Free Republic

Usually, an incumbent who can't get to 50% in pre-election polling is in trouble. An incumbent who can't get to 45% is almost certain to lose, especially with less than three weeks to go, as undecideds are already disinclined to support the candidate they know best. What does it mean when a poll from a firm linked to Democrats in a key Democratic state can't produce anything better than 44% for a Democratic incumbent and a virtual tie with a Republican challenger?Disaster: Released Wednesday, the poll of 600 likely voters showed Obama leading Romney in Michigan, 44.2 percent to 40.5...

“I hear Pittsburgh is very nice this time of year.” -- A senior Romney campaign staffer talking to Power Play about the strategy for the closing weeks of the campaign. Two weeks ago, Mitt Romney trailed in five Rust Belt battleground states by an average of 6.9 points in the Real Clear Politics Average of polls. This morning, his average deficit was just 3.2 points. While all 11 swing states have moved his direction since the Republican nominee’s boffo performance in his first debate with President Obama, Romney has seen the most significant improvement in the core column of the...

Another 19 people have been diagnosed with fungal meningitis linked to possibly tainted vials of a steroid medication, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 231. The CDC said there were two additional cases of infection in joints after a steroid injection but these were not confirmed as meningitis, bringing the total of infections nationwide to 233. The death toll from the unprecedented outbreak was unchanged at 15, the CDC said.

First, Christians were banned in Dearbornistan. Now, it’s Jews who are illegal. Why not just declare the place an outpost of Saudi Arabia and be done with the whole business. “On 9-14-2012, Dearborn Fordson High School principal called the police on me for driving with 2 Israeli flags on my truck.When the students began their assault he rolled down his window asking them to stop. After they pulled him over the police used the rolled down window as a pretext to accuse him of instigating the altercation.  While being questioned by the police in front of the high school...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. battery maker A123 Systems said Wednesday it is receiving up to $450 million from a Chinese firm, the latest controversial foreign investment in an American company in the electric car space. If completed, the deal would give China's Wanxiang Group Corporation an 80% percent stake in a company that many held up as America's answer to Asian dominance of the battery market.

On NBC, DEM Rep. --former . Gov Jennifer Granholm (D-MI)-- again repeated VP Biden's line that that was the info we got from the intel, at the time of the attack, and that it was the REP. that cut the defense, thus(as a result) it affected (somehow) the security around the embassy... My question is, why is it that liberals can not stop hammering us on Iraq and refuse to take the truthful answer that we all thought that Saddam Hussein had WMD according to our intel at the time? -- BTW The DEM Mayor Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta) kept spinning...

The New York Yankees' World Series hopes may have just taken a hit, as shortstop Derek Jeter fractured his left ankle in game one of the American League Championship Series against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night. Jeter suffered the injury while fielding a ground ball in the top of the 12th inning, with New York trailing 5-4. He immediately went down in pain, staying face down momentarily.

-excerpt- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak has now sickened 197 people in a 13 states.

Calumet is more than 500 miles away from Lansing. Trust me — I recently drove up to Michigan's nearly most northern point. Had I started in Detroit instead of Midland, the drive to Calumet would have taken more than 10 hours. During this trip, the notion of drafting statewide policies to govern places as different as Midland, Calumet and Detroit seemed increasingly absurd. State officials who have begun to call for increased vocational training could look to Calumet High School for ideas. Calumet is near Michigan Technological University, enabling its students to collaborate with Michigan Tech students on vocational projects....

Folks, You can find the story at the various banned from FR Detroit Media Outlets. It was on TV this a.m. and I was shocked at what they were reporting and it dosen't fit IMHO with the overall number or Romney being down.... What was said was Romney is ahead in Oakland, Macomb ( home of the "Reagan Democrats" and 2 points ahead in Wayne County. That one Wayne is striking, Detroit is in Wayne, that to me means the burbs around "Detwaa" that are part of Wayne have thrown "O" overboard.From what I know it is these 3 counties...

Kid Rock said Monday he's proud the nation elected its first black president, but is sorry Barack Obama didn't do a better job. "I also want to be real clear that I am very proud to say that we had elected our first black president," Rock said during an introduction for GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan in Michigan on Monday. "I’m sorry — I’m sorry he didn’t do a better job. "I really wish he would have. I do," continued Rock, one of GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney's highest-profile celebrity endorsers. "But the facts are the facts and we...

