SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:38 P.M. ET: 

GOP ROMP IN TEXAS GUBERNATORIAL – From Breitbart:  "HOUSTON, Texas — The gubernatorial campaign of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott continues to widen his lead over State Senator Wendy Davis, the Democrat nominee. Abbott now leads by a margin of eighteen points in a recent WPA Opinion Research Poll.  In June Breitbart Texas reported a twelve point lead by Abbott over his opponent. The new poll represents a fifty percent increase in the lead. Pollster Chris Wilson said, on a conference call of Abbott’s donors, that Abbott’s poll numbers have only increased since the Davis campaign began their series of attack ads began last month. Abbott’s favorability rating is the highest it has ever been throughout the race, Wilson said in an article posted by the Houston Chronicle.  The poll also showed a strong position by Abbott in terms of support from women and Hispanic voters. Women voters preferred Abbott by a margin of 47-41 while Hispanics sided with Abbott by an eleven point margin of 51-40."  That is remarkable  Dems thought Davis was their golden girl because of her stand against a new Texas abortion law, which is actually quite moderate.  It's clear the women of Texas see through Davis, who is a throwback to the sixties generation.

FROM HIS MOUTH TO... – From The Politico:  "Political analyst Stu Rothenberg sees a wave election coming for Senate Republicans in November.  In a Roll Call column published Monday, the electoral expert said he is expecting Republicans to gain at least seven seats in the Senate and earn a November victory more dramatic than several pollsters have suggested.  'I am now expecting a substantial Republican Senate wave in November, with a net gain of at least seven seats,' he said. 'But I wouldn’t be shocked by a larger gain.' Rothenberg said that while his election models don’t yet support his claim, he personally expects dramatic results coming in the midterms. 'I’ve witnessed 17 general elections from my perch in D.C., including eight midterms, and I sometimes develop a sense of where the cycle is going before survey data lead me there,' he wrote."  I sure hope he's right, but I never underestimate the political skills of the Democratic Party, especially its ability to turn out their base on election day.

BROWN NOMINATED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE – From The Politico:  "Scott Brown won the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary Tuesday night, setting up a general election showdown with Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.  The former Massachusetts senator, who lost to Elizabeth Warren in 2012 and became a New Hampshire citizen last December, easily defeated two main challengers, former state Sen. Jim Rubens and former U.S. Sen. Bob Smith.  With 78 percent of precincts reporting, Brown had just less than 50 percent of the vote, compared with 24 percent for Rubens and 22 percent for Smith.  Brown’s victory brings an end to a Senate primary season that began six months ago in Texas.  Polls have shown Brown trailing Shaheen by single digits. An internal poll for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee last week put Shaheen up 8 points; a poll from the right-leaning American Crossroads at the end of August showed Shaheen ahead by 3 points."  Brown was all but written off in polling against Shaheen just weeks ago, but he has been gaining strength.  He has a serious shot.

OBAMA TALKS TOUGH – From The Hill:  "President Obama told congressional leaders at a White House meeting on Tuesday he doesn’t need their authorization to expand his military campaign against Islamic terrorists.  The president offered the assurance one day before a prime-time address he’s scheduled to give to the nation.  Wednesday’s address is a pivotal moment for the president just months before a midterm election season in which the Senate’s majority hangs in the balance.  Polls show that confidence in Obama’s foreign policy is eroding just as anxiety over the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has peaked."  So Obama starts to talk tough.  I'm not impressed, as he has no concept of strategy. We'll see tomorrow (Wednesday) night what his policy toward the Islamic State will be, or will be at least for a week.  The man's record is not encouraging, but we always hope that reality will enter his brain.

September 9, 2014