The Iowa caucuses are unlikely to deliver any candidate a clear mandate in the Republican presidential nomination contest in two weeks. In fact, if anything, the chances for a split decision are growing every day — as today’s campaign highlights make abundantly clear.
Michele Bachmann
Gingrich Emerges Mostly Unscathed From Pivotal Des Moines Debate
In a crucial Saturday night debate that marked the beginning of the final, frantic sprint to the Iowa caucuses, Newt Gingrich weathered an onslaught of attacks from his Republican rivals and emerged relatively unscathed, …
“Oh, just plain vanilla. Are you guys really going to print this?”
New Hampshire Staff Exodus Augurs End Times for Bachmann Campaign
Michele Bachmann’s campaign staff in New Hampshire has quit en masse, frustrated by the Minnesota Congressman’s inattention to the state.
The exodus, first reported by WMUR’s James Pindell, marks the nadir of Bachmann’s …
Inside the Ludicrous Donald Trump Primary
With her poll numbers sagging, her political organization dwindling and prognosticators declaring her moment to have passed, Michele Bachmann called in a big gun Monday night: Donald Trump.
The Grand Nevada Pander
Four second-tier Republican presidential hopefuls — Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum — are threatening to bypass the Nevada caucuses if they take place Jan. 14, as presently planned. This is not, …
How the Shrinking Primary Calendar Boosts Romney’s Chances
The Florida GOP’s decision to defy Republican Party rules by slating its presidential primary for Jan. 31 has touched off a cascade of scheduling decisions that will compress the primary calendar. South Carolina party bosses, …
An Opening for Romney in Iowa?
In the weeks since Rick Perry upended the Republican presidential primary, there’s been little hard data out of Iowa. The reputable Des Moines Register hasn’t published a poll since Perry barreled into the field. The race remains in flux: Michele Bachmann’s star is falling after a quick ascent that peaked in a victory at Ames, and Perry …
Five Unanswered Questions About the Iowa Caucus
Des Moines, Iowa
Iowans are restless. Six weeks after the political world converged on Iowa for the Ames straw poll, the pace of the race toward the first-in-the-nation caucus has slackened. It’s not that candidates …
Sliding in the Polls, Bachmann Pushes Ahead with Her Red Meat Campaign in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Michele Bachmann is ambling through the aisles of a cramped meat locker in an industrial section of Des Moines. Massive sides of beef, weighing up to 950 lbs., hang from hooks near the ceiling and droplets of …
What You Missed While Not Watching Last Night’s Reagan Library Debate
0 minutes. Presidential debates come and go. But tonight’s GOP debate, the fourth in a series too numerous to bear, is a special treat. “We are all gathered under the wings of Air Force One,” says NBC’s Brian Williams, …
Tonight’s GOP Debate: Prepare for a Rick Perry Pile-On
Modern presidential primary debates tend to be silly, shallow, gimmicky and ultimately not very useful in judging how the candidates would perform in the oval office. But they can also change the course of the campaign. The …
For GOP Hopefuls, Labor Day Weekend Marks Start of 2012 Sprint
After a spring of embarrassing ephemera (remember Donald Trump’s painful presidential flirtation/publicity tour?) and a summer of high-octane campaign kickoffs (Michele Bachmann, Jon Huntsman) that haven’t sustained much …