Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: Another disaster of a week for Romney

The pollster.com chart without Rasmussen and Gallup (Obama 49.4-Romney 44). Why do that? My reasoning. Here's another reason (Daily Breakdown: Gallup and Rasmussen v. World). BTW, it's worth a full point (48.9-44.5), but not more. More importantly, it's a completely different narrative. No, it is not a tie.

Jennifer Rubin:

You know it is a good Friday afternoon for the Romney-Ryan ticket when...

You know it's a hysterically funny Jen Rubin column when she talks to the Romney camp but doesn't bother to read her own paper.

The Fix:

Mitt Romney had the 'Worst Week in Washington' ' again

AP:

Mitt Romney struggled to steady his presidential campaign on Friday, buffeted by an outbreak of sniping among frustrated Republicans, fresh evidence of a slide in battleground state polls and President Barack Obama's accusation that he was writing off 'half the country' in pursuit of the White House.

Republican running mate Paul Ryan drew boos at an AARP convention in New Orleans when he said Romney would repeal Obama's health care law, which closed a gap in coverage for seniors' prescription drugs. The Wisconsin congressman accused the administration of weakening Medicare and flinching from tough measures needed to stabilize Social Security's finances, adding that the president has 'put his own job security over your retirement security.'

Reuters:

Mitt Romney tried to silence questions about his taxes as the Republican presidential candidate limped to the end of a brutal week on Friday, while his running mate faced boos and heckling at a campaign stop.

Obama to AARP: who you gonna trust, me or Ayn Rand?
' @DemFromCT via web

Howard Fineman:

The attack on Mitt Romney was tough, even vicious.

As expressed at a now-infamous fundraiser in Florida, the Republican nominee's "ideology, pitting the 'makers' against the 'takers,' offers nothing," the writer said. "No sympathy for our fellow citizens. No insight into our social challenge. No hope of change."

"This approach involves a relentless reductionism," the writer argued Thursday in the Washington Post. "Human worth is reduced to economic production. Social problems are reduced to personal vices. Politics is reduced to class warfare on behalf of the upper class."

It was perhaps the most thorough, full-throated denunciation of Romney this year -- and, of course, a conservative Republican wrote it.

Notice that Romney's "worst day" of the race became "his worst week" and is now becoming his worst month...?
' @DemFromCT via web
Joe Conason:

With so many Republicans frantically distancing themselves from Mitt Romney over those notorious remarks about the '47 percent' of Americans he views as tax-exempt moochers, there is at least one right-wing pundit proudly claiming responsibility for what Romney said.

Complaints from the right about 'lucky duckies' too poor to pay taxes are nothing new, of course.   Yet although he may have to share the credit with his pal Paul Ryan, strong circumstantial evidence supports the boasting of Charles J. Sykes.

And if Sykes is right, then the excuses offered by Romney and Ryan about 'inelegant' and 'inarticulate' phrasing over the past few days are laughable.

TPM:

Mitt Romney took a jab at California while speaking in Las Vegas, accusing Obama of plunging America into debt and dependency.

"I'm convinced that the path [Obama's] put us on is the path to Europe," he said. "Or, I jokingly say....to California."

What a kidder.

Margie Omero:

As you may have heard, it's been a bad week for Mitt Romney. And while he's taken a tumble in the polls, nationally it's still a fairly close race. But both nationwide and in some key swing states, Obama's lead among women has widened considerably. Women are behind the Obama surge.

Nate Cohn:

The polls are a bit of a mess right now, but the sources of disagreement seem a little clearer today. A big polling duel might be shaping up for November: Gallup and Rasmussen v. World.

Harry Enten:

Sometimes, there is a myth that simply won't die. It just gets repeated over and over, without much reason. Meet the 50% rule: this is the idea that if an incumbent is under 50%, then he could lose because undecideds break towards the challenger.

Barack Obama is polling at about 48% and up by about 3 percentage points right now. The 50% rule says Obama may be leading, but may not win if the election were today. The truth of the matter is that an Obama lead of 3 percentage points, and being at 48%, is a fine position for an incumbent. Here's why:

Sean Trende:

' State of the Race, Part 1: Why Obama Wins
' State of the Race, Part 2: Why Romney Wins
' State of the Race, Part 3: Winning by Losing

It is always tempting for the winning party to spike the proverbial football after an election and declare that the American people have finally endorsed their agenda and rejected that of the opposing side. As I explain in 'The Lost Majority,' however, those instincts are almost always wrong. If we've learned anything from the past two elections, it should be that the American people have very, very short memories, and that contingencies are always lurking around the corner waiting to catapult the losing side to victory.