After a series of sub-par debate performances and some unfavorable reviews in the press, Rick Perry’s initial swell seems to be receding a bit. Fox News is out with a poll showing his national lead over Mitt Romney evaporating, with Romney leading by 4 percentage points, just within the margin of error. National polls carry limited …
2012 Election
Perry Concedes Immigration Hawks Are Capable of Empathy
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRLjkpYMB_U]
In an interview with conservative outlet Newsmax, Perry walked back his remark that critics of instate college tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas didn’t “have a heart,” calling it “over-passionate” and “inappropriate.” The comment had really rankled quite a few conservatives, …
Romney’s Luck Continues
A few days ago I argued that Mitt Romney, in addition to being a much improved candidate since 2008, has also been incredibly lucky. He had a long head start the GOP race as the rest of the field was slow to assemble. He avoided …
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 …
The GOP’s Fraught Relationship with Federalism
In the pitched battle for the Republican presidential nomination, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney are both crusading against a modern-day conservative heresy that the other enacted as governor. For Romney, the well-trodden issue of his health care overhaul in Massachusetts and subsequent changes he made to his campaign book after Obama …
Chris Christie Delivers an Electrifying Speech, but He’s No Conservative Savior
Despite the entreaties of wealthy Republican donors and reporters yearning for a hot new storyline, Chris Christie looks like he’s not going to run for President. Speaking at the Reagan library in California on Tuesday night, …
Lip Reading Rick Perry
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhDhDRvHaGs]
Save a pretzel for the gas jets. Something is still right with the world.
The Controversial Willingham Case: What Rick Perry Knew and When
Correction appended
On the day in 2004 that her first cousin Cameron Todd Willingham was scheduled to be executed in Texas, Patricia Cox had good reason to believe he was innocent.
Willingham was convicted of murder for …
Southern Bellwether: Florida’s Crucial 2012 Contest Takes Shape
Miami
An election year is nigh, so it’s time once again for Florida to remind us that it is more than just a dysfunctional retiree repository. It’s Our Most Important Swing State. The Florida Republican Party’s …
Mitt Romney Is a Very Lucky Man
On Thurday night, Mitt Romney made it through another debate with only a few scratches on his armor. Don’t underestimate how strange and surprising this is, especially when you recall how much hazing Romney endured four years ago.
The common explanations for Romney’s recent success are true: He’s a smarter and stronger candidate than …
Rick Perry’s Astonishingly Wrong Answer on Pakistan
Over at Battleland, Mark Thompson, maestro of all military matters, marvels at the Texas governor’s response to last night’s debate question on what he would do if Pakistan’s nukes fell into the hands of the Taliban:
This guy flew planes for the Air Force? He wants to be President? His baffling, incomprehensible non-answer is akin to
…
What You Missed While Not Watching the Fox News/Google Debate
-2 minutes. Most debates start at 8 p.m., but not on Fox News, where that’s Bill O’Reilly’s time slot. At the moment, Bill is talking about “blooters.” “It is a word. You can find it, if you look it up,” Bill says. …
Perry Stumbles at Florida GOP Forum as the Early Primary Debate Formula Wears Thin
The highlights of Thursday night’s Fox News/Google debate in Orlando, Florida, were predictable: Carefully aimed questions from the moderators set up the same back-and-forths between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry on Social Security, …