Res Judicata: Leave Tort Reform to the States
One tenet of all the Republican campaigns is the demand that Congress enact some type of “litigation reform.” This usually means caps on damages in civil tort litigation in general and punitive damages/pain and suffering awards in particular. Currently, there are no such limits under the Federal …
Romney Faces Skeptical Social Conservatives
It is the political conventional wisdom that Mitt Romney has a problem with evangelical voters. Ever since he lost the Iowa caucuses in 2008 to Mike Huckabee, Romney's appeal to the socially conservative base has been in doubt. Whether Romney can appeal to these voters is the question that looms …
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 …
When the Quotes Change, I Check My Attributions
Mitt Romney is a big fan of Winston Churchill. At a recent GOP debates he promised that if he was elected, a priority of his would be to restore a bust of Churchill back into the Oval Office. Yet it seems that Churchill-philia has gotten the better of Romney. During a Town Hall meeting in New …
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, …
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, …
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 …
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, …
Is Romney Winning Over Florida's Activists?
The Florida straw poll (technically associated with the Florida Republican Presidency 5 that coincides with the Conservative Political Action Conference) hasn't been released yet and, if the buttons and banners I've seen are any sign of enthusiasm, Rick Perry and Ron Paul will land at the top. …
Huntsman's Chance
The continuing deflation of Rick Perry after yet another fumbling debate performance has opened the most unexpected chapter yet in the GOP 2012 race: Jon Huntsman's emerging challenge to Mitt Romney - from the right. Sound incredible? Take a look at the opening of Jon Huntsman's speech …
Repeat After Me: 2012 is an Uphill Battle for Republicans
The economy is in the dumps, President Obama's latest plans for taxes seem dead on arrival and his approval ratings are near the low point of his presidency. As a result, it's becoming conventional wisdom--at least among over-eager Republicans--that the President is a dead duck and sure to lose in …
Perry is Toxic to Jewish Voters
President Obama, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Ed Koch are all doing their best to push Jewish voters away from the Democratic Party. These efforts are having effect. In NY-9, Jewish voters turned from the Jewish Democratic candidate to hand the victory to his Catholic Republican rival Bob …
Where the Crazy May Be Coming From
Our politics is getting weird. The crude, a href="http://buyviagraonlinefree.net/" style="text-decoration:none;color:#676c6c"> look
Perry's Wit: It May Not Be Good, But It's Slow
At the CNN/Tea Party GOP debate, Mitt Romney questioned whether Rick Perry truly deserved the credit for Texas' strong job performance. ROMNEY: Well, look, I think Governor Perry would agree with me that if you're dealt four aces that doesn't make you necessarily a great poker player. And …
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" />Who is Getting Into These Debates?
One unexpected story that has emerged from the two most recent GOP debates has been the behavior of the audience. They cheered when Rick Perry's record on executions was announced and Ron Paul got shouts of support when he was asked if a person who couldn't afford healthcare should be left to …
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 …
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 …
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 …