The Republican National Committee took steps Thursday to change how it will pick its presidential candidate in 2016, the …
primaries
Inside the Circus: Politico E-Book Plumbs the Depths of Primary Backstabbing
For the 2012 election, the journalists Mike Allen and Evan Thomas are attempting the neat trick of chronicling the history of the campaign as a real-time serial. Their second installment on the Republican race, “Inside the Circus,” is a dishy account that tries to enliven the campaign’s well-worn themes — Mitt Romney is rich, his rivals …
How Religious Expression Is Splitting the U.S. Electorate–Including Republicans
Americans may be more religious than their peers in other Western countries, but they have their limits when it comes to mixing religion and public life. According to a new survey conducted by Pew, a 38% plurality of Americans …
Santorum’s Southern Sweep Sets Up Long Showdown With Romney
Rick Santorum eked out a pair of pivotal victories in the Deep South on Tuesday night, winning hard-fought battles in Alabama and Mississippi that cement his standing as Mitt Romney’s chief challenger and could push Newt Gingrich …
Romney Down South: Can Mitt Really Win Over Conservatives in Dixie?
“I’m learning to say ‘y’all’ and I like grits,” Mitt Romney recently told a crowd in Pascagoula, Mississippi. “Strange things are happening to me.” But has the Boston private equity executive turned Republican …
When Can We Call Ron Paul’s Caucus Strategy a Bust?
For a guy with a grim worldview, Ron Paul is great at spotting the green shoots when it comes to his own political fortunes. When he fell to third in Iowa, he told the crowd that “we are going to keep scoring.” In New Hampshire, he told supporters that their “irate minority” was “going to continue to grow by leaps and bounds.” After …
After Turbulent January, GOP Race Enters the Doldrums
January was an exhausting month for the American people. They endured four major Republican nominating contests that resulted in three different winners, three dropouts, seven televised debates and the hundreds of hours of …
Why Mitt Romney’s Tax Rate Matters
Mitt Romney stammered on Monday night when debate moderators asked him whether he’d release his tax returns. “I hadn’t planned on releasing tax records, because the law requires us to release all of our assets, all the things …
The Not-Romney Candidates Look Ahead to South Carolina
In the days before the Iowa caucus, Rick Santorum had a decision to make. Spiking in the polls and positioned for a top-three result, Santorum could try to ride the wave into New Hampshire, where legions of free media awaited, …
Rick Perry, Frontrunner
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 …
The New Hampshire Debate: Mitt Romney’s First Big Test
If Mitt Romney has his way, Monday night’s Republican primary debate in New Hampshire will be all about Barack Obama. If Mitt Romney’s Republican rivals have their way, Monday night’s debate will be all about Mitt Romney. Herein …
Tuesday’s Primaries
Tuesday is primary day in seven states and the District of Columbia. This will be the last major primary before the midterm elections (only one state remains after this: Hawaii on Sept. 18). Even this late in the game there are still some fascinating races to watch. Here are five:
- Mike Castle v. Christine O’Donnell, Republicans for
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Murkowski Fights for Her Life, Scott Shocks the GOP Establishment and Ben Quayle’s the Gift that Will Keep Giving
Tuesday night’s primaries reminded us that nothing this election season is as we expect it. A third Senate incumbent is fighting for her political life this morning: in a surprisingly close race Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski is trailing Tea Party fave Joe Miller by 2,000 votes with 98% of precincts reporting. The results of this …