Council Bluffs, Iowa
A rowdy pack of ever dedicated supporters makes its presence known at most of Ron Paul’s campaign events in Iowa. But beyond those who show up already wearing “I voted for Ron Paul” T-shirts, there are …
2012 Election
What the Rick Santorum Swell Has Wrought
“People say, when are you gonna get your surge?” Rick Santorum said today in Iowa. “I say, January 3.” He’s gloating and rightly so; a TIME/CNN poll released Wednesday showed Santorum thundering up the leader-board at the most opportune of times: five days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
If Santorum is indeed pulling …
Still Standing, Gingrich Says ‘We’re Doing Just Fine’ in Iowa
Sioux City, Iowa
If Newt Gingrich is steaming about the flurry of attacks that have impeded his momentum and caused his poll numbers to sag, he’s not letting the frustration show. On the third day of his 22-stop bus tour, Gingrich was loose and boisterous on Thursday morning at a trio of campaign events in Sioux City, the hub of one …
On the Trail With Ron Paul: Love, Curiosity and Anger in Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Through the booms and busts of the Iowa campaign—Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich—Ron Paul has steadily built his following in the Hawkeye State, where he now sits atop the polls. But …
5 Days Till Iowa: The Santorum Surge and the Bachmann Fizzle
Des Moines, Iowa
Some housekeeping first: I have a new print column, which TIME subscribers can read online here, that elaborates on some of the themes I’ve been blogging about in recent days–namely that this Republican ship of clowns has managed, despite non-stop silliness, to raise some very basic questions about American democracy …
With Support Slipping, Gingrich Falls Back on Appeal for Comity
Spencer, Iowa
Newt Gingrich has a problem. It’s not just the avalanche of attack ads burying his campaign, or his comparative lack of cash, or the nattering naysayers’ inability to wrap their heads around his unorthodox …
Mitt Romney in Iowa: Winning, One Slogan at a Time
Clinton, Iowa
As Mitt Romney enters the final stretch in Iowa, poll numbers rising, crowds appearing, the inevitability beginning to sink in, his message is honed down, lean and mean, with declarative sentences that slice the …
CNN/TIME/ORC Poll: Gingrich Collapse Fuels Santorum Surge in Iowa, Solidifies Romney Lead in New Hampshire
With less than a week to go until Republicans cast the first votes of the 2012 presidential race in Iowa, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Texas congressman Ron Paul remain atop the field there, even as the fortunes …
Mitt Romney’s Rhetorical Evolution: From Listmaker to Storyteller
There are two broad categories of campaign messages: Stories and lists. The list message is the easiest to pull off, and usually the least effective. Put the candidate on a stump, or before a camera, and rattle it off: Less …
7 Days Till Iowa: Onward and Mittward
Iowa City, Iowa
Sad to say, Rush was not at his usual radio stand as I drove through the cornfields on Tuesday afternoon, a replacement called Mark Belling was sitting in–but it was curious stuff, all the same. There was a dollop of hair-pulling: Why on earth can’t the Republicans ever come up with a decent conservative? And some …
Newt’s Closing Argument: Just Glad to Be on the Team
[youtube=http://youtu.be/Gt5Tn3xax5I]
Michael Scherer directs me to this new ad from Newt Gingrich, an upbeat composite of debate talking points on the economy. It’s reportedly a “major buy” scheduled to run through next week in Iowa–his closing argument. It’s also a very odd choice for this moment in the race.
Ben Nelson Retiring, the ‘Kickback’ Kicks Back
Ben Nelson, the conservative two-term Nebraska Democrat, won’t seek re-election to the Senate next year, according to Politico.
Nelson is 70–not exactly an adolescent, but hardly outside the norm for a Senate whose average …
Ron Paul’s Novel Coalition Faces Its Major Moment in Iowa
Go to any Ron Paul event and the audience is part of the tale. They’re younger, rowdier, more socially diverse than Republican rally regulars. Any one of them might have driven across the state to see Paul speak or be able to …