SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 7:42 P.M. ET:

FOX POLL – A new Fox poll, just out, has the race deadlocked at 46% each.  In a way, that's good news for Romney.  We have a president who can only get into the mid-forties after serving almost four years.  Last-minute undecideds almost always break heavily for the challenger.

FIGHTING THE CRAZIES – A number of scientists have stepped forward to dispute the notion that Hurricane Sandy was caused by global warming.  Some of them point out that what we had was the combined effect of two storms.  The misuse of the climate-change issue is bringing discredit upon science and diminishing the standing of science among the public.  You'd think more scientists would speak out, but there is intimidation in science, particularly in the academic world.

TWO MORE FOR MITT – Two more newspapers that endorsed Barack Obama in 2008 have thrown their editorial endorsements to Mitt Romney.  They are the Nashua Telegraph (New Hampshire), and the Statesman (Salem, Oregon).  While Oregon will probably go for Obama, New Hampshire is considered a toss-up state, the the endorsement won't hurt our cause.

CURIOUS – It was noted by some journalists that President Obama, in discussing the disaster-relief efforts of his administration yesterday, twice used the term "lean forward."  That is the slogan of MSNBC, the most partisan of the major television operations.  It is practically an arm of the Obama administration.  Frankly, I think it's a silly slogan.  "Lean" is not exactly a dynamic term with an exciting visual image.  George Washington did not ask the Continental Army to lean forward.

October 31, 2012