THE CENTRIST

Highlights from the January 2012 Franklin and Marshall College Poll:

1. Most (47%) of the state’s voters believe Pennsylvania is headed in the wrong direction, a sentiment little changed during the past two years. The last time a majority of the state’s registered voters believed the state was headed in the right direction was September 2006.

2. More voters report they are worse off financially than are better off financially (26% and 15%, respectively) compared to one year ago, although most (60%) say their finances are the same as last year. Fewer voters expect to be worse off financially next year (13%) than they were last March (26%), the last time this question was asked. Most (51%) respondents report economic and financial issues are their most pressing personal problems.

3. President Obama has seen a minor improvement in his job performance ratings compared to the October 2011 Franklin and Marshall College Poll, rising from 37% positive to 40% positive. Voters’ rating of his handling of the economy, with only 29% providing a positive rating, is lower than his overall job performance rating. Generally speaking, more voters in Pennsylvania still believe it is time for a change (49%) than believe the president deserves re-election (44%).

4. Despite President Obama’s tepid job approval ratings, he continues to lead his Republican challengers in the state. Obama’s lead over both Romney and Santorum is still more than 10 points. The president is up two points on Romney from October; however, his lead over Santorum has remained stable at 13 points.

January 2012: Obama 41%, Romney 30%, other 8%, don’t know 24%
October 2012: Obama 35%, Romney 26%, other 10%, don’t know 30%
January 2012: Obama 43%, Santorum 30%, other 8%, don’t know 19%
October 2012: Obama 38%, Santorum 25%, other 11%, don’t know 26%

5. The explanation for the president’s current advantage may stem from several sources. First, less than half (46%) of voters are very interested in this year’s election; in January 2008, three in five (60%) voters were very interested in that year’s election. Second, President Obama is more personally appealing than either of the two Republican challengers tested with nearly half (45%) of voters having a “favorable” opinion of the president compared to around one-quarter who have a favorable opinion of Mitt Romney (25%) and Rick Santorum (29%). Importantly, this pattern holds true among independent voters.

Read the full poll results here.

AHI to Secretary Clinton: Turkey Is an Unreliable NATO Ally

2012-01-25T20:37:00.000-05:00

AHI to Secretary Clinton: Turkey Is an Unreliable NATO Ally

Bad news for bad teachers

2012-01-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

States weaken tenure for teachers - Washington Times

FACT CHECK: Obama pushes plans that flopped before

2012-01-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

FACT CHECK: Obama pushes plans that flopped before

Pennsylvania Department of Health to Move Office for Birth, Death Certificate Requests

2012-01-25T15:25:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Department of Health to Move Office for Birth, Death Certificate Requests

Governor Corbett Announces $98 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 19 Counties

2012-01-25T15:24:00.001-05:00

Governor Corbett Announces $98 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 19 Counties

PA Insurance Department Announces 2011 Enforcement and Market Conduct Actions

2012-01-25T15:24:00.000-05:00

PA Insurance Department Announces 2011 Enforcement and Market Conduct Actions

Has Barack Obama learned nothing in three years?

2012-01-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

John Stossel: The real State of the Union - HUMAN EVENTS

Gov. Mitch Daniels Delivers GOP Response to the State of the Union

2012-01-24T23:58:00.000-05:00

Sen. Toomey responds to State of the Union address 2012

2012-01-24T23:47:00.000-05:00

Creating Jobs at Home | House GOP Twitter Response

2012-01-24T23:44:00.000-05:00

Mitch Daniels' Response to the State of the Union

2012-01-24T23:40:00.000-05:00

Mitch Daniels's Response to the State of the Union The Weekly Standard

New York Times Ignores Massive Pro-Life March for Fifth Year in a Row

2012-01-24T15:37:00.000-05:00

New York Times Ignores Massive Pro-Life March for Fifth Year in a Row | NewsBusters.org

Editorial: Obama 'A Disaster for American Workers...'

