“House Republican leaders are increasingly confident the economy will be a winning issue for their party in the 2014 midterm elections,” The Hill writes. “Republicans believe they can exploit the underlying weakness of the job market and argue voters should expect a better economic recovery than they are seeing under President Obama’s watch.” More: “Boehner used a private House conference meeting on Tuesday to tout new polling that suggests voters now blame Obama more than former President George W. Bush for the state of the economy — a critical change from a little more than a year ago, when Obama cruised to reelection.”
Here’s a talking point for you, courtesy of Rep. Kevin McCarthy: “This Obama economy has lasted long enough. Now is the time for the president to change course.”
That’s an interesting calculation given that unemployment sits at 6.7%, a five-year low, down from a high of 10% after the worst recession since the Great Depression.
In fact, as Obama goes to North Carolina, the Republican governor there has been touting an improving economy. But the White House, nervous about raising expectations, won’t be painting any sunnier pictures of the economy, giving Republicans the opening to hit him either way, National Journal notes.
The RNC released a 2016 straw poll with quite the list of Republican candidates, including some of 2012’s greatest hits… Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, and Rick Perry, even Allen West, Sarah Palin, John Bolton, and Ben Carson. (And if you think the party hasn’t moved on from the 2012 nominee, Mitt Romney is not listed.)
FLORIDA: David Jolly won the Republican primary in FL-13, 45%-31%. The general election is March 11. Jolly faces former state financial officer Alex Sink (D), whom many view as a favorite.
NORTH CAROLINA: Sen. Kay Hagan won’t be at President Obama’s event today.
TEXAS:The Hill: “Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis outraised her likely Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, in the last half of 2013, her campaign announced Tuesday. Davis brought in over $12.2 million from July through December, while Abbott only raised $11.5 million during the same period. She still enters the race at a significant financial disadvantage, as Abbott had $27 million cash in the bank for his campaign at the end of the year. Davis did not announce her cash on hand.”