POLL RESULTS: New Goucher Survey Shows Majority Support Marriage Equality, Dream Act & Gambling // READ FINDINGS

BACKGROUND: A Maryland Juice source has forwarded us the inaugural poll results from Goucher College's inaugural "Goucher Poll." The Baltimore-based school will now be polling Marylanders on a variety of topics and periodically releasing results. Their first surveys, not surprisingly, capture opinion on several items on Maryland's Presidential Election ballot.

OBAMA-ROMNEY APPROVAL RATINGS: Goucher surveyed Marylanders on Obama-Romney approval ratings, and not surprisingly, the President remains popular in the Free State:

• 60% of Marylanders view Obama favorably
• 64% of Marylanders view Romney unfavorably

O'MALLEY APPROVAL RATINGS: As for Governor Martin O'Malley:

• 45% view the Governor favorably
• 36% view the Governor unfavorably

BALLOT QUESTION RESULTS: But the the survey results on a few key issues in Maryland are a bit interesting. First, Goucher's poll confirms a sizeable lead in support for both marriage equality (Question 6) and the Dream Act (Question 4). But surprisingly, they are showing that a majority of respondents favor gambling expansion (Question 7). Other polls had been showing a more even divide on this question. Notably, 87% of Marylanders have reported seeing the endless array of gambing ads on television. See a summary of the results below:

• Gambling Expansion (Question 7): 50% For vs. 44% Against
• Marriage Equality (Question 6): 55% For vs. 39% Against
• Dream Act (Question 4): 57% For vs. 39% Against

PIT-BULL RULING: Goucher also asked respondents to weigh in on whether they agreed or disagreed with the Maryland court ruling that pit bulls are "inherently dangerous."

• Ruling Pit Bulls "Inherently Dangerous": 42% Agree vs. 52% disagree

See the Goucher poll results below:
Goucher Ballot Question & Pit Bull Poll Results

Goucher Obama-Romney-O'Malley Approval Ratings

WATCH TV DEBATES: Maryland Juice vs. Red Maryland, Del. Heather Mizeur vs. Gov. Bob Ehrlich, SEIU vs. Help Save MD

As we get closer to the November 6th election day, numerous media outlets are beginning to cover the various candidate horse races and ballot question battles with greater scrutiny. Some local TV reporters are also beginning to host right-left dialogues to tease out the arguments (and spin) from both sides. Today, we highlight a few worthwhile TV debates, including one tomorrow night featuring Maryland Juice! You can also watch Del. Heather Mizeur debate former Gov. Bob Ehrlich below:

TOMORROW NIGHT: MARYLAND JUICE ENCOUNTERS RED MARYLAND ON TV - Maryland Juice (aka David Moon) will be appearing on a televised "Political Roundtable" on the MPT show "State Circle." I'll be appearing alongside Red Maryland blogger Mark Newgent. Catch us on MPT Friday night (Oct. 5) at 7:30 pm.

The left-right dialogue is billed as a conversation between "a Republican blogger and a Democratic blogger to discuss the latest happenings in the state government." But I suspect we'll be talking about topics like so-called voter fraud, the ballot questions, and issues in the 6th Congressional District race. Watch the show tomorrow night on MPT @ 7:30 pm. We'll also post the online version of the discussion once it is available.

WARNING: Turn your eyes away from the stretched photo of my face above!  :)

WATCH ONLINE: DEL. HEATHER MIZEUR VS. GOV. BOB EHRLICH DEBATE THE DEBATE - News Channel 8's Bruce DePuyt today had a segment featuring Del. Heather Mizeur and Mitt Romney's Maryland Chair - former Gov. Bob Ehrlich. The Democrat and Republican appeared on air to discuss the impact of last night's debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney:



ALSO ON MPT FRIDAY NIGHT: SEIU VS. HELP SAVE MARYLAND ON THE DREAM ACT (QUESTION 4) - In addition to Maryland Juice & Red Maryland, tomorrow night's "State Circle" broadcast will include a debate over the Dream Act (Question 4). The segment will feature Mark McLaurin from SEIU and Brad Botwin from Help Save Maryland. SEIU is one of the leading members of the Educating Maryland Kids coalition, a group promoting a "vote for" Question 4. Help Save Maryland is a nativist group that is airing radio ads urging a "vote against" Question 4. Watch the debate on MPT Friday night (Oct. 5) at 7:30 pm.

