[Posted by Karl]

As usual, you are positively encouraged to engage in sockpuppetry in this thread. The usual rules apply.

Please, be sure to switch back to your regular handle when commenting on other threads. I have made that mistake myself.

And remember: the worst sin you can commit on this thread is not being funny.

—

RCP’s Sean Trende reports on an experiment from Evolving Strategies, which used Internet-based focus groups to determine whether Republicans have “priced in” negative information about the GOP candidates for the presidential nomination:

It proceeded by dividing respondents into three groups. One of them, a control group, watched generic, non-political commercials.

A second group, the so-called “Gingrich condition,” watched a positive Gingrich ad, a negative ad about Gingrich, a positive Perry ad, and a negative ad about Perry (you can view the different ads here).

A third group, the “Romney condition,” watched a positive Romney ad, a negative Romney ad, a positive Perry ad, and a negative Perry ad.

In the control group, 42 percent of respondents made Gingrich their top choice in the GOP primary. But in the “Gingrich condition,” support for the former speaker was only 26 percent, a drop-off of 18 points. The winner in this scenario was Romney, who numbers ticked up substantially, even though viewers didn’t see any Mitt Romney ads.

Interestingly, in the “Romney condition,” where viewers saw ads about Romney and Perry, there was little effect on Romney’s support, and Gingrich’s support increased only marginally. This suggests that most of the negative information about Romney (and Perry) truly is “priced in” at this point.

Even so, read the whole thing to see how Perry may also benefit.

–Karl

That’s how it’s looking . . . for now. The Instapundit has the news:

AWESOME NEWS IF IT PANS OUT: Spending bill blocks light bulb standards. “The shutdown-averting budget bill will block federal light bulb efficiency standards, giving a win to House Republicans fighting the so-called ban on incandescent light bulbs. GOP and Democratic sources tell POLITICO the final omnibus bill includes a rider defunding the Energy Department’s standards for traditional incandescent light bulbs to be 30 percent more energy efficient. DOE’s light bulb rules — authorized under a 2007 energy law authored signed by President George W. Bush — would start going into effect Jan. 1. The rider will prevent DOE from implementing the rules through Sept. 30.”

So if this works, what will I do with my closet full of incandescent bulbs? Er, use ‘em, just like I would have anyway. But it’s great if we can scuttle the idiotic bulb-ban.

I’ve complained about this before: we have some of those ridiculous kind that take forever to warm up. But when I flipped the light switch, it was because I wanted to be able to see NOW, not in ten minutes.

Let the consumer decide, Central Planners. Let the consumer decide.