2012-01-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

EDITORIAL: Obama's pipe-dream economy - Washington Times

Editorial Backlash Against President Obama’s Job-Destroying Keystone Decision Continues

2012-01-24T15:27:00.000-05:00

Editorial Backlash Against President Obama’s Job-Destroying Keystone Decision Continues | Speaker of the House John Boehner | speaker.gov

1,000 Days Without A Budget Under Democrats

2012-01-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

Illegal Aliens Can Get Free Government Cell Phones?

2012-01-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

10 Surprising Facts About Free Government Cell Phones

Consumers Face Higher Food Costs, Thanks to Congress

2012-01-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

Consumers Face Higher Food Costs, Thanks to Congress

11 stunning revelations from Larry Summers' secret economics memo to Barack Obama

2012-01-23T21:40:00.000-05:00

11 stunning revelations from Larry Summers' secret economics memo to Barack Obama

1,000 Days Without A Budget

2012-01-23T19:17:00.000-05:00

Lancaster County Girl Crowned as 2012 Pennsylvania Fair Queen

2012-01-23T18:33:00.001-05:00

Lancaster County Girl Crowned as 2012 Pennsylvania Fair Queen

Study: The Real State of the Union, Big Three Networks Covering Up Obama's Failures

2012-01-23T17:32:00.000-05:00

MRC Study: The Real State of the Union, Big Three Networks Covering Up Obama's Failures | NewsBusters.org

Number of Registered Sex Offenders in the U.S. Nears Three-quarters of a Million

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-05:00

Number of Registered Sex Offenders in the U.S. Nears Three-quarters of a Million

White House Pressed On Past Failed State Of The Union Promises

2012-01-23T16:57:00.000-05:00

James R. Billman, leader of Berks Patriots, seeks state House seat

2012-01-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

Leader of Berks Patriots seeks state House seat

Missing Rick Perry Already

2012-01-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

Top 6 Policy Issues Affecting Seniors in 2012

2012-01-23T16:31:00.000-05:00

Top 6 Policy Issues Affecting Seniors in 2012

Survey Finds Unity Among Americans on Abortion Restrictions

2012-01-23T16:30:00.000-05:00

Survey Finds Unity Among Americans on Abortion Restrictions

Rick Santorum: 40 million babies killed in the U.S.

2012-01-23T12:06:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum on the 39th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade:

This anniversary is both a day of sadness for the more than 40 million babies who have been killed since Roe v. Wade and a day of hope as more and more Americans embrace a culture of life and as more and more young people march in Washington and around the country in support of life.

Read the full column in The Wall Street Journal.

Pennsylvania Partners With Foursquare to Offer Groundhog Day Badge

2012-01-23T11:46:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Partners With Foursquare to Offer Groundhog Day Badge

U.S. Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict

2012-01-22T18:06:00.000-05:00

U.S. Bishops Vow to Fight HHS Edict

Detroit's Archbishop Vigneron: HHS Mandate Tramples Freedom of Religion, Conscience

2012-01-22T18:02:00.000-05:00

Detroit's Archbishop Vigneron: HHS Mandate Tramples Freedom of Religion, Conscience

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Expresses Condolences on Death of Joe Paterno

2012-01-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Expresses Condolences on Death of Joe Paterno

Mount Nittany Medical Center Statement on Joe Paterno

2012-01-22T17:54:00.000-05:00

Mount Nittany Medical Center Statement on Joe Paterno

Record Bank Failures Under Obama

2012-01-21T18:09:00.000-05:00

More U.S. banks have failed during the first three years of the Obama Administration than in all eight years of the George W. Bush Administration.

