|
|
December 2007 - Posts
-
An Iowa State ROTC student named Jessica explained to me how most of her friends, conservatives all, were swayed to the Huck side. Initially, most of them supported Thompson because of his traditional conservative stances on abortion and taxation. But Read More...
-
In case you haven't heard, the Democratic caucuses in Iowa aren't exactly a microcosm of American democracy. Secret ballots are unheard of, candidates bribe voters with sandwiches , and second choices aren't just allowed, they're sometimes requested. Read More...
-
DES MOINES, Iowa -- It's been a risky day for Mike Huckabee. First he pulled his surprise peace-declaration press conference -- a surprise to even his closest aides. Then he staged a political aide's nightmare: a shave and a haircut open to the press. Read More...
-
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Today, Mike Huckabee essentially declared a war on cynicism. But depending on where you stand, it might be the most cynical campaign move so far. In a packed press room at the Des Moines Marriott, Huckabee announced that he had decided Read More...
-
Electability isn't even a word that's recognized by my Microsoft Word dictionary. But in the Democratic race, it's all anybody can talk about. The rush to the caucus lets candidates shove policy distinctions into the shadows. Now it's about appealing Read More...
-
Welcome to caucus week, when campaign staffers and reporters freebase NoDoz, rumors of back room deals circulate, and Iowans are told they're God's gift to the political system. The corollary to that last part is that any suggestion that Iowans are not Read More...
-
Sorry to keep returning to John McCain (have those words been uttered this year? Ever?), but I wanted to mention his family. In a race largely defined by families—Romney’s sprawling brood, Giuliani’s mutinous children and torrid affairs, Obama’s diverse Read More...
-
Even if Barack Obama loses Iowa, he could still win the nomination. Seriously. The conventional wisdom is that if Clinton wins Iowa, Obama's shot at the presidency is shot. While that's certainly possible—and probably probable—pundits seem to be forgetting Read More...
-
John Edwards' campaign unveiled its latest gimmick today: The chance to have Edwards, his wife, or even Joe Trippi (swoon!) call you on the phone. It's part of "Ask John," a new campaign meant to inform inquisitive Iowans about Edwards' policies. Any Read More...
-
Two new ads for Fred Thompson and John McCain prove that while voters' energy might be waning, theirs isn't. In Thompson's spot , we see the candidate swaying back and forth and waving his arms, proving that he has more than enough energy to be president—maybe Read More...
-
John McCain might not keep pace with Mike Huckabee for quantity of one-liners, but it’s a tight race for quality. McCain practically revived his candidacy with his quip during the October debate that he couldn’t attend Woodstock since he was “ tied up Read More...
-
The latest from the Joe Biden press shop: "Over the next week, Mo-Joe ’08 will sweep across Iowa, with Sen. Biden set to attend over 30 rallies in 28 counties statewide." Bad puns: the last refuge of a candidate with nothing left to lose. Read More...
-
If there's a lesson to be learned from international crises and the campaign trail, it's that candidates should do their homework before speaking. Mike Huckabee got burned earlier this month when it became clear he didn't know about a new National Intelligence Read More...
-
If you've been under a rock for the past year, reading the candidates' pre-caucus speeches is a good way to catch up. Barack Obama’s “Stand for Change” address summarizes the argument on which his candidacy rests. It’s also chock full of the sly references, Read More...
-
Slate 's John Dickerson has a new item up about how the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is impacting the presidential race. A quick excerpt: To the extent that unpredictable news about the dangerous state of the world helps anyone, it helps the "safe Read More...
-
Shortly after Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, nearly all the candidates released statements condemning the murder. Most of their language was strikingly similar, so we mashed up their quotes to provide the ultimate statement from the next American president Read More...
-
Hillary Clinton kicks off a series of guest blogs by presidential candidates at Glamour.com with some boilerplate about her historic candidacy. But this was interesting: At a recent campaign stop in Iowa, a little girl gave me a sign she had made that Read More...
-
As the candidates enter the “closing arguments” phase—as if they did something terrible and are now standing trial for it—we’re seeing many of them circle back to where they started. In fact, the closing arguments look a lot like the opening arguments. Read More...
-
Any time Mike Huckabee has a gun in his hand, it's a good bet he'll say something quote-worthy. The Huckster has a penchant for semi-morbid quips (he's even said he speaks in "Huckabese"), and yesterday's pheasant-hunt photo-op was the perfect opportunity Read More...
-
New Hampshire newspapers are not being kind to their friendly neighbor to the south. First, the liberal editorial board of the Concord Monitor put out a scathing un-endorsement titled “Romney should not be the next president.” Then, this morning, the Read More...
-
For weeks Mike Huckabee has avoided Tim Russert while touring the Sunday-morning talk-show circuit. NBC’s Washington bureau chief has lobbied hard to get Huckabee on Meet the Press , but Huckabee has shied away from Russert’s withering Q&A. Until Read More...
