View from the ‘Bridge

Mitt Romney may be an opportunistic, mediocre politician without any core values… but at least he raised some funny sons. From the Five Brothers Blog via BMG:

When all is said and done in Iowa tonight, this I what I predict the breakdown will be:

Democrats
Obama - 34%
Clinton - 32%
Edwards - 31%
Undecided - 3%

Republicans
Huckabee - 28%
Romney - 25%
McCain - 20%

Wow. Easily the best presidential campaign ad so far this election.

Unfortunately, contrary to popular belief America is not a dictatorship. It is a Chucktatorship.

As an Urban Planner-in-the-making I have a particular fascination with maps — old maps, new maps, and the evolution of maps over time. As a visual representation of place, maps can tell stories about human impact on geography that may not be so easily understood through other narrative or textual forms.

Combining my appreciation for maps with my addiction to all things political, I was thrilled to run across The Electoral Map, a new blog covering the “intersection of politics and geography.” Patrick Ottenhoff, the blog’s primary author and a former National Journal reporter writes:

With less than a year until we cast our votes for president, the electoral map is still very purple. In fact, almost half the states will likely be contested.

Who would have thought 15 years ago that the Republicans would be a making a play for Wellstone’s Minnesota while the Democrats would have their sights on Goldwater’s Arizona? The electoral map has truly evolved. And as it continues to change, we’re going to be tracking it.

But this blog will focus on more than 2008. The Electoral Map will report on anything that has to do with the mapping of elections. We believe that maps tell the story behind the votes. So we’ll bring you the demographics, the history, the sports, the business and the stories that influence the map.

Remember this article from last December?

As Governor Mitt Romney explores a presidential bid, he has grown outspoken in his criticism of illegal immigration. But, for a decade, the governor has used a landscaping company that relies heavily on workers like these, illegal Guatemalan immigrants, to maintain the grounds surrounding his pink Colonial house on Marsh Street in Belmont.

Luckily, it’s now finally coming back to bite the Mittocrite (that’s my new conjunction nickname for Romney) in the ass:

Romney criticized Huckabee over his plans to offer tuition breaks for children of illegal immigrants while serving as governor in Arkansas. Huckabee, appearing on Fox News Channel, said, “I guess Mitt Romney would rather keep people out of college so they can keep working on his lawn.”

SNAP! Unfortunately, that jab comes from the man I’ve long feared (and the NYT recently agreed) could be the Republican’s come-from-behind victor. Sort of a Bill Clinton of 2008.

At least Huckabee is not without his own skeletons…