Cain Gains Name Recognition

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain has had a 28 percent spike in name recognition among Republicans since last month, according to a new Gallup poll.

Cain, is now considered a top tier GOP candidate after failing to garner much attention for the bulk of the campaign season, went from 50 percent name recognition in September to 28 percent. In March, only 21 percent of Republicans recognized the former Businessman’s name.

The new poll was conducted Oct. 10 through 23rd among random samples of Republicans and Republican leaning independents.

Poll: Americans Prefer Popular Vote Over Electoral College

The majority of Americans appear to support having the popular vote, and not the electoral college, be the determining factor in Presidential elections.

According to a new poll from Gallup, 62 percent of Americans would approve amending the Constitution to emphasized the popular vote, as opposed to only 35 percent who would like to keep the current system intact.

Divided by party, 71 percent of Democrats, 61 percent of independents and 53 percent of Republicans would prefer the change.

The poll was conducted among 1,005 adults between October 6th and 9th. The results were released Monday.

Full results can be found here.

Progressive Group Praises Iraq Withdrawal

MoveOn.Org, a leading progressive organization, praised President Barack Obama’s plans to withdraw all troops from Iraq by year’s end, but emphasized that the U.S. should never have invaded the country in the first place.

“Today’s announcement marks the end of a war that should never have happened,” Justin Ruben, MoveOn.org’s Executive Director, said in a statement. “We are grateful that our brave soldiers will finally be coming home from Iraq, but we must never forget the thousands of American servicemen and women, and the many more Iraqi civilians who perished.”

Ruben added that the U.S. should now focus on removing combat troops from Afghanistan, noting that it’s time to “bring America’s sons and daughters home, and redirect our limited resources to rebuilding communities at home.”

Romney Camp Labels Obama’s Bus Trip The “Magical Misery Tour”

Mitt Romney’s campaign is blasting President Obama’s three day bus trip as “the Magical Misery Tour,” a play on the Beatles’ 1967 album “Magical Mystery Tour.”

“Amid our nation’s job crisis, President Obama will spend three days in North Carolina and Virginia this week where we can expect more of the same blame game and finger pointing for high unemployment and record deficits,” Zac Moffatt, the Digital Director for the Romney campaign, said in an email to supporters.

The campaign is marking the tour with a “limited edition” tie-dye hat that supporters can purchase with a $30 donation.

Hispanic Lawmaker Condemns Cain’s Electric Fence Joke

Presidential hopeful Herman Cain’s comment about installing an electric fence on the U.S.-Mexico border has drawn the ire of the chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus.

“Words have consequences, both in shaping ideas and inspiring actions,” Rep. Charles Gonzales (D-Texas) said in a statement Monday. “Mr. Cain’s words show a lack of understanding of the immigration issues our country is facing and a staggering lack of sensitivity.”

While campaigning over the weekend, Cain remarked that the U.S. should use an electrified, barbed wire fence to kill anybody attempting to enter the country illegally. When confronted over the remarks during an interview on NBC Sunday, Cain dismissed the comments as a joke.

However, Gonzales finds little comfort in Cain’s justification.

“I see nothing funny about killing other human beings,” Gonzales said. “Leave the comic routines to the professional comedians.”