Grumpy Editor

Voters remain fuzzy over Romney’s business experience

Despite Mitt Romney’s many years as a business executive, a Rasmussen Reports survey finds voters are evenly divided over whether the business experience of the former CEO of Bain Capital is a plus or a minus, observes Grumpy Editor.

However, Rasmussen adds, voters in the survey consider Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, more ethical than President Barack Obama.

Attacks on his background have made some voters switch their opinion of Romney's business record and now Americans are equally divided on whether the ex-Bain executive's real world experience is a positive or a negative, according to the Rasmussen poll of 1,000 likely voters.

The latest Rasmussen national telephone survey finds 41 percent of likely U.S. voters think Romney’s track record in business is primarily a reason to vote for him, while a similar 41 percent consider it chiefly a reason to vote against him.

“A sizable 18 percent are not sure,” adds Rasmussen.

"These findings suggest that President Obama's attacks on Romney's tenure as a venture capitalist with the Bain Capital investment firm may be having some effect," notes the poll taker.

Indeed, Grumpy Editor feels some newspaper readers/TV news viewers appear to be confused by the foolish fuss, hypoed by major media overplaying whether Romney was actively managing Bain Capital after 1999.

Most editors are going along with the detraction rather than focusing on candidates' solid plans for correcting the country's economic woes and increasing jobs --- where an improvement would be reflected in a much-needed boost in advertising, especially sought by newspapers with sinking revenues. 

‘Sensitive’ voting machines being eyed today in Nevada

With Nevada’s primary election today, some voters will be keeping sharp eyes on electronic voting machines that were a source of questionable vote tallies in the 2010 election that resulted in a close victory for Democrat Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, notes Grumpy Editor. 

In a tight race with Republican Sharron Angle at that time (she was ahead in polls right up until the election) some early voters --- in a state that allows early voting in such places as supermarkets, shopping malls and trailers --- found Reid’s name already checked on ballot pages of electronic units. 

The happening received scant national media attention at that time. 

Clark County registrar of voters in 2010, without conducting an intensive investigation, declared there was no voter fraud but blamed the checkmarks alongside Reid’s name on sensitive screens. 

Larry Lomax at that time also blamed the faulty voting action on seniors, mentioning elderly citizens have difficulty in casting their ballots. 

Following that weak explanation, former House majority leader Dick Armey, now Freedom Works chairman, said with early voting there “is less security” that creates a “great opportunity” for voter fraud, especially in major urban areas. 

This year’s early voting in Nevada ran from May 26 to June 8. 

Top race in Nevada’s current voting is for the U.S. Senate, pitting Democrat Shelley Berkley against Republican Dean Heller. 

Nevada requires no photo identification or verification of identity for people who vote.

 

First Lady collects campaign funds in Las Vegas today

No doubt about it, the president and first lady love Las Vegas.

Michelle Obama makes her second visit in little over a month to Las Vegas today, part of a four-state campaign swing, where a breakfast fundraiser carries a price tag of $2,500 a person, notes Grumpy Editor. 

Las Vegas in this election year is high on the charts for the Obamas. 

Nevada is an important swing state in November’s voting. 

President Barack Obama also has made two trips this year to Las Vegas, a city that he knocked in recent years that resulted in scaring off tourist and convention activity. 

In February, 2009, aiming at business gatherings, he declared, “You can’t take a trip to Las Vegas or down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime.”  Then a year later, he warned, “You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college.” 

With ebbing of visitors in a sour economy, thousands of casino workers lost jobs and Las Vegas rose to the top of the foreclosed homes list in the U.S. 

Last year’s unemployment in Las Vegas, at 13.3 percent, was among the highest in the nation. 

Following the Las Vegas visit, Mrs. Obama is schedule to make campaign stops in Colorado Springs, Colo.; Tucson, Ariz., and Albuquerque, N.M. 

 

Shhh! More Mormons live in Arizona than in Nevada

In today’s Arizona primary, chances are broadcast and print media will not mention Mormons in connection with votes for Mitt Romney, former Massachusetts governor, one of four Republican presidential candidates actively seeking the nomination, predicts Grumpy Editor. 

This contrasts with the Nevada caucuses Feb. 4 --- with Romney coming out the winner --- when media repeatedly overstated the Mormon influence in Nevada.  On-scene reporters implied that many Mormons in the Silver State led to an easy victory for Romney. 

However, Arizona ranks third in the number of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints members.  Number one is Utah, followed by Idaho. 

Washington State and Nevada follow. 

Interestingly, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was running for reelection (and won) in 2010, not much was said about the Democrat from Nevada being a Mormon.

Meanwhile, Reid has offered no Mormon-to-Mormon counseling to fellow politician Romney.

Reid once confided to a newsman, “Well, I believe that Mitt Romney is a man I’ve never met.  Don’t particularly want to.”