The Winston Group

USA Today writes about the latest Republican debate in Michigan, where candidate and Texas Governor Rick Perry failed to list the third of three government entities that he would get rid of if voted for President. The WG’s David Winston says this slip-up wasn’t going to help Perry’s already slipping poll numbers:

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 Olympian writes about the 4th allegation claiming sexual harassment to come out against Republican candidate Herman Cain, just as his poll numbers were doing well. The WG’s David Winston states that likely Republican voters may not necessarily take this news to the polls:

“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

Today’s National Journal features an article that outlines the unwillingness of some Democratic lawmakers to align with the Occupy Wall Street movement, hesitant to take on their populist message that may alienate voters. Democrats know that although voters generally support taxing the rich, voters don’t like the idea of raising taxes, especially during a struggling economy, as The WG’s David Winston points out:

“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 Republic’s Kathleen Hennessy reports on Republican lawmakers’ less than enthusiastic feelings about the GOP 2012 presidential candidates. The WG’s David Winston explains what the candidates need to focus on in order to get more support:

“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

The New York Times’ Saturday edition reported on the effect that President Obama’s efforts abroad have had on his favorability numbers, and whether his wartime success will help his political future. The WG’s David Winston stated that Obama is ignoring the most important issue, which will affect his re-election possibilities:

“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

The Christian Science Monitor focuses on Hermain Cain’s recent rise in the polls, as Cain has managed to fall just behind Mitt Romney in the top spot. CS Monitor turned to The WG’s David Winston for a possible explanation why Cain is now doing so well:

“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

The WG’s David Winston was interviewed this weekend for a Today Show story on Chris Christie potential run for the 2012 presidential election:

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