Overview for 2012-election

Signs of the Times

Bill Kristol had a cryptic editorial in the Weekly Standard this weekend, wistfully remarking that 2012 is not 1980 and that conservatives may have to resign themselves to "a not particularly distinguished four-year governor who’d zigged and zagged back and forth to be acceptable to large parts …

Written by David Frum on Monday November 7, 2011

Cain is Unqualified Even Without a Sex Scandal

Well, I still don’t have a candidate. Herman Cain’s not the guy. His weaknesses now outweigh his advantages. Just as I never disliked Sarah Palin and actually loved it when she was announced as the Vice Presidential pick by John McCain, I have never disliked Herman Cain. But for similar reasons …

Written by John Vecchione on Thursday November 3, 2011

The GOP's Best Case/Worst Case

In my column for CNN, I discuss how the Tea Party will react to the different possible outcomes of the 2012 election: A new CNN poll finds that about half of Republicans sympathize with the tea party movement. The other half either remain aloof or (5%) even express hostility. That second …

Written by David Frum on Monday October 31, 2011

Bumbling Joe

"When he rises to speak, he does not know what he will say. As he speaks, he does not know what he is saying. When he sits down again, he does not know what he has said." That old House of Commons joke about a certain kind of garrulous parliamentarian applies to America's own Joe Biden. CNN …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday October 25, 2011

Admit it, The GOP Needs a Smart Nominee

Mitt Romney is the most intellectual of the leading Republican presidential candidates (Romney, Cain, Perry). That can’t be questioned. His masterful debate performances – capped by the October 18th debate's one-on-one destruction of Perry – have evinced quick-wittedness, a deep grasp of policy …

Written by Stephen Richer on Monday October 24, 2011

What if the GOP Candidates Were Athletes?

Some months ago, my column compared GOP presidential wannabes with famous athletes. The comparison that received the most attention was Sarah Palin/LeBron James (glitzy superstars tarnished by quitting). But the presidential field looked different then. Indeed, of the politicians in the piece, …

Written by Alan Hirsch on Friday October 21, 2011

Read FrumForum's Nevada GOP Debate Livechat

On October 19th, Frum Forum's bloggers and contributors liveblogged the Nevada's GOP presidential debate. The debate was a lively affair, featuring strong attacks on Herman Cain's 999 plan, energetic rhetoric from Rick Perry, and even a physical confrontation between Mitt Romney and Rick Perry. …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday October 18, 2011

Watch: Frum on Herman Cain

On CNN's American Morning , David Frum discussed his latest column arguing that Herman Cain lacks the necessary experience to be president:

Written by FrumForum Editors on Monday October 17, 2011

The Rookie as the Nominee

Consider this scenario: During midterm elections, voters deliver a stinging rebuke to a Democratic President whose plans to rescue a country from a serious downturn appear to have failed. This leads to record Republican pickups in the House of Representatives. As an economy that once appeared …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday October 17, 2011

Romney Can't Stop the Tea Party

By all appearances Mitt Romney seems likely to walk away with the Republican Party’s 2012 nomination. We can still expect a few scares, particularly in Iowa and South Carolina, but it’s getting harder to construct a credible scenario in which Romney fumbles this one away. He looks smart, savvy, …

Written by Chris Ladd on Friday October 14, 2011

Does the Tea Party Have a Future?

In my column for The Week , I discuss what the future of the Tea Party will be if Mitt Romney is the Republican nominee for President: The astounding result: After three years of battling against ObamaCare, the most likely winner of the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 is the …

Written by David Frum on Thursday October 13, 2011

Romney Won't Drink the Tea

In an October 11 post discussing Romney’s performance in a recent Gallup poll, the Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen noted, “What seems more interesting, however, is just how weak a frontrunner Mitt Romney really is. Even as Rick Perry’s support collapses, and even when the rest of the GOP field …

Written by D.R. Tucker on Wednesday October 12, 2011

No Disrespect But...

Who produces the first big analysis: Why the Tea Party could not produce a credible presidential candidate?

Written by David Frum on Wednesday October 12, 2011

GOP Candidates Spar Over the Economy

GOP Bloomberg Econ Debate What did we learn from last night's debate? There are problems with Herman Cain's candidacy . Herman Cain's rising popularity and poll numbers meant that Bloomberg had to dedicate a significant amount of time to his 9-9-9 plan. His plan was even presented as part of …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday October 11, 2011

Will Palin Be Forced to Run?

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Written by Mytheos Holt on Wednesday October 5, 2011

Christie is Ready for the White House

Speculation is rampant as to whether New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will enter the 2012 Republican presidential primary. Almost all the media focus thus far has been on political calculations , such as Christie’s ability to raise money, put together a national campaign organization, and …

Written by Clifton Yin on Tuesday October 4, 2011

Perry: Media Bubble Boy

Texas Governor Rick Perry has had a tough week politically because of his weak performance at the last GOP presidential debate. He's had to backtrack from comments he made and his standing in the polls has taken a hit . There's been a lot of commentary regarding why Perry hasn't done as well …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Friday September 30, 2011

Can Intrade Predict the 2016 Election Winners?

I completely agree with Eli Lehrer that the Republican Party's 2012 nominee will be Romney. I also agree with his analysis of the reasons Republican nominations are decided on the question "Whose turn is it?" But what is completely lost in all the excitement over watching Mitt Romney vanquish one …

Written by Andrew Pavelyev on Wednesday September 28, 2011

The Case for Romney

In my column for The Week , I make the affirmative case for Mitt Romney to be the Republican presidential nominee: For three years, Republican activists, strategists, and donors have tried to find a plausible alternative to Romney, and again and again they have failed. For about 15 minutes, …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday September 28, 2011

Which GOP Candidates Flunk the Freshness Test?

According to columnist Jonathan Rauch, the problem with our last two Presidents isn’t that they’re red or blue. It’s that they were both too green. “The nominees in 2000 and 2008 were the least experienced out of all the candidates,” Rauch said. “Bush was Governor for only six years, and Obama, …

Written by Mytheos Holt on Tuesday September 27, 2011