Overview for 2012-election

It WILL be Romney

Rick Perry's propensity for gaffes, poor straw poll performance, and lackluster debating skills are already forcing many people who thought he would surely be the Republican nominee to reconsider. They're right to have second thoughts, yet while Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and even Jon Huntsman …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Monday September 26, 2011

Romney's Dangerous Windfall

Rick Perry seems to be reeling after his debate performance in Florida last week. It’s early yet to see anything in public polling, but his subsequent flop in the Florida straw poll into which he had invested significant money and energy is causing serious concern for his campaign. However, …

Written by Chris Ladd on Monday September 26, 2011

More GOP Debate Questions

Frum Forum is asking its regular contributors and readers what questions should be asked of the candidates at the next GOP debate on Thursday, September 22nd. This is our second collection of questions. Question from Zac Morgan : Governor Perry, just how much will your foreign …

Written by FrumForum Editors on Wednesday September 21, 2011

The GOP Field is Now Closed

Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin is unhappy with the state of the Republican Presidential field and so has come up with a roadmap for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to enter in at the last minute and sweep the primaries and election. The sheer scale of the plan that Rubin is …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday September 20, 2011

George W. Bush: Just Another RINO

img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-103720" title="Bush" src="/files/wxrimport/2011-09/bush1.jpg" alt="" width="463" height="356" />

Written by Zac Morgan on Thursday September 15, 2011

Sauce for The Goose

Democrats horrified by a proposed change in the assignment of Electoral College votes in Pennsylvania seem to have forgotten they tried the exact same trick in Colorado in 2004.

Written by David Frum on Wednesday September 14, 2011

Perry: Slow on His Feet

Here's a sharp observation at National Journal about last night's GOP debate: In the most pivotal moment of the debate, Romney laid a trap for Perry by asking if he was going to “retreat’’ from the idea that Social Security is an unconstitutional federal program that should be turned over …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday September 13, 2011

The Romney We Need

Mitt Romney arrived loaded for bear this evening, pointing out, for example, that Rick Perry's Texas created jobs at barely 1/3 the rate of Anne Richards' Texas. On Social Security, Romney battered Rick Perry's call to have a debate about Social Security ... some time in the far, far future, in …

Written by David Frum on Monday September 12, 2011

Perry Gets Targeted at GOP Debate

It's difficult to see how Governor Perry walks away from this debate without any chinks in his armor. Ron Paul's dig as a Texas resident in particular drew some blood, and even what sounded like gasps from the Tea Party crowd. However, his later ramblings about Saudi military bases may have …

Written by Corey Chambliss on Monday September 12, 2011

The Mother of all Unforced Errors

During the September 7th Republican Presidential debate, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas repeated an earlier assertion of his that Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme. Read that again: in the age of Bernie Madoff, Rick Perry called Social Security a Ponzi Scheme. When the GOP nominating season was …

Written by Jamie McFadden on Thursday September 8, 2011

Perry Comes Unprepared to the GOP Debate

GOP Reagan Library Debate Pre-Debate Analysis: ---------- Tonight will be Rick Perry’s debut at a GOP presidential debate. As we have seen in this cycle, a good debate performance can provide a real boost to candidates and change the dynamics of the race. Michele Bachmann’s strong …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday September 7, 2011

With Rick Perry: Hope for the Best

The campaign for the Republican nomination for President now gets serious. A variety of polls indicate that Texas Gov. Rick Perry currently has the lead. Perry’s surge has drawn a range of reactions—fear from his fellow GOP contenders, scorn from the “Progressive” wing of the Democratic Party, …

Written by Steve Bell on Wednesday September 7, 2011

Huntsman: The Truer Conservative

Here’s a brief biography of two candidates: One of them presided over arguably the best business climate in the nation, so good that Forbes magazine ranked it as the best state for business and careers. As governor, he enacted free-market health care reforms, balanced the budget, and thus …

Written by J.D. Hamel on Wednesday September 7, 2011

Rick Perry, The Anti-Bush Texan

Frum Forum's contributors have been asked to provide their thoughts about Texas Governor Rick Perry's candidacy and what it might mean for the GOP. Regardless of one's political stance, one can see a difference between Rick Perry and former President George W. Bush with respect to how they …

Written by Mark R. Yzaguirre on Tuesday September 6, 2011

If it's Perry: Anti-Science Label Sticks

If Rick Perry is the nominee, we will hear stepped-up criticism that there is a Republican “ war on science ,” that the GOP is anti-intellectual and antipathetic to facts and analysis. Such criticism will resonate with many voters, precisely because Perry’s nomination will be evidence that it’s …

Written by Kenneth Silber on Tuesday September 6, 2011

Will Perry Win With 16% Unemployment?

Into the presidential race rides another man from Texas, Governor Rick Perry. If this election is about jobs, the Republicans would have to be crazy to nominate anyone else. While the Democrats will try to parse and spin the numbers, Texas has done better than the rest of the nation in …

Written by Hank Adler on Tuesday September 6, 2011

Rick Perry's Land Deals: Why They Matter

Jim Geraghty replies to our blogposts on Texas Governor Rick Perry's uncannily successful land dealings: Last year the Democrat gubernatorial candidate in Texas, Bill White, tried to make an issue of it , and Texans largely yawned. Some of these deals go back to Perry’s time as Texas …

Written by David Frum on Wednesday August 31, 2011

Perry's Land Deals: He Discloses, You Decide

What does the law say about Gov. Perry's land transactions? Simple: they are clearly legal. As long as the profits from the sales were not contingent on Perry doing a specific favor for whomever he sold the land to, Perry has nothing to fear from the law. Connections, favoritism and inside …

Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Tuesday August 30, 2011

How Ron Paul Could Save Obama

John Podhoretz writes about the possibility of a third party bid by Jon Huntsman and whether he could harm Obama in the process. As heartening as I found it, I wish to take issue with part of the argument. I do not think the key to a third party candidate damaging one or the other main candidates …

Written by John Vecchione on Friday August 26, 2011

Perry's Fragile Lead

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has surged ahead in the Republican polls, occupying territory previously held by Michele Bachmann and Donald Trump: the "won't somebody save us from Mitt Romney" slot. Because Perry is a more plausible candidate than either Bachmann or Trump (he is a state governor after …

Written by David Frum on Thursday August 25, 2011