-
Are Bill and Hillary in a lover’s spat? A visit to presidentbillclinton.com or williamclinton.com redirects right to Barack Obama’s homepage . This is the same Obama that Bill Clinton hasn’t been too fond of recently . We’ve heard rumors of dissention Read More...
-
John Edwards found himself ensnared in a catch-22 this weekend. Barack Obama, who has repeatedly targeted Edwards over the past week, began suggesting Edwards was a hypocrite for not controlling a 527 group that was readying a pro-Edwards TV ad in Iowa. Read More...
-
We intended to let our Fringe series lay dormant as the primaries and caucuses neared, but then a slim little book arrived in the mail, courtesy of a Fringer. We couldn't resist. So, welcome back to the presidential Twilight Zone. Benjamin Richards is Read More...
-
After we posted a series of anagrams for each of the presidential candidates yesterday, several reader wrote in with their own submissions – most of them far superior to what Wordsmith.org’s Anagram Server could produce. (Score one for humanity.) James Read More...
-
THE SKY, Dec. 20—We’re hovering 1,500 feet above Baltimore in a 200-foot blimp with Ron Paul’s name on it, and I’ve lost feeling in my hands. Elijah Lynn, vice president of the Ron Paul Blimp, passes around heat packets, the kind made for skiers. “Shake Read More...
-
Tom Tancredo didn't only end his own candidacy today. He killed Fred Thompson's as well. Thompson had picked up a very, very slight comeback narrative in the past week, thanks to a strong showing at the Des Moines Register debate and a two-week bus tour Read More...
-
The medal for best political anagram of the 2008 election is ripe for the picking. (That throne has has been empty since the abdication of H. Ross Perot -- aka "Short Poser" -- and, before him, Spiro Agnew -- or, "Grow A Penis.") In keeping with the tradition Read More...
-
If Mike Huckabee wins the Republican nomination, he may have 19-year-old twins from Oregon to thank. First, Brett and Alex Harris led Chuck Norris to endorse Mike Huckabee. Now, they're trying to raise him a million dollars. The Harris brothers started Read More...
-
Bob Kerrey, the former Nebraska senator who recently referred to Barack Obama's middle name and Muslim background as potential advantages for a leader, has apologized for his comments. "I answered a question about your qualifications to be president in Read More...
-
Here’s an interesting bit from Matt Bai’s upcoming New York Times Magazine article (not online just yet) on how Bill Clinton’s legacy has shaped Democratic politics and the current presidential race. Over the past few weeks, Bill has been a bit more aggressive Read More...
-
It's poll-a-palooza out there today. Some highlights from the CNN/WMUR ( Dems' PDF ; GOP's PDF ) poll in New Hampshire. Rudy Giuliani has stalled in New Hampshire and hasn't broken the 20-point barrier since early November. McCain, meanwhile, is gently Read More...
-
Forget Barack Obama's kindergarten ambitions . This is damning. From Newsweek 's cover story on John Edwards: Edwards has said that, even as a kid, he dreamed of being a lawyer. He watched every episode of "Perry Mason" and "The Fugitive." When he was Read More...
-
America has a tradition of waging wars on two fronts. First there were the European and Pacific fronts during WWII. In the '60s and '70s, the United States attacked communism overtly in Vietnam and covertly in Latin America. And these days, we're fighting Read More...
-
Attention Washington, D.C., residents! The Ron Paul Blimp will be passing by the district between 3:30 and 4 p.m. today. It's hard to say where you'll be able to see it, though, since the blimp can't legally fly within 15 miles of the White House. From Read More...
-
Now that Mike Huckabee set the tone with his Jesus-invoking, subliminal cross -including Christmas ad, everyone else is climbing aboard. Barack Obama’s holiday spot plants him and his family in front of a roaring hearth and a giant Christmas tree. No Read More...
-
Chris Dodd made news for perhaps the last time in his campaign yesterday by filibustering the FISA bill that would have granted immunity to telecom companies that cooperated with government wiretapping programs. It was a triumphant moment for Dodd. For Read More...
-
Hillary Clinton released a new Web video today that is full of testimonials from voters about making the switch from Barack Obama and John Edwards to Clinton. The video is a response to an Obama clip showing a neighbor of Tom Vilsack, former Iowa governor Read More...
-
Barack Obama has a new donations page that breaks down what various contributions can buy. It provides a glimpse of how the costs of caucus organization really start to add up: The campaign adds this in an e-mail to supporters: " For about $24, you can Read More...
-
Apparently, Hillary Clinton isn't the only one trying to persuade America she's human . Jonathan Martin points out that just yesterday Mitt Romney "teared up for the third time in recent weeks." First during his Mormonism speech, then Sunday on Meet the Read More...
