O.K. The nonsense of the Iowa straw poll is behind us. We’ve had another GOP debate. We have one more candidate (Rick Perry) and one fewer (Tim Pawlenty). Here are some thoughts as the nomination contest gets going:
Tim …
In the ArenaViewpoint
ron paul
In the ArenaViewpoint
Iowa’s Straw Poll Madness
Item updated below with Pawlenty campaign response
GOP primary reporters and junkies should read Walter Shapiro’s latest New Republic story (subscription required) on the absurd overhyping of Iowa’s quadrennial Republican primary straw poll, whose 2012 edition will be held in Ames on August 13. In Shapiro’s persuasive telling, the …
Ron Paul, the Debt Ceiling and the GOP’s Apocalyptic Wing
Ron Paul, who is spending a ton of money in Iowa right now, is expected to finish in the top three at the Ames Straw poll in a couple weeks. There is a solid chance that he beats either Michele Bachmann, Tim Pawlenty, or both of them. Though Ames is not predictive of the outcome of the presidential nomination contest, it is a key test of …
Nine Epically Wrong Politician History Flubs
These White House contenders give historical fiction a whole new meaning. TIME breaks down nine egregious examples of the type of revisionist flub you can expect in 2012
Trying to Reinvent Itself Again, the Tea Party Gears Up for 2012
Like any group in its infancy, the Tea Party goes through phases. Gone, or at least temporarily shelved, are the noisy rallies, the tricorn hats, the abundant signage that marked its birth in 2009. “We are not a protest …
The GOP vs. the Fed
Which arm of government is most deplored by today’s Republican Party? It might be the allegedly jobs-killing Environmental Protection Agency. Or perhaps it’s the Health and Human Services Department, now tyrannically implementing …
Q&A: Ron Paul
In his 12 terms in Congress, Ron Paul has waged many lonely crusades. Before he was a Tea Party standard bearer and a master of the online money bomb, the man known as “Dr. No” was a libertarian icon who regularly bucked his …
What You Missed While Not Watching the New Hampshire GOP Debate
–2 minutes. The debate hasn’t started yet, but the crowd is already restless. A mutiny is afoot. CNN may host this thing, but can CNN’s John King control it? “Let’s do the pledge,” shouts out someone in the audience, …
In GOP New Hampshire Debate, Bachmann Provides Fireworks as Romney Escapes Unscathed
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann gave an electrifying performance in Monday’s night Republican presidential primary debate at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, using the platform to announce her decision to formally …
Seven Days in May: How One Week Clarified the GOP Field
So here’s what we know for certain today that we could only bet on last Monday morning: Mike Huckabee is out. Newt Gingrich is officially in. Jon Huntsman finally broke cover. And Ron Paul is back.
And just like that, the …
What GOP Debate Participants Said About Health Care
The Republican presidential debate in South Carolina last night didn’t exactly feature an all-star lineup, but it’s the best preview we’ve gotten so far of how the conversation will shape up in primary season.
Via Kaiser Health News, here’s a nice compilation of what three of the candidates said about health care:
GOP Debate Preview: Will Pawlenty Be a Giant–or a Pygmy?
Tonight in South Carolina, Fox News will televise something that purports to be a 2012 Republican presidential primary debate. In truth it will be an almost entirely meaningless event. After all, most of the big-name candidates …
Why Ron Paul Is Looking to Run Again
Rep. Ron Paul, the 75-year-old stubborn uncle of the Republican Party, is ready to go again, with his third campaign for President of the United States.