The Crystal Ball’s Tweets of the Week is a look back at the highlights of the past week in politics in snippets of 140 characters or less. To get this analysis as soon as news breaks, follow University of Virginia Center for Politics Director, and Crystal Ball founder, Larry Sabato on Twitter by clicking here.
2:31 PM Jan 9th: Today is 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s launch of his 1st POTUS campaign. He did so on his 47th birthday, so Nixon would be 97 today.
2:34 PM Jan 9th: Enough time has passed so that much negative emotion has drained from the Nixon story. There will be fresh looks at his record 50 years on.
2:59 PM Jan 9th: With Dodd out, no Senate D in USA is more threatened than Harry Reid. Economy, health care, Obama, spending, “Negro” comment = a deep hole.
3:01 PM Jan 9th: No indication yet Reid will drop out, so Crystal Ball says NV SEN now is Lean R. To win, Reid will need massive money, split GOP, better economy
3:17 PM Jan 9th: Regarding new book “Game Change”, most of the sensational items are credible but thinly sourced. We’re back to “Trust Me” journalism.
3:19 PM Jan 9th: Problem is, we don’t trust journalists the way we once did. Take John Edwards. Why wasn’t the truth reported on his affair BEFORE Iowa vote?
3:20 PM Jan 9th: I personally know that some journalists knew about Edwards’ sleaze because I was called about it on background b/c of my book Feeding Frenzy
3:22 PM Jan 9th: What else do top journalists know that they aren’t telling us? Are they saving the good stuff for their contracted books? One wonders.
3:29 PM Jan 9th: On Clinton bits, one is torn. Hillary was running, not Bill. And Bill having extramarital sex is dog-bites-man news, like hot temps in Aug.
3:20 PM Jan 11th: As the Crystal Ball has said for a long time, if Gov. Hoeven (R-ND) is in SEN race, it’s over, Dorgan or no Dorgan. Hoeven is in. It’s over.
3:22 PM Jan 11th: Has there ever been a weaker incumbent-appointed senator than Gillibrand who is close to unopposed in both primary and general–anywhere?
4:58 PM Jan 11th: If you believe, as I do, that populism is a hot political ticket in ’10, then massive Wall Street bonuses are a godsend to candidates.