JuiceBlender: Daily Kos Prefers O'Malley to Cuomo, Cuomo Hesitates on Dream Act, Bartlett Slams Obama on Immigration

Here's a random blend of political tidbits from recent news, starting with commentary from journalists and pundits comparing MD Governor Martin O'Malley with NY Governor Andrew Cuomo:

JUICE #1: DIFFERING RESPONSES FROM O'MALLEY & CUOMO TO OBAMA DREAM ACT ANNOUNCEMENT - Maryland Juice recently reported on President Barack Obama's major announcement that his administration would halt the deportation of young undocumented residents (aka Dreamers). This week, Politico's Maggie Haberman covered the differing responses to the new policy development from Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo -- two rivals in the 2016 Democratic White House race.

Initially, Haberman wrote about O'Malley's support for Obama's actions, compared to Cuomo's silence. But days later, Cuomo is now praising Obama's immigration position. Notably, Gov. O'Malley had backed a Maryland version of the Dream Act which provides for in-state college tuition for all high school graduates, regardless of their immigration status. Gov. Cuomo apparently did not support the New York version of this legislation. See excerpts from the pair of articles below:

POLLING SNAPSHOT: Democrats Gaining in Battleground House Races // Obama Tying Romney with Independents

Maryland Juice just received the following polling memo from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, the polling firm started by President Bill Clinton's data guru Stan Greenberg. The respected pollsters surveyed the closest U.S. House races in the nation to get a snapshot of the current playing field.

Notably, this survey appears to include Maryland's 6th Congressional District -- given that the pollsters rate Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's CD6 seat as a "Tier 1" race (ie; one of the top 28 pick-up opportunities). They note that President Obama carried the new CD6 by 14 points. Things are looking good for Democrat John Delaney's chances of picking up this seat.

A few highlights that Maryland Juice noted:

1. Independents: Obama is slightly leading Romney among swing district Independent voters; this is a marked shift from a few months ago. But hopefully this is not related to the two points below....
2. Minorities: Democrats are beginning to lose footing with a chunk of minority voters to Republicans in U.S. House swing districts. WTF, Democrats.
3. Youths: Republicans have a slight lead among young voters (ie: under-30) in the GOP-held battleground seats. WTF, Democrats.
4. Women: Democrats doing well among women -- phrased differently: Republicans are burning their own house down with their attacks on women.

TOMORROW: Mitt Romney is Coming to Maryland // GOP Delegates Are in Play! - Who Did MD Officials Endorse?

Maryland is apparently going to be a contested state in the heated battle for the Republican Presidential nomination. The GOP Primary is Tuesday, April 3rd -- but early voting starts this Saturday! Mitt Romney is going to be in town tomorrow to rally the troops and round-up votes. Details below:

Join Mitt and Team Maryland on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. for a town hall meeting at American Legion Post 109 at 1610 Old Sulphur Spring Road, Arbutus, MD 21227.

The Washington Post had a quick synopsis on the state of the GOP presidential race in Maryland. See an excerpt below:

In the delegate contest, Maryland offers 37 this year; 24 will be awarded based on the winners of each of the state’s eight congressional districts, 10 will go to the statewide winner and the last three are controlled by state party leaders....

“I’d have to say it’s a strong case for Mitt Romney,” said Louis Pope, the Republican National Committeeman for Maryland and co-chairman — along with former governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. — of the Romney campaign in the state....

Santorum, whose campaign did not respond to requests for comment, makes no mention of Maryland on his Web site....

The presidential campaign of Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) also did not respond to a request for comment about his efforts in Maryland’s GOP primary.

As for former House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.), campaign spokesman R.C. Hammond said “plans are underway to visit the state soon.”

Gingrich has the backing of Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), who is co-chairing Gingrich’s Maryland campaign along with Del. Warren E. Miller (R-Howard)....

Harris said Gingrich has a fighting chance in the state, because “we have a grass-roots network” and because Maryland Republicans aren’t a clear ideological fit with Romney....

Several members of the General Assembly and a handful of state party officials, including vice chairwoman Diana Waterman and then-executive director Justin Ready, endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the fall, before his candidacy fizzled out.

Bartlett, who is neutral, said he couldn’t pick a favorite among Romney, Santorum and Gingrich. “I don’t think it leans toward any of those three,” he said. 

If you are curious, I have copied below the list of Romney's key Maryland endorsers:

Fmr. Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.

Sports Team Owners on Election 2012 // Redskins for Romney, Wizards & Caps for Obama, Orioles for the Dems

The Associated Press decided to kick off 2012's year of political coverage by merging the two cash cows of television advertising: 1) sports and 2) presidential elections. In an article today, they highlight notable political contributions by high profile sports figures. In the D.C. Metro area, we appear to have a split ticket. The AP reports on the following "sports figures who have made political donations for this year's elections...."

