Inside the Beltway

NEWS AND OPINION:

GARYTOPIA

Republican presidential hopeful Gary E. Johnson is “presidential” in his own fashion. He’s no Mitt Romney, but then, sometimes Mitt Romney is no Mitt Romney, either. In a brief visit with Inside the Beltway, the former New Mexico governor loomed large in red power tie, dark suit. He has a good haircut, a direct gaze, a tanned face, says “Holy cow” and is unapologetic about visiting the Occupy Wall Street crowd, or his views on marijuana legalization. Mr. Johnson is also eager for voters to know he founded a one-man handyman operation in 1974, and “grew it” to 1,000 employees.

And whether the news media agree or not, he still looks presidential after two years on the campaign trail.

“Politics is about momentum; politics is about expectations. I’m in last place in the top field of nine Republican candidates,” Mr. Johnson tells the Beltway. “But I’m not dead last. The thing I like to remember is that there are still 210 declared candidates in this race, so where does that really place me?”

ROMNEYFIED

“He was cheerful. He was patient. He worked the rope line very well. He looked presidential. And he looked like he was making a Hollywood cameo,” says WTOP political analyst Mark Plotkin of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney during a campaign appearance with Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. But, uh, no endorsement. Yet.

“I’m kind of partial. I think the former governor ought to be the next president of the United States,” Mr. McDonnell said of his guest.

“There are no endorsements today, although those are always welcome,” Mr. Romney allowed later.

2012: BORING THE NATION

“Americans are generally critical of the early stages of the 2012 presidential campaign. More say the campaign has been dull (51 percent) than interesting (35 percent). With more than a year to go before the election, 50 percent already say the campaign is too long. The public is evenly split over whether the campaign is too negative (44 percent too negative, 41 percent not). And while 40 percent say the campaign has been informative, 49 percent have found it not informative.”

So says a new survey from the Pew Center for the People and the Press, implying perhaps, that the heart-stopping drama of the White House derby has been contrived by journalists who are often all dressed up with nowhere to go. There’s a partisan divide, of course.

Republicans give the campaign better marks: 54 percent say it’s informative; 50 percent say it’s interesting; 51 percent say it’s not too negative; 47 percent say it’s not too drawn out. And Democrats: 41 percent deem the campaign informative, 37 percent say it’s interesting - while 46 percent say the campaign is too negative, and 51 percent say it’s just too long.

BUMPER PATROL

“Mug shot of Ronald Reagan and next to it: ’AVENGE ME’ ,” says Beltway reader Lawrence Payne, describing a bumper sticker he spotted in Kirkwood, Mo.

ROOM CELEBRITY

Is there room, not to mention budget, to celebrate - rooms? Apparently so. On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts “a gala dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and the completion of the Patrons of Diplomacy endowment campaign in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room,” the agency says.

Such complex directives must be a very big deal: Mrs. Clinton will be joined by former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Madeleine K. Albright and Colin L. Powell, to be entertained by a musical performance from opera singer Jessye Norman and “a special meal” prepared by “Culinary Ambassador” and celebrity chef Jose Andres.

THE FLAT LANDS

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Herman Cain are winning accolades from heavy-duty fiscal conservatives eager to see a flat tax arrive to flatten the current 60,000-page tax code.

“I have long said that we’ll know Americans have finally beat Washington when we pass a flat tax and remove the loopholes, double standards and special interests that pollute the current tax code,” says Dick Armey, chairman of FreedomWorks, the grass-roots group devoted to less government and lower taxes.

“Tea party victories in the November 2010 elections were proof that Americans are looking for bold change in Washington, and the resurgence of flat-tax proposals are further evidence that the tea party is growing in strength,” Mr. Armey adds. “FreedomWorks applauds bold fiscal conservatives like Rick Perry and Herman Cain, who have raised the broader issue of fundamental tax reform in the Republican presidential primary race.”

FLAT TOP

“If u r going to bump plans w/my friend Herman, then you can bump plans w/me. Let’s compare flat taxes.”

- GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, in a tweet message to rival Rick Perry on Wednesday.

POLL DU JOUR

• 47 percent of Americans currently own a gun, or someone in their household owns a gun.

• Of those, 55 percent of Republicans, 40 percent of Democrats, 52 percent of men and 43 percent of women say the same.

• 54 percent of those who live in the South, 51 percent of Midwesterners, 43 percent of Westerners and 36 percent of Easterners say the same.

• 34 percent of Americans overall personally own a gun.

• Of those, 41 percent of Republicans, 28 percent of Democrats, 46 percent of men and 23 percent of women own a gun.

• 38 percent of those who live in the South, 36 percent of Midwesterners, 31 percent of Westerners and 29 percent of Easterners say the same.

Source: A Gallup Poll of 1,005 U.S. adults conducted Oct. 6 to 9 and released Wednesday.

• Murmurs, asides, belligerent observations to jharper@washington times.com.