To the limited extent that early national polls matter in a presidential primary, here’s one that’s showing something pretty remarkable about the impact of Rick Perry’s entrance into the race: the Texas Governor has quickly …
2012 Election
In West Coast Debut, Marco Rubio Shows He’s Got What GOP Wants Most
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio is having more coming-out events these days than a quinceañera debutante. On Tuesday night, the 40-year-old Florida Republican went to California to deliver a major speech on government at the …
Perry Compared Homosexuality to Alcoholism in 2008 Book
The origin of homosexuality has become something of a political litmus test for presidential candidates, almost akin to their stance on abortion. Candidates are now expected to explain whether or not they believe homosexuality is a hard-wired predisposition. It’s an important distinction, and how candidates broach the issue can really …
Rick Perry’s Complicated Relationship with Latinos
In San Antonio on June 23, Rick Perry addressed the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ annual meeting. He was optimistic, focused on Texas’ booming economy, and reminded the crowd – Republicans …
Where GOP Presidential Hopefuls Hang Their Hats
Mitt Romney recently made news when he decided to bulldoze his oceanfront home in California and rebuild it as an 11,000 square foot, two-story behemoth. TIME looks at the abodes of some of the GOPers trying to make the jump …
Has the Tea Party’s Power Peaked?
Host to one of the purest strains of conservatism in the nation (ranked only behind Mississippi and Wyoming by Gallup), Utah is the perfect Tea Party test tube. Its primary system, which relies on a nominating convention where …
Questioning the Grand ‘Huntsman 2016’ Conjecture
A very popular theory on Jon Huntsman’s, um, unique march toward the center is that it’s all part of a well-thought out scheme to win the presidential nomination next time around. The scenario laid out by various pundits is basically this: Next year, the GOP nominates a conservative a la Perry or Bachmann, who then loses to Obama. After …
Rick Perry Was Against Social Security Before He Was For It
As widely discussed, Rick Perry wrote a book, published last November, in which he argued that the program is unconstitutional, a Ponzi scheme, and “a crumbling monument to the failure of the New Deal.” Now that the national eye has turned to the matter in light of his presidential run, well, this is happening:
[Perry’s] communications
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Arne Duncan Pulls Punches On Texas Critique
Education Secretary Arne Duncan came out swinging this week, when he attacked Rick Perry’s education record in Texas, saying that he feels “very, very badly for the children there.” But a few hours later, Duncan had moderated his attack line, in an interview with TIME’s Andrew Rotherham.
When I asked Duncan about this dire assessment in
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Understanding Michele Bachmann’s “Submission”
“Submission” is not a word common to presidential politics. But in last week’s presidential debate, it became a hot topic because of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.
In 2006, Bachmann told a story about her career path. “My husband said, ‘Now you need to go and get a post-doctorate degree in tax law,’” Bachmann said. “Tax …
The Deep Aggie Roots Of Would-Be President Rick Perry
From his first “Howdy!” to the frequent thumbs-up gestures that punctuate his speeches, Rick Perry may seem over-the-top folksy to many who are watching him for the first time. But for those who share his cultural past, if not …
Michele Bachmann’s “Starring” Movie Role
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Before the Sarah Palin bio-pic The Undefeated, conservative group Citizens United–yes, the same one–produced a film called Fire From the Heartland, a mixture of infomercial and documentary about a “new generation” of conservative women. When it was originally advertised in the fall of 2010, …
All The Candidates’ Federal Spending
Presidential campaigns are all about the future, yet they take place in the present and rest upon the past. A candidate’s record, and performance in debates and on the trail, are what a voter has to go on. So the records of the Republican candidates when it comes to fiscal responsibility matter, especially in a nomination campaign that …