Poll: Obama In Big, Big, Huge, Trouble

The congressional Republicans’ “No Strategy” strategy is making major headway with voters this week.

In a just-released poll, only 68 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of Republicans in Congress. The Republican Party at large is doing even better, with a George Bush-esque level of approval of 32 percent.

It's hard to imagine how President Obama can look at these numbers and think that his agenda has a chance — not when an entire quarter of Americans view him unfavorably!

Those real Americans looking for conservative leadership found it on Tuesday night with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's (R) grand slam performance following up Barack Obama. He was so wonderful — his delivery so compelling — that he is already being compared to real-life TV stars. His ideas were bold — "Why not let volcanoes destroy Hawaii?" Finally, a real conservative policy wonk.

Does anyone really think Obama has a chance in 2012 against a Palin/Jindal ticket?

Originally on The Hill.

Jack McBrayer Responds To Bobby Jindal

Jack McBrayer, Kenneth the Page on 30 Rock, responds to Bobby Jindal last night on Jimmy Fallon's new talk show.

As I've mentioned before, this would be great SNL casting.

Odds & Ends

Vote is going extremely well. Yesterday we stumbled through Act 2. Today, we spend the entire rehearsal polishing the choreography. Broadway producer Ken Davenport blogs the Vote musical backstory of how we ended up workshopping in Indiana at his blog, Producer's Perspective.

-- Michael Feingold, of The Village Voice, reminded me via e-mail that both Broadway World & Talkin' Broadway got the theater community involved in resurrecting California's canceled RENT production.

-- Another scientist goes after Bobby Jindal. "So what do we call a supposedly bright person who is a creationist and believes that an exorcism cast out cancer?"

-- If you looking to lose weight - cutting calories is the only real deal. "The lesson, researchers say, is that people lose weight if they lower calories, but it does not matter how."

-- The police arrest a suspect in the Bushwick gay-hate murder.

Odds & Ends

-- Barack Obama hit a home run last night, with his hugely successful Joint Address to Congress. (Can I just call it a State of the Union?) He made promises from ending the war in Iraq, to major health care reform. Ezra has details on health care reform from the budget. What a difference it is having a President who knows how to communicate.

-- We'll know tomorrow if the California high school will get to perform RENT. The bigot Principal, Fal Asrani, is making her final decision after actually reading the script. It's amazing how a week of terrible press can make you reconsider decisions, huh Fal?

-- Conservative David Brooks thought Jindal was more of a disaster than I did.

-- The deal with honor killings.

-- Nobody likes New York Governor Paterson.

Bobby Jindal's Satan Slaying Response

Tonight Gov. Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana, delivered the Republican response to Barack Obama's Speech to the Joint Session of Congress. His performance is being likened to Kenneth from 30 Rock by most of the bloggers that I read. In fact, you can even join a Facebook group to get Jack McBrayer (Kenneth!) to play Bobby Jindal on SNL.

Jindal is one of my favorite Republicans. He's a Rhodes Scholar, so he's gotta be bright... right? Jindal believes in intelligent design, he calls it "the best sceience." He wants your kids to learn it in school.

Jindal is an exorcist.

I felt some type of physical force distracting me. It was as if something was pushing down on my chest, making it very hard for me to breathe. . . Though I could find no cause for my chest pains, I was very scared of what was happening to me and Susan. I began to think that the demon would only attack me if I tried to pray or fight back; thus, I resigned myself to leaving it alone in an attempt to find peace for myself.

So, he's not bright, but he has literally taken on the devil... Will he try and take on Obama in 2012?

2012 Watch

Mike Huckabee

During the 2008 primary campaign I though of Huckabee as a sweet, misguided guy. But, now he's getting on my nerves. Huckabee sent an e-mail to his supporters saying: “The dust is settling on the ‘bipartisan’ stimulus bill and one thing is clear: It is anti-religious.”

Huckabee, a minister, cites wording that doesn't allow higher education funds in the bill from being used on a “school or department of divinity.”

In 2008, Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Caucuses, propelling him into the spotlight. He's going after the same voters Palin will need in '12.

Bobby Jindal

Although Bobby Jindal has expressed doubts about running against Obama in 2012, he's taking him on now. Jindal will deliver the GOP response after Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on February 24th.

House Minority Leader John Boehner said that Jindal was chosen because of his "commitment to bringing forth new and innovative ideas." Jindal is a creationist, an idea I wouldn't call either new or innovative.

Part of my continuing series, 2012 Watch.