To win re-election, Barack Obama won’t be able to rely on the fundraising edge he rode four years ago. The incumbent president was outraised in July by Mitt Romney, the third consecutive month the challenger has held the …
2012 Election
What Makes a Good Convention Speech?
The convention speech is a milestone in every campaign, a moment when the candidate is guaranteed to be heard by millions of Americans. The better nomination speeches are also remembered, and the best can even win over crucial …
Todd Akin Resists Calls to Withdraw from Missouri Senate Race After Rape Comments
Politics is tribal. When a candidate commits a typical gaffe, his opponents attack while his allies mount a defense. That’s just the way it goes. But once in a while, a candidate says something so devastatingly stupid everything …
Always the Bridesmaid: What’s Next for Tim Pawlenty?
Four years ago this month, Tim Pawlenty was walking his little black dog Mazy down an Eagan, Minn., cul-de-sac. John McCain had just called to break the news that he had picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. In his …
Will the Internet Kill the Television Ad?
We are obsessed by watching our world go digital, as if the Internet is Medusa gradually turning our old ways of life to stone. Research shows that voters are consuming more political ads online than ever. But does that mean television’s reign as the primary political medium is over?
Chicago Finesse
The “letter” from Obama campaign manager Jim Messina to his Romney counterpart Matt Rhoades calling on the Republican candidate to release a total of five years of tax returns in exchange for the Democrats dropping demands for additional years going back farther is sort of genius.
Another Win For Show-Me-Your-Papers Politics: Romney Paid 13% Taxes
Have you heard the news? Mitt Romney revealed today, after weeks of avoiding the issue, that he has paid at least 13% in taxes in each of the last 10 years. The response from the Obama campaign: “Prove it.”
Just another day of …
Exorcising Palin: the Paul Ryan Pick
My new story in this week’s print edition of TIME is about politics, but it’s also a kind of ghost story. The ghost is Sarah Palin, who haunted Mitt Romney’s search for a running mate from the beginning. The one thing Romney’s …
Decrying Campaign ‘Hatred,’ Romney Tries to Redefine Obama — and Change the Subject
Mitt Romney should have been feeling great on Tuesday night. Crisscrossing five swing states over four days, he was greeted by some of the best crowds of the campaign. The politics of his Vice Presidential pick are open for …
Obama’s Booze Strategy: Four More Beers!
Dubuque, Iowa
The first sign of Barack Obama’s barley and hops strategy came Monday night at the Iowa State Fair, when a lady offered the President of the United States a fruit smoothie. “Smoothie sounds okay, but a beer …
We Know Paul Ryan’s Views on Monetary Policy. Now We Need to Know Mitt Romney’s.
Paul Ryan believes the dollar’s value should be tied to commodities. He thinks monetary policy should never, ever aim to lower unemployment. He worries that inflation is always right around the corner. And he’s said he believes …
Bus Tour Re-Energizes Romney–And His Case Against Obama
Chillicothe, Ohio
Main Street in Chillocothe looked like a movie set on Tuesday night. Fading light glinted off faded brick buildings, and floodlights bathed the steps of the picturesque Ross County courthouse where Mitt …
A Big Ideas Campaign, With Few Specifics On a Key Issue
Miami, Fla.
Since picking Paul Ryan as his running mate, Mitt Romney has pledged repeatedly to wage a campaign of ideas. But the specifics have so far been hard to come by.