Campaign Soundtrack: 13 Songs That Rocked the Primary
With Rick Santorum out of the running, the Republican nominating race is all but over. TIME looks back at the musical moments that made 2012’s primary the funkiest in recent memory.
Articles from Contributor
Can an Upstart Occupy-Supporter Compete with Michele Bachmann?
Anne Nolan formally announced her bid for Minnesota’s 6th-district House seat on March 9. The following Monday, she was still her own campaign manager and press secretary, a one-woman-show without an official website. This level of organization places her in a very different league from her competition: Rep. Michele Bachmann, the …
Facing Long Odds, Ron Paul Aims High in Nevada
Ron Paul is aiming high in Saturday’s Nevada caucus. The conventional wisdom states that Mitt Romney has the Silver State and its 28 nominating delegates in his pocket, following his massive 51% share of the vote in the 2008 primary. Four years ago, Paul came in second with just 14%. Still, the Paul campaign has been playing hard in …
The Confident Front Runner Once More: Primary Day with Mitt Romney
Tampa, Florida
At the Romney headquarters in Tampa, there are ghosts of the Republican past. On the wall, along with Florida maps and volunteer-made signs, is a collage of swag from the McCain-Palin 2008 campaign. It’s a symbol of GOP solidarity, but also a reminder that Barack Obama will be waiting to take on whoever emerges from …
Occupy Mitt: Protesters Come Face-to-Face with the 1% in Florida
Dunedin, Florida
After Mitt Romney spoke at a rally in Naples on Sunday, a young man worked his way through the crowd, swimming against the current of tanned, elderly attendees leaving the plaza. A one-dollar bill was plastered over his mouth, symbolizing the silencing power of money. On it, he had written “99%.” An older man saw him …
Mitt Romney and Ron Paul: A Tale of Two Very Different Candidates
The Villages, Florida
Mitt Romney and Ron Paul may be running in the same race, but they’re different animals. While Romney was holding rallies across Florida in the run up to Tuesday’s primary, Paul’s camp was busy in less conspicuous places such as Maine and Nevada, where voters will head to the polls on Feb. 4, looking to …
For Mitt Romney in Florida, It’s All About Character (Attacks)
Pompano Beach, Florida
A political riddle presents itself on the trail with Mitt Romney: Can a true man of character constantly attack the character of another man?
From the first introductions on Sunday, character was presented as the defining, most winning attribute of the former governor: Romney was touted as the candidate whose …
Political Words of the Week: Lunch Meat and Space Travel
The American political lexicon is always evolving, and during campaign season, new phrases are as common as retirees in Boca Raton. Here are some of the words that have worked their way into the conversations this week.
Political Words of the Week: Attacks and Dead Ends
During George H.W. Bush’s ’88 campaign, his media adviser Roger Ailes, now president of Fox News, said the press was interested in three things: gaffes, attacks and good visuals. Much of this week’s vocab comes from the attacks candidates are leveling now that the presidential primary circus has pitched its tent in South Carolina. Here …
Why Ron Paul Is Gambling on Nevada
Ron Paul will soon move to Nevada.
Okay, we mean that figuratively. Instead of chasing the other Republican contenders to Florida following the South Carolina primary on Jan. 21, Paul is going west, gambling on a strong showing in the Silver State. His campaign manager, Jesse Benton, says they don’t have the estimated $9 million …
How to Name a Super PAC
There are some Super PACs, like the 9-9-9 Fund or Ron Paul Volunteers, that wear their affiliations on their sleeves, but most of these unlimited-spending groups have indistinguishable titles chock full of political platitudes. This simple guide sheds some light on how to name a Super PAC, if the goal is blending it in with all the others.
Campaign Circus Reaches Fever Pitch in New Hampshire
Bedford, New Hampshire
The Granite State had been worked to a fever pitch by Monday, as candidates made their final appeals before the long-anticipated primary. In the sleepy New Hampshire hills, the buildings overflowed. Crowds of reporters swallowed candidates and innocent bystanders alike. And the kooks and activists came out to …
Why Ron Paul Is Gunning for Rick Santorum
Meredith, N.H.
Ron Paul set his sights on Rick Santorum the moment it became clear that the Texas Congressman would take bronze to Santorum’s silver in the Iowa caucuses. “We got one of the three tickets out of Iowa,” a campaign chair told a crowd waiting to hear Paul speak on Jan. 3. “And there are only two candidates in this …