Gitell's analysis: Seth Gitell has some interesting big-picture November numbers, though Hub Blog disagrees with a few of his pointers on how Shannon O'Brien can win in November. Here's Seth's reality-check graf:

"It’s going to take more than party unity and the pushing of Democratic ideals to defeat Romney in November, however. If, as they most surely will be tempted to do, the Democrats play exclusively to their strong union and socially progressive base, and paint Romney as far to the right of the state electorate, O’Brien will lose. ... It’s not that Romney isn’t a conservative candidate, perhaps the most conservative gubernatorial candidate the state has seen since Ed King in 1982. It’s that the Democrats need to remember something: they represent only 36 percent of the state electorate. Republicans account for 13 percent, and unenrolled voters — the independents who decided the last three gubernatorial elections — make up the bulk of state voters at 51 percent."

And here's the Phoenix's clarion call for a Dem victory. It pretty much sums up hard-core Democrats' desire for victory this fall. Mitt faces a tough, tough challenge defending the GOP's 12-year hold on the corner office. The Dems are definitely marshalling at the gates.
  ¶ 9:21 AM