Not An "Optimal" Day For...

Your assignment, should you choose to accept Mr. Blogger, is to use the word "optimal" as many times as possible herein.

That's in honor of the Demagogue In Chief's declaration on John Stewart's comedy show yesterday that his handling of the death of four Americans in Libya was not "optimal".

The weather is certainly not optimal for going door to door today, but I'm halfway through Ward 8 with plenty of time left, so the less than optimal weather doesn't hurt all that much.

On the other hand, this seems to be an optimal day for catching up on this blog.

It's probably not an optimal time for putting too much credence in Gallup polling.  If you only watch Fox News (with Sean Hannity especially fond of cherry picking only the polls which agree with his pre-conceived opinions), you would probably think that Romney is about to win in a landslide.  Gallup Thursday had Romney's lead up to seven points (52-45) nationwide, but those seeking optimal information should look elsewhere.  Rasmussen (which the less than fair and balanced crew at Fox used to site when it was the one ray of hope for Romney) has a 48-48 tie Friday.

Nate Silver at fivethirtyeight.com, noting that Gallup counts about 12 percent in his weighting, has Obama back up to a 70-30 chance of winning re-election.  Silver has entitled an article "Gallup vs. the World".  For optimal information, check it out.

The Real Clear Politics and Pollster averages both have Romney up only three-tenths of a point.

While RCP has moved Romney ahead 201-206 in the electoral college projection, it still has Obama winning 281-257 if no toss-ups are allowed.  If Romney were to lose Ohio, he would have to carry New Hampshire (4), Iowa (6) and Nevada (6) to turn the electoral college around...a long shot indeed...unless, of course, he gets Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, even longer shots.  RCP already gives Romney Virgina, North Carolina, and Florida as part of his 257 total.

Optimally, you should take whatever you hear on Fox with a shaker of salt...don't get me wrong, I'm voting for Romney and hope he wins, but beware false pundits.

Here are two optimal notes I've had crowding the back of my head for a few weeks now.

Am I the only Republican who thinks it's not an optimal situation when the candidate for Governor (yes, that would be Ovide!) supports gambling in the state but only at the one location (yes, that would be the Rock) that his law firm has made scads (I prefer that word to tons these days) of money lobbying for.  My optimal opinion is that it stinks to high heaven!

Then there's the less than optimal Manchester barrister Ed Mosca who, as Speaker Bill O'Brien's in house legal counsel, embarrassed the House and the institution by such outrageous comments before a judge recently that he had to be reprimanded.  Of course, I didn't read that in the Union Leader.  That would never be part of its optimal coverage.  I learned of it only by scouring Concord Monitor stories.  When Billy the Bully goes, we can only assume that Mosca the Embarrassment will also go.

I could go on and on with optimal thoughts, but I see the sky is clearing and that little community behind the Goffs Falls Road Post office beckons...about 100 houses there, a very mixed neighborhood.

Not an optimal appearance for the Demagogue in Chief!