During the Republican primary, challengers Newt Gingrich and Texas Gov. Rick Perry went after Romney’s record at the firm, with Perry famously referring to Romney as a “vulture capitalist.” Their arguments resonated less with Republican voters, many of whom dismissed them as an attack on capitalism.

Gingrich’s pollster, David Winston, said: “Newt’s attacking Romney over Bain didn’t work, and Newt’s moving off of it in South Carolina was a key decision in helping Newt win that primary.”

To read more, click to washingtonpost.com

David Winston, a Republican pollster who advises GOP congressional leaders, suggested that the same dynamic is at play down the ballot.

“Any day that Democrats don’t have the issue be jobs and the economy is a day they’re doing better,” he said. “That’s probably a good day for all Democratic candidates.”

To read the full story, turn to washingtonpost.com.

Republicans contend that the White House is more interested in politics than economics. They point out there is no chance Congress would approve the Buffett Rule. David Winston, a Republican pollster in Washington, said “nobody in the country believes that raising taxes will grow the economy and create jobs.”

Read the full article at dispatch.com

While some try to affix clever labels — soccer moms, NASCAR dads — they are men and women of all ages, incomes and education levels and generally have one thing in common.

“They want solutions,” said David Winston, a Republican pollster. “They’re tired of people blaming the other side. They say, ‘No. Just tell us what you’re going to do.’ “

To read the full article, turn to latimes.com.

So long as Republicans can connect the gas price issue to the broader economy, they have an edge over Democrats, particularly because voters appear to favor a two-pronged approach of more drilling now and pushing for alternative energy sources for the future, Winston said. “There’s a much more realistic sense of we’ve got to meet present energy needs.”

To read the full article turn to washingtonpost.com.

Despite Democrats’ efforts to turn fundamentally economic and fiscal issues into cultural issue wedges, the election will not hinge on issues like free contraception or funding for Planned Parenthood.

The White House will go to the candidate who voters believe truly has a plan to create jobs and grow the economy.

“The No. 1 issue is jobs and the economy, so any proposal put forward has to look like it will advance that,” Mr. Winston said, adding, “I don’t think anybody believes that raising taxes ever grows the economy and creates jobs.”

To read more, turn to nytimes.com

Obama bookends his chastising of Chinese trade practices with sections on the need for government help for American manufacturers and the need for government help for American workers. This decision belies the coherence of his stance. When other countries take steps to make their industries more competitive, it’s cause for indignation. Yet Obama proposes an array of policies that would give special treatment to favored sectors here at home without any sense of irony.

His proposals include a double-size tax deduction for high-tech manufacturers and public financing for the building of plants and the purchase of new equipment. He calls for federal funding for job-training programs and wants Congress to step in to keep student loan interest rates artificially low.

Read more at dailycaller.com.

Perhaps most striking was Winston’s messaging advice: It showed that GOP talking points over the past year have been largely useless. A recent poll that he presented in a slideshow indicated that when considering the 2012 election, 58 percent of the country thinks the phrase ““Where are the jobs?” is more important than what the size and role of government should be, which registers at 37 percent.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/

But what people often fail to recognize is that the state is itself the tool by which the haves keep the have-nots without. Removing their secret weapon would, in fact, level the playing field for all participants in a way no amount of government intervention ever could.

To read the full piece, turn to usnews.com

In his acclaimed recent speech in Osawatomie, Kan., President Barack Obama articulated what has become the dominant liberal explanation of the issues America faces. “Inequality gives an outsized voice to the few who can afford high-priced lobbyists and unlimited campaign contributions, and runs the risk of selling out our democracy to the highest bidder,” he said.

The president correctly identifies the injustice inherent in rewarding the rich with undue political influence. Unfortunately, he misdiagnoses the source of the problem.

Obama’s mistake is a common one. He sees inequality as the root cause of our present evils, giving those “at the top” an unfair advantage when it comes to advocating for policies that benefit them. They alone have the resources to buy access and sway, thereby ensuring the “rules of the game” will always be rigged in their favor. This story makes intuitive sense, but it suffers from an obvious flaw: The real problem is not that certain individuals have the ability to “game” the system while others do not. The problem is that we’ve come to accept a system that invites itself to so easily be gamed.