Three banks have already failed in 2012, following the 92 banks that went under in 2011 and the 157 banks that failed in 2010 and the 140 banks that failed in 2009, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Regulators Shut Bank In Pennsylvania, Georgia & Florida; First Failures Of 2012 - NASDAQ.com

Newspaper: First Obama Re-Election Ad Filled With Fibs

2012-01-21T16:02:00.000-05:00

Obama's Energy Claims Are Dishonest - Investors.com

Weekly Republican Address: Obama policies making our economy worse

2012-01-21T13:31:00.000-05:00

Top 10 things we want to hear in Obama's State of the Union address

2012-01-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Top 10 things we want to hear in Obama's State of the Union address - HUMAN EVENTS

Editorial: Obama wrecked U.S. economy

2012-01-21T00:09:00.000-05:00

EDITORIAL: It's the economy, stupid - Washington Times

NEWT GOES OFF ON CNN HOST JOHN KING! CNN GOP Debate

2012-01-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

NewsBusted 1/20/12

2012-01-20T14:47:00.000-05:00

Group Calls on UN to Protect Christians of Syria

2012-01-20T14:30:00.000-05:00

Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) Calls on UN to Protect Christians of Syria

Deadline to Apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans in Pennsylvania is February 20

2012-01-20T14:28:00.000-05:00

Deadline to Apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans in Pennsylvania is February 20

Obama Weakens Visa Requirements, Ignores National Security Risk

2012-01-20T00:51:00.000-05:00

Obama Weakens Visa Requirements, Ignores National Security Risk

Report: Pennsylvania Ranks 3rd Most Pro-Life State in U.S.

2012-01-20T00:27:00.000-05:00

Report: Louisiana Most Pro-Life, Washington Most Pro-Abortion LifeNews.com

Richard Viguerie Says Rick Santorum is the Natural Home for Rick Perry Voters

2012-01-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

Richard Viguerie Says Rick Santorum is the Natural Home for Rick Perry Voters

January 21st is National Squirrel Appreciation Day

2012-01-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

January 21st is National Squirrel Appreciation Day

2 Pennsylvania Casinos Fined $50,000

2012-01-19T13:28:00.000-05:00

$50,000 in Fines Levied Against Two Casinos by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for Regulatory Violations

Pennsylvania Proclaims Jan. 22 - 28 National School Choice Week

2012-01-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

Governors of 12 States Officially Proclaim Jan. 22 - 28 National School Choice Week

President Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline, Job Growth

2012-01-19T01:13:00.000-05:00

Obama Kills More Jobs

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

Obama Administration Rejects Keystone XL

Obama's Dream Debate

2012-01-19T00:52:00.000-05:00

Obama Sacrifices Pawns for Politics

2012-01-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Supreme Court to televise legislative redistricting arguments

2012-01-18T13:32:00.000-05:00

The Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state Supreme Court’s hearing on Pennsylvania’s legislative redistricting plan on Monday.

From PCN:

The state's highest court, for the first time, agreed to LIVE coverage by PCN beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, January 23 in Harrisburg. The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear appeals to the legislative redistricting plan as proposed by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission.
The justices will hear oral arguments of 11 prospective appeals filed in response to the redistricting plan that was approved in December of 2011. The state’s legislative districts were redrawn by a constitutionally-mandated commission to offset population shifts reflected in the 2010 census. A successful appeal will prevent the plan from becoming law.

PCN has been providing gavel-to-gavel coverage of the state’s Supreme Court proceedings since September of last year. The state’s highest court decision to allow PCN cameras into the courtroom is an historic first.

New procedures set forth by the high court regarding the broadcast of court proceedings now allows PCN to choose which session days to record, but all proceedings must be aired in their entirety. The January 23 session will be the first time LIVE coverage has been permitted during a state Supreme Court session.

PCN continues to record the En Banc coverage of the state’s Superior Court as well as the state’s Commonwealth Court. State Supreme Court proceedings are also recorded in their entirety.

Coverage of this session concerning the legislative redistricting plan is also tentatively slated to re-air on PCN at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, January 23.

State Supreme Court to televise legislative redistricting arguments - delcotimes.com