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan walked out of an interview with Detroit's ABC News affiliate after the local news anchor attempted to "stuff words" in his mouth. Ryan was answering a series of questions about violence, guns and gun control laws. Ryan, addressing gun violence, said the best thing to do is to "help teach people good discipline [and good character. Local anchor Terry Camp asked Ryan if he could do all of that "by cutting taxes" which caused him to get up and end the interview.

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Paul Ryan abruptly ended an interview with an ABC affiliate in Flint after the reporter tried to grill the vice presidential candidate on gun violence and tax cuts. "Does the country have a gun problem?" WJRT's Terry Camp asked in a one-on-one interview. "This country has a crime problem," Ryan responded. After the anchor pressed him on whether he thinks the country has a "gun problem," the self-described deer hunter elaborated, "If you take a look at the gun laws we have, I don't even think President Obama is proposing more gun laws. We have good, strong...

A week after saying he would "probably" vote for the GOP ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the choice for Detroit rocker Kid Rock seems pretty clear. A press release today said Kid Rock will "appear and introduce" Congressman Ryan at a rally Monday night at Oakland University’s Athletics Center O’rena in Rochester. The rally begins at 7 p.m. An Associated Press story today said ticket can be obtained online or picked up at campaign offices today and Monday in Royal Oak, Lake Orion, Bloomfield Hills and Utica. The rally is being called a "Victory Rally with Paul Ryan...

Anti-Obama Group Will Caravan From Brighton to Ryan Rally October 8, 2012 10/8/12 - A national bus tour in support of Mitt Romney will make its way to Livingston County this afternoon, with an invitation to caravan to an appearance by Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan tonight in Rochester Hills. The "Rebuild America - Defeat Obama" tour will arrive for a rally supporting the Romney/Ryan ticket at 5pm at Millpond Park in downtown Brighton. Organizers say they will then depart in two buses at 6:30 with an invitation for anyone to caravan with them to Oakland University, where Ryan plans...

They have been playing defense elsewhere across the Midwest, but labor unions in Michigan have gone on the attack with a proposed first-in-the-nation amendment to the state constitution that would enshrine a right to collective bargaining for public — and private-sector workers — and invalidate any past or future laws to the contrary. Proposal 2, backed by Michigan’s teachers and other public-employee unions, is being closely watched by labor and management groups across the country after a string of setbacks for the union movement in states such as Wisconsin and Indiana. Other states are likely to follow Michigan’s lead if...

President Obama touted it in 2010 as evidence "manufacturing jobs are coming back to the United States,” but two years later, a Michigan hybrid battery plant built with $150 million in taxpayer funds is putting workers on furlough before a single battery has been produced. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/10/08/lg-plant-that-got-150m-to-make-volt-batteries-in-michigan-puts-workers-on/#ixzz28l2MseL9

Once again, the campaign for US President is a horse race in the battleground state of Michigan! The momentum has now shifted to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney because of his winning performance in the first of three scheduled debates against President Barack Obama. In September, the momentum was behind the President after he received a big boost from the Democratic National Convention. In a new and exclusive poll for WXYZ, the Detroit Free Press, and our statewide media partners, 48 percent say they would vote for Democrat Obama if the election were held today. Forty-five percent of the 600...

BIG NEWS FOR TONIGHT:CARAVAN LED BY CAMPAIGN BUSES WILL LEAD HUNDREDS FROM BRIGHTON RALLY TO ROCHESTER HILLS PAUL RYAN RALLY Today will be a huge day for supporters of the Romney/Ryan ticket in southeastern Michigan. Tonight at 5:00 PM supporters will gather at Brighton's Millpond Park for a "Rebuild America - Defeat Obama" rally featuring speeches and patriotic musical performances. (Website:  www.RebuildAmericaTour.org) Then around 6:30 PM supporters will caravan to Rochester Hills for rally featuring Congressman Paul Ryan and musical legend, Kid Rock.  The caravan will be led by the two "Rebuild America - Defeat Obama" buses that feature...

Anti-Obama Bus Tour Rolls Into Brighton Next Week 10/4/12 - Following up on last night’s debate, a national bus tour in support of Mitt Romney will make its way to Livingston County next week. The "Rebuild America - Defeat Obama" tour will arrive for a rally supporting the Romney/Ryan ticket on Monday, October 8th from 5 to 6:30pm at Millpond Park in downtown Brighton. The Brighton rally is part of a 72-city national bus tour that will be in Kalamazoo and Lansing on Sunday and then Grosse Pointe earlier in the day Monday. Rally organizers say Michigan has emerged as...