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Virtually no one in the Republican mainstream is happy about the prospect of a GOP debate featuring celebrity billionaire Donald Trump as moderator. Texas Rep. Ron Paul, in declining his invitation, said the event would create an “unwanted, circus-like atmosphere.” Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has likewise refused to participate, and conservative voices like George Will, Karl Rove, Ari Fleischer, and the National Review editorial board have lambasted Trump’s involvement.

The reaction to the debate on the right has been one of alarm, and for good reason: the choice of Trump as moderator contributes to the perception that the Republican Party no longer takes itself seriously.

Onlookers have watched as Republicans flirted with nominating a pizza mogul with zero years of political experience. They saw recent frontrunner Rick Perry, the governor of Texas, struggle to remember which agencies he would eliminate if elected. Last year, they were faced with a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate who felt the need to go on the air and announce, “I’m not a witch.” And now the GOP has anointed a reality TV star whose biggest conservative credential is that he forced the president to take time away from orchestrating Osama bin Laden’s assassination in order to prove—again—that he was born on U.S. soil.

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The debate performance didn’t help, Republican pollster David Winston said.
“It was a very difficult thing to watch,” he said. “Anything is possible but this is a really deep hole.”

To read more, turn to usatoday.com

“The electorate is following this election very closely and they are going to think through every piece of information that is put in front of them in the most thoughtful way they can,” he said. “This is an election where everyone is concerned about direction of the country

Read more: The Olympian

“He has a clear track record at this point and that’s what his job approval reflects. He can’t avoid his record but it’s not like people are not willing to listen him.”

Click to read the full article.

“What’s going to decide this election is jobs and the economy,” says David Winston, a Republican pollster and strategist. “The door is wide open for Republicans.”

To read the full article, turn to businessweek.com

“Even if you’re talking about taxing some other group, at some point, voters think, ‘It’s going to come back to me,’” said David Winston, a Republican pollster. “It’s like opening Pandora’s box.”

To read the full article, turn to nationaljournal.com

“The challenge for the Republican presidential field is to stay on topic, to let the No. 1 issue be the No. 1 issue,” said David Winston, an adviser to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

To read more, go to therepublic.com

“Foreign affairs is important, but when placed against the scale of the problem with jobs and the economy, it’s dwarfed,” said David Winston, a Republican strategist. “It’s the equivalent of a house on fire: he’s fixing the window while the rest of the house is burning down.”

To read the full article, click to nytimes.com

“What he’s obviously trying to do is model himself on Harry Truman and the ‘do-nothing Congress,’ ” said David Winston, a Republican strategist. “The problem with that is that the unemployment rate in November of 1948 was 3.8 percent.”

To read the full article, access it at nytimes.com

“There’s a door open such that people are willing to look at him and his accomplishments,” says Republican pollster David Winston. “Voters want candidates who say what they’ll do and try to lay out solutions.”

To read the full article, turn to csmonitor.com

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“While people view what’s occurred as positive, it’s not enough to offset the concern about how he’s handling the No. 1 issue — jobs and the economy. And that’s what he’s being judged on,” said David Winston, a Republican pollster.

To read more, check it out at nytimes.com

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“What’s that compelling idea that says to the electorate: You should be president?” he explains. “I think that’s what [Gingrich] would like to be able to present; I think that’s what all the Republican candidates would ultimately like to present.”

To read the full article, access it at usnews.com

“I’m not sure I’ve seen any,” says Republican pollster David Winston. “There is this sense that since we haven’t gotten to a clear, decisive winner, then that means there must be dissatisfaction. But it could mean that people are still thinking it through.”

To read the full article, you can access it at campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com.

“Having this particular issue emerge right in the middle of the presidential campaign draws attention back to the fact that, while the economy was tanking, he was focusing on health care,” said David Winston, a Republican pollster.

To read more, check out wsj.com.

David Winston, a GOP political strategist, told The Fiscal Times on Tuesday afternoon before the speech: “[Christie] is a major figure. But his impact on the primary race at this point is unclear.”

To read the full article, turn to thefiscaltimes.com.

“I don’t think what happened to her is unusual,” said Winston, who is based in Washington, D.C. “But she clearly missed an opportunity in growing her support.”

To read the full article, turn to desmoinesregister.com

After two-and-a-half years of Reaganomics, by this time in 1983, second-quarter growth had hit an astounding 9.3 percent and would be followed by three more quarters of 8 percent or higher growth. In contrast, Obama’s second-quarter growth this year was an anemic 1.0 percent, with no light at the end of the tunnel.

