Overview for gop-2012

Seriously, Why Won't Perry Drop Out?

So it looks like the indications are that Rick Perry, former front-runner, last place finisher in the 2011 Republican Debate Tournament, is not hanging up his brush jacket yet. Despite his very melancholy nigh-concession last night, the Texas governor seems to be headed to South Carolina instead …

Written by Zac Morgan on Wednesday January 4, 2012

Rick Perry's Little Trick

Mike Huckabee has not endorsed Rick Perry for president. On the contrary, there's a long, rich record of Huckabee jabs at Perry. Yet take a look at the new Rick Perry ad, "President of Honor," aimed at the Iowa caucus-voters. The ad montages endorsements and testimonials from winners of the …

Written by David Frum on Friday December 23, 2011

The Coming GOP Gingrich Freakout

Today's question is: will the Gingrich balloon deflate like all the previous Not Mitt balloons? The answer is: yes of course--but given that these balloons take typically 6-8 weeks to shrivel, the impending Gingrich bust may not arrive soon enough to save Romney. No question though, it will …

Written by David Frum on Thursday December 8, 2011

Gingrich Passes a Very Low Bar

Newt Gingrich has a voluminous history of misdeeds as a public figure. But since he is now emerging as the consensus alternative to Mitt Romney, we should pause to appreciate how he is succeeding where others have failed in auditioning for that role. I write this not as a Newt Gingrich fan, …

Written by Jay Gatsby on Tuesday November 29, 2011

Romney and Huntsman vs. the Rest

In my column for the National Post , I explain why Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are the best contenders in the GOP presidential field: I'm looking for two chief things in a candidate for 2012: 1) The temperament, judgment, deftness and largeness of spirit required in the presidential …

Written by David Frum on Saturday November 26, 2011

Where Was Santorum's Safety Net?

Serious question: Why didn't the Bush administration give Rick Santorum some kind of consolation prize after his defeat in 2006? Here's a two-term senator, brought down by no mistake of his own, who had performed well in Congress and stood by the party leadership when called upon--eg, endorsing …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday November 22, 2011

That's a Lot of History!

It wasn't $300,000 that Freddie Mac paid Gingrich for his work supposedly as a non-lobbyist " historian ." It was between $1.6 million and $1.8 million. Gingrich says that all he did for that money was tell Freddie that their business model was "insane." Anybody find that believeable?

Written by David Frum on Wednesday November 16, 2011

The (Liberal's) Case for Mitt

Kevin Drum states it: A few months ago I was pretty much rooting for a Perry or a Bachmann to win the GOP nomination because I figured (a) they'd lose big in the general election, and (b) their loss might push the Republican Party back toward the center sooner than otherwise. But it's just …

Written by David Frum on Tuesday November 15, 2011

D'OH!

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Written by Noah Kristula-Green on Wednesday November 9, 2011

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

The Nominee Will Be Romney and the GOP Will Like Him

Although I'm hardly optimistic that he'll take the presidency, there's every reason to think that Mitt Romney is going win the Republican nomination and attract the votes of his own party members. Thus, while I would still bet on Obama to win reelection, I disagree with David Frum 's contention …

Written by Eli Lehrer on Tuesday November 1, 2011

The Alternative to Rick Perry: Trickle Up

Perhaps the greatest single threat to both conservatism in American life and the nation's economic vitality is not Ivy League professors or Hollywood elites or a sinister "progressive" conspiracy but the economic decline of the middle class. Take away hope in the churning of the free market, and …

Written by Fred Bauer on Wednesday October 26, 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

Cain's Immigration Plan is Not Enough

Last night’s free-wheeling, barely moderated debate was a joy to watch. We learned that Michele Bachmann thinks Libya is not in Africa. We learned that Herman Cain might have another set of numbers besides 9-9-9: 171 -for-1...the number of Gitmo detainees that he might be willing to swap for a …

Written by Zac Morgan on Wednesday October 19, 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

Herman Cain Can't Be President

In my column for CNN, I explain why Heman Cain can't be President: If Herman Cain had served as governor of Georgia, or even mayor of Atlanta, he'd be a valid and credible candidate for president of the United States. But here's the trouble: he has not held those offices or any other …

Written by David Frum 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

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

I May Vote for Romney, But I Won't Like it

David manfully takes up the job of stirring enthusiasm for Mitt Romney as President. I was for Pawlenty before that became impossible. Now Perry has revealed himself to be another Republican politician who cannot talk. Worse, he seems to insult the base without knowing it. At least with …

Written by John Vecchione on Friday September 30, 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