-
Because the Democratic Iowa caucuses are as outdated as Alan Keyes, they're governed by rules that don't jive with the rest of American democracy. Most offensive is the stipulation that voters can support a second choice candidate if their first choice Read More...
-
A few weeks ago, we pointed out how one Obama ad looked more like a theatrical trailer than a political spot. Well, John Edwards has upped the ante. Today, he released an actual trailer , complete with soaring strings, cymbal crashes, and a narrator who Read More...
-
Armed with charts, big ears, and a voodoo stick , Ross Perot found a way to persuade 16.5 million people in 1992 to watch his 30-minute infomercials that warned the economy was in danger of collapsing. Armed with a giant name plate , bushy eyebrows, and Read More...
-
Ron Paul supporters, sometimes referred to as Paulites or, less endearingly, Paultards , are known for their prolific blog comments. (Conservative blog RedState practically ignited the aPaulcalypse by banning them from its boards.) Here’s one comment Read More...
-
According to Mike Huckabee's new ad , Christmas is a time to set aside all the political rhetoric and focus on "what really matters," i.e., "the celebration of the birth of Christ." You'd be hard-pressed to come up with a more potent piece of political Read More...
-
The recommendations are coming so fast, it’s getting a little hard to keep track. Here’s the latest batch from over the weekend . Des Moines Register : Hillary Clinton and John McCain Much-coveted endorsement. Boosts Hillary’s inevitability argument in Read More...
-
At his anticipated "Tested. Ready. Now" speech in Tampa on Saturday, Rudy Giuliani offered a refrain practically lifted from Larry the Cable Guy : We’re at war. The American people want to see victory in Iraq and Afghanistan, not humiliation and defeat. Read More...
-
Alongside the campaign to elect Hillary Clinton president, there's been a sub-campaign to convince America that Hillary Clinton feels feelings. On the whole, it seems to be working: One of the tropes of the race so far has been voters’ surprise when they Read More...
-
Rudy Giuliani has a new tagline : “Tested. Ready. Now.” It’s hard to hear that and not think of, you know, every single other tagline to come out of this race so far. Let’s take a look at some of the other 2008 campaign slogans and themes. Can you spot Read More...
-
Never accuse Rudy Giuliani of failing to keep it real. They should do a two-for-one with temporary tattoos of Rudy's face. Get yours here . This actually reminds me of one of my favorite Giuliani-themed rap lyrics, from the song " Rise of the Machines Read More...
-
Ron Paul Blimp , meet the Hill-a-copter. Hillary Clinton announced she'll be stumping through Iowa via helicopter for five days next week. Is it just us or do Democratic frontrunners usually not mimic Republican dark horses? Photo Illustration by Andy Read More...
-
Over at National Review , Rich Lowry argues a point I’ve been mulling for a while now: that Mike Huckabee is enjoying a Howard Dean-like boom, which will fizzle once Republican voters realize what a general election disaster his candidacy would be. His Read More...
-
After wondering aloud to the Washington Post about Barack Obama’s past drug use, Bill Shaheen, Hillary Clinton’s national co-chair, stepped down today. Shaheen, who is the husband of former New Hampshire Gov. and Senate candidate Jean Shaheen, said Obama’s Read More...
-
We've written a lot about Ron Paul publicity stunts. First the money bomb , then the blimp . The Ron Paul pinup calendar was only inevitable . (h/t Hit & Run ) Read More...
-
Each Democratic candidate is already declaring victory in today’s debate. Except, of course, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel, who didn’t participate. Their campaigns are, to say the least, displeased. Team Kucinich sent out a furious e-mail after the Read More...
-
Here was Charles Krauthammer weighing in yesterday on moderator Carolyn Washburn's performance: "That was not just the worst debate of 2007, that was the worst debate in western history, and that includes the ancient Greeks. There was no record in any Read More...
-
There's a weird egalitarianism to this debate. Dodd and Biden and Richardson are getting as much time to talk as the front-runners. Washburn is also challenging them on long-lost gaffes—stuff that doesn't normally come up for anyone who's not ahead in Read More...
-
This debate makes yesterday's look like a royal rumble. I'm not sure they've said a single sentence that hasn't been uttered before. The moderator isn't following up, the candidates aren't challenging each other's points, and their blood pressure seems Read More...
-
Each candidate gets 30 seconds for a "free statement." It's like six sound-bite-filled stump speeches mixed throughout the debate. You might as well be flushing time down the toilet. Richardson even manages to stick his foot in his mouth: "I’m going to Read More...
-
He looks like a ghost. Could be PBS's fault ... or an overzealous beautician. Read More...
-
Carolyn " al-Qaida " Washburn is back, promising to keep people to time limits but saying, "I’ll try not to be a scrooge about it." Yesterday, the candidates seemed to bristle at the format, which didn't produce many fireworks. So far, today doesn't look Read More...
-
|
|