To read the full article, turn to nationalreview.com

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

He pointed to the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll that found voters prefer a Republican-controlled Congress by the widest margin, 6 points, in more than a year.

“The House is going to take the proposals the White House put forward, look through them and try to find out where there can be clear common ground, and once that emerges, then we’ll see what the White House’s reaction is to that,” Winston said.

Read more on politico.com

“This isn’t about how you’re going to position Republicans,” Winston said. “This is about how are you going to position the president if he’s going to have a chance to win re-election.”

To read the full article, click to usatoday.com

“This was his ‘It’s not my fault’ speech,” said GOP strategist David Winston. “What he’s trying to do is take attention away from the fact that his job approval numbers have tanked.”

Read more at the Washington Examiner

“In terms of building a majority coalition within the Republican Party, he has quite a bit of work to do,” says David Winston, a Republican pollster. In addition, “his lead is based on some initial perceptions of him, things he has said that have intrigued people. But the Republican electorate has not gone through the vetting process with him yet.”

To read more, click to csmonitor.com

“There’s a difference between saying, ‘He’s slightly ahead,’ and saying, ‘He’s the front-runner,’” said Winston.

“For a lot of people, they’re hearing the specifics about him for the first time. They initially saw him as this charismatic speaker, had some interesting things to say that intrigued them,” continued Winston. “It’s a natural period of initial engagement, followed by some vetting.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/

And anxious independent voters, in the words of Republican pollster David Winston, “aren’t looking for a conversation, they are looking for a plan.”

To read more, check out politico.com

1. The political discourse that matters to voters really is about issues rather than personality. Charisma helps, but I heard very little in Iowa about which candidate is the most inspiring, handsome or charismatic. Republicans don’t expect to compete with President Obama on personality; they expect a conversation about issues, namely the economy and jobs. Fox took some heat for not pressing for more follow-up from debate candidates about their specific plans on the economy.

2. Even though it’s August, voters are paying attention and listening. Not just straw poll activists in Iowa – everyone. With President Obama’s job approval around 40% according to the latest Gallup surveys, there is no question that the electorate is shopping around and open to another candidate.

3. Ground game isn’t everything. Grassroots organization in Iowa is a cottage industry, but it doesn’t guarantee success as Tim Pawlenty discovered. An August 12 Politico article quoted the co-chair of Pawlenty’s Iowa campaign as saying, “There’s a clear strategic mission: We have an open checkbook to do what we need to do on the ground.” Two days later, Pawlenty was out of the race.

4. During my time in Iowa, I heard much more about jobs, economy, taxes and energy than repealing health care. In a Fox interview with Kathie Obradovich of the Des Moines Register, she said, “[Iowa voters] want them to touch all the hot button issues but when it comes down to it, what they want to care about is the economy, creating jobs and getting government out of the way.” The implications of the new health care are tied to jobs and the economy, but I was surprised that I didn’t hear more about health care.

5. Fresh off the debt ceiling rancor in Washington, straw poll activists seemed genuinely willing to take chances on a default if that is what it took to control spending. I can’t speak quantitatively, but based on my observations and reaction to the candidates’ statements, default wasn’t nearly as scary a prospect as what we have heard in DC.

6. Republican candidates (and everyone who attended in Ames) should remember that the straw poll electorate isn’t representative of the electorate. It reminds me of the adage “noone I know voted for Nixon”. One can get caught up in the heady feeling that everyone around them agrees on their pet issue, but what happens in Ames doesn’t stay in Ames, thanks to cable news. Independent voters are watching too.

7. Having attended the Ames Straw Poll in 1999, I don’t know how we ever got through past straw polls without Twitter. It was the only way to keep track of the coverage, events and Palin’s whereabouts at the State Fair.

Now for the random.

8. If you want to get retweeted about almost anything, include the words “Ron Paul”. It’s like putting “Justin Bieber” in a tweet – people will follow.

9. Straw poll weather in August is like late September to those of us from the South. Warm weather birds, bring a sweater.

10. Contrary to my preconceived notions about fried butter, the butter is melted and absorbed into the bread so there is no biting into a deep fried stick of solid butter. The way to spur economic growth? Invent the next fried food innovation to sell at next year’s State Fair.