate — the former senator raised $582,000 over the last quarter and spent nearly half of it.
* In New Hampshire, if incumbent Gov. John Lynch (D) seeks re-election, he’s a safe bet. If he doesn’t, Republicans will likely win his office.
* And The Atlantic‘s Conor Friedersdorf attended the premier yesterday of the new Sarah Palin documentary in Orange County, California, generally a Republican area. He was the only person in the theater.
