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- This Politico story on how endangered House Democrats are quietly promoting third-party runs to split the GOP vote would benefit from more hard data. As I've repeatedly said, Tea Party candidates have introduced a degree of uncertainty to the midterms, but these uncertainties need to be quantified. What percentage are third-party candidates drawing? What are the approve/disapprove numbers of the incumbents? I can't help feeling that more local reporting would help, but that's a separate problem.
- For many liberals, health-care reform was a moral imperative -- it's unconscionable to have so many Americans uninsured. Conversely, conservatives believe reform was a "moral disaster" that "frays the bonds that used to tie society together," "makes us less virtuous as individual citizens," and "makes us less likely to take on our responsibilities." I have to admit, I'm amazed that propping up the private health insurance industry to simulate national health care is more culturally powerful than I had previous thought.
- Ben Smith passes along the news that for Rudy Giuliani, "the door's not closed" for a presidential run, something Smith considers "worth keeping in the 2012 file." The only reason I bring this up is to note how for certain ex-politicians, the big presidential comeback assumes perpetual status for political journalists, no matter how far-fetched such ambitions actually are. Fred Thompson tweeted something? He's laying the groundwork. Rick Santorum is visiting Iowa again? The wheels are in motion. Newt Gingrich opened his mouth? 2012 is his to lose. Rudy Giuliani won how many delegates in 2008? He's leaving the door open.
- Remainders: It's a good thing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is officially canceling an enormous public-works project worth tens of thousands of jobs in the middle of a recession; as usual, The Onion is on the cutting-edge of political commentary; Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are funny, but I agree they encourage people to detach themselves from the reality of politics; and yes, I'm quite convinced that Matt Lauer is motivated purely by "Olympian self-regard."
-- Mori Dinauer