Redskins for Romney

• "Washington Redskins quarterback John Beck, $400 to GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney" 

• "Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, $2,500 to Romney and $10,000 to National Republican Congressional Committee"

Wizards/Capitals for Obama

2014 Governor: DNC Press Call Features Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown on Mitt Romney Flip-Flops

Today, Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown and Virginia Democratic Party Chair Brian Moran were the featured speakers on a DNC press call about GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. The two Democratic officials took turns highlighting Romney flip-flops, which we'll note below, but the more interesting story is about the call itself.

It could simply be that since Maryland's Governor is currently in India, Mr. Brown is naturally fulfilling some of Mr. O'Malley's roles. But Maryland Juice definitely wondered if this press event was yet another piece of evidence that Mr. Brown might be receiving higher profile assignments in the run-up to his 2014 gubernatorial campaign. I wasn't the only one who had this thought, given that the first question on the call came from a Baltimore Sun reporter who asked whether Mr. Brown had been invited onto the call and by whom. Also remember that last September, Mr. Brown took on a similar Democratic spokesperson role on a DNC call highlighting problems with Texas Governor Rick Perry's record.

Okay, now onto the substance of the call. The Democrats appear to be hosting regional press calls in targeted swing state media markets, with the goal of highlighting this 30-second spot about Romney.

MD GOP Rep. Andy Harris Endorses Newt Gingrich // Plus, Anti-Tea Party Republican Becomes Democrat, Challenges Harris

Maryland's beloved Tea Party Congressman Andy Harris is back in the news today with his endorsement of former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich for President. Politico this morning had the exclusive:

EXCLUSIVE – ANDY HARRIS TO ENDORSE GINGRICH: Maryland Congressman Andy Harris will endorse Newt Gingrich today. The freshman Republican, who was not in the House during Gingrich’s tenure as Speaker, will be the first of several federal and state legislators to announce their support for the surging presidential candidate, according to a source familiar with the rollout plan.

It will be interesting to see what Mr. Harris' Tea Party fans think about this endorsement. Indeed, the National Journal recently opined on this topic with an articled titled, "Can Newt Gingrich Pass Tea Party Muster?" They wrote:

Newt Gingrich doesn’t seem like the tea party’s type. He’s the ultimate Washington insider, a career politician who spent two decades in that reviled institution known as the U.S. Congress. Especially when compared to stick it-to-the-man tea party heroes like Rep. Allen West of Florida and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Gingrich doesn’t seem to fit the part. He is the man.

Meanwhile, Mr. Harris is facing a challenge of his own from a fellow Republican. The Elkton-based Cecil Whig site reports that small business advocate Wendy Rosen has switched her registration to the Democratic Party and is now challenging Mr. Harris. Her interview with Cecil Whig seems to convey frustration with the Tea Party and Mr. Harris' focus on hot-button social issues instead of the economy and jobs:

MEASURING CONTEST: MD Endorsers for Rick Perry & Mitt Romney // Dems Say: "None of the Above"

Earlier today, we reported on Texas Governor Rick Perry's visit to Baltimore, Maryland, and the attacks he attracted from both the Democratic Party and rival candidate Mitt Romney. Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown led the assault on Perry today, noting Texas' 47th in the nation ranking for median household income: "Texans are working just as hard, but getting less." But Romney had earlier released a web video attacking Perry by comparing him to Governor O'Malley. Democratic officials responded that Romney and Perry are just "the same." Below we highlight the new measuring contest emerging between Perry and Romney.

Indeed, it is great fun watching the GOP Presidential candidates re-play Lord of the Flies, as they savage each other to win the speaking-conch. On September 8th, Mitt Romney released a list of 25 prominent Maryland Republicans, but today Rick Perry responded with an even larger list of 40 Maryland endorsers. Now, this is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but since when has fuzzy logic stopped the Republican Party? See the Romney and Perry MD endorsement lists below.

Note that the Maryland GOP bench has 43 Delegates and 12 Senators. The lists below represent only 14 Delegates and 4 Senators. Perhaps the remaining GOP members are also waiting for someone NOT crazy to run for their nomination? In a future post, we will reveal comments from Montgomery's Democratic lawmakers on these dueling lists:

Maryland Democrats Take On Rick Perry, Romney Piles On // Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown to Highlight "Disastrous Record"

Today, the Maryland Democratic Party is hosting a press call to highlight Texas Governor Rick Perry's "disastrous record." Notably, Gov. Martin O'Malley last week "thanked" Mr. Perry for not being racist and supporting in-state tuition for undocumented residents.

Now, Mr. O'Malley appears to be passing the attack-dog baton to Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, and Perry-rival Mitt Romney is seizing on the moment (thanks for the assist, Mitt). Today, Mr. Romney released a new web video titled, "They Agree," which states, "Governor Perry, Maryland welcomes you. You will fit right in." Maryland Juice has the video below, as well as some more details on this presidential dueling!