News roundup: Polls give Romney post-debate bounce

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

New polls: Romney leads Obama. Utah GOP claims more voters. 28 days until Election Day.

Happy Tuesday. A Pew Research Center poll gives Mitt Romney a four-point lead over President Barack Obama among likely voters, suggesting that the Republican challenger's debate performance gave him a significant bounce. [CNN] [WaPost] [NYTimes] The Washington Post's "The Fix" offers readers eight takeaways from the study. [WaPost]

-> A Gallup poll also credits Romney with a post-debate bounce, but not one that gives him the lead. [Gallup]

Topping the news: The Utah Republican Party says more people in the state are now registered as Republicans than unaffiliated, a category that has led for years but now seems to be waning — a move attributable, we're guessing, Romney on the ballot as well as the closed-GOP primary that requires voters to join to participate. According to the state party, there are now 575,401 registered Republicans in the state to 510,417 unaffiliated; there are 108,645 registered Democrats.

-> Like other swaths of America, Mormons, too, show signs of a generational gap, with younger voters skewing more liberal than their elders. [ABCNews]

-> The Trib profiles six-term Rep. Jim Matheson and his Republican challenger for the 4th District seat, Mia Love: Matheson's little-spoken-of years as a D.C. lobbyist set him on a road to Congress. [Trib] Meanwhile, Love's path to a congressional bid began with dreams of Broadway. [Trib]

-> Matt Canham also digs up some interesting, little-known facts about Matheson. [Trib]

Today's news: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comments about Romney having "sullied" the Mormon faith underlie a visceral dislike Reid has for the Republican candidate. [Buzzfeed]

-> Utah Policy says a poll by the Republican candidate in Senate District 8 shows him in the lead. [UtahPolicy]

-> Bob Bernick says Matheson is going negative in light of a poll showing him behind Love. [UtahPolicy]

-> The LDS Church's decision to lower the age men and women can head on their missions has colleges in Utah worrying about changing recruiting, scholarships and graduation rates. [Trib]

Tweet of the day: From @jaredeborn: "Just thinking, Romney probably wouldn't have gotten as much flack if he said he was going to kill Barney & Tinky Winky instead of Big Bird"

Happy birthday: Today to Laura Dupuy, executive director of the Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy, and belated birthday wishes to Christie Gehrke who celebrated yesterday.

Opinion section: Pat Bagley offers his take on campaign ad spending. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly says that moderate conservatives are doing better this year than their tea party counterparts. [Trib]

-> Christopher Thomas, executive director of HEAL Utah, questions Gov. Gary Herbert's "friendly" relationship with EnergySolutions. [Trib]

-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb weigh in on the presidential debate's Utah effect. [DNews]

-> Ex-Sen. Bob Bennett says the debate gave Romney the boost he's been needing for some time. [DNews]

-> Buzz Bissinger, author of Friday Night Lights, discusses why he is voting for Romney — and why his wife hates it. [DailyBeast]

-> The Trib endorses Democrat Dee Smith for Utah attorney general. [Trib]

Weekend in review: Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, chairman of a House subcommittee that oversees foreign affairs and homeland security, visited Libya to assess the attack site where Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died. [Trib]

-> Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon proposed a $47 million dollar bond that would develop three parks, purchase land for a fourth and make significant progress on two major trails. "Proposition 1" will be voted on Nov. 6. [DNews] An informational meeting will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in the Bluffdale City Hall. [Trib]

-> Democrat Ben McAdams and Republican Mark Crockett, both hoping to serve as Corroon's successor, met on Salt Lake City's Main Street for their fifth debate. [Trib]

-> County clerks cleared thousands of names from voter rolls in what they call a routine housecleaning effort. [Trib]

-> Rolly notes that Corroon took his Cabinet meeting into a hall at the county offices to make sure his point about transparency was received. [Trib]

-> Voters cast the first of their early ballots on Monday. To be eligible for early voting, you must have been registered to vote at least 30 days before the election and provide valid voter identification. [DNews]

-> For someone who says he's voting for Obama, Matheson sure loves to throw Romney's name out. [Trib] It's a move that Matheson's rival, Love, is all about as well, especially since Romney has endorsed her. [Herald]

-> Jon Huntsman Sr., a lifelong Republican and father of former Gov. Jon Huntsman, announced his endorsement for Matheson on Friday. A couple other Huntsman's quickly jumped on board. [Trib] [DNews]

2012 watch: While campaigning in California, Obama encourages supporters to become "almost obsessive" to help in his reelection effort. [Reuters] [SFChronicle]

-> Romney continues to use the unemployment rate as a talking point despite the fact that the unemployment rate has now dropped below 8 percent. [CBSNews]

-> Will Romney's Secret Service protection affect his ability to visit LDS temples? Observers say he'll find a way if he wants to go. [Trib]

-> Meet Romney's British cousins, many of whom are excited for their shirt-tail relative. [NYDailyNews]

-> Obama fielded questions for Nickelodeon's "Kids Pick the President: The Candidates" special, but the Romney campaign declined. [CNN]

-> Romney isn't mad at Obama. He's disappointed. [BuzzFeed]

-> BuzzFeed looks at eight people who said Romney lost the election before the first debate. [BuzzFeed]

-> Men wear makeup, too — ask Obama. Or Biden. Or Romney. Or Ryan. [BuzzFeed]

Where are they?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz is in D.C., prepping for a hearing on the attack on the Libya consulate.

Gov. Gary Herbert heads to St. George for the Huntsman World Senior Games.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff joins a conference call for an immigration forum.

SL Co. Mayor Peter Corroon dines at the Eleanor Roosevelt Luncheon.

SLC Mayor Ralph Becker attends a department directors meeting before heading to a performing arts center meeting.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder teaches a workshop at Rep. Rob Bishop's education conference, attends a Utah Grizzlies luncheon and conducts a City Council meeting.

President Barack Obama campaigns at Ohio State University.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [Trib]

— Thomas Burr and Betsy BlanchardTwitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/betsyblanchard