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Tag Archives: Elections
When Good Candidates Go Bad – The Daily Beast
George Clooney is a political junkie. The son of a newsman explored the intersection of government and journalism in the Oscar-winning Good Night and Good Luck. Now he’s taking on presidential campaigns in The Ides of March, a political thriller … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2012 Elections, Elections, Music, Book and Movie Reviews, The Daily Beast
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Picking Bachmann or Perry is risky for GOP – CNN.com
A day can be a long time in politics, and that was certainly true this past Saturday. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll in Ames, followed by libertarian Congressman Ron Paul. Tim Pawlenty’s third-place finish pushed the two-term … Continue reading
Are Republicans at War with Reality? – CNN.com
So here’s what I learned watching Thursday night’s Republican debate: States’ rights should rule the day, unless you’re gay. Small government is the rule unless a rapist impregnates his victim. Loyalty oaths should be the new normal. Ten-to-one spending cuts … Continue reading
GOP Players’ Iowa Test – The Daily Beast
If you like sweet corn, or presidential politics, this is a good time to be in the heartland. On Thursday night, the GOP field will meet for a pivotal debate in Des Moines, Iowa. On Saturday, the only straw poll that … Continue reading
Hillary and the 51% – The Daily Beast
“Extremism thrives on anger and ignorance,” Hillary Clinton declared at the Women of the World Summit, taking aim at the Taliban and the repression of women and girls worldwide—what she called “the great unfinished business of the 21st century.” This … Continue reading
The Tea Party Hurt the GOP – The Daily Beast
The lesson that hyper-partisans will be tempted to take from Tuesday’s historic “shellacking” is that the more polarizing the candidate, the better the results. Reality does not bear that theory out. In fact, the most celebrated Tea Party-supported nominees trailed … Continue reading
The Case for Crazy: What the GOP Would Learn by Picking Rick Santorum – The Daily Beast
A cleansing bout of craziness in 2012 could be just what the GOP needs. I’m talking about a nominee so far to the right that conservative populists get their fondest wish—and the Republican Party is forced to learn from the … Continue reading
God for Vice President – The Daily Beast
Christine O’Donnell’s latest face-plant—asking “Where in the Constitution is separation of church and state?”—was not just cringe-inducing. It was revealing and part of a growing chorus from social conservative populist candidates running under the Tea Party banner this year. O’Donnell’s … Continue reading
China Invades the Midterms – The Daily Beast
China has emerged as a key campaign issue in 2010, invoked by Democrats and Republicans alike. But the anger isn’t just the outsourcing of jobs in this Great Recession—it’s the long-term threat to American sovereignty posed by the U.S. debt. … Continue reading
The Top 10 Weirdest Campaign Ads – The Daily Beast
It’s enough to make you miss the “Daisy” ad. LBJ’s invocation of nuclear war if Barry Goldwater won the ‘64 election was substantive and civil compared to the worst of the campaign ads we’ve seen so far this season. It’s … Continue reading
Top 5 Misconceptions About the Tea Party Movement
One year ago, the first Tea Party protest hadn’t even been held yet and the phrase remained safely ensconced in American history textbooks. This weekend, the first national Tea Party Convention will be held in Nashville, and the fractious movement … Continue reading
Posted in Columns
Tagged 2010 Elections, Elections, Independent Voters, The Daily Beast
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10 Congressmen Who Should Be Fired
With less than 100 days left to the midterm elections, it’s clear that anti-incumbent anger is going to be a bad wind blowing through Nov. 2. But not all incumbents are created equally weasel-y, and the best way to judge … Continue reading
Swing Voters Will Decide Kennedy Seat – CNN.com
On Tuesday, the eyes of the political world will be turned to Massachusetts where an unexpectedly close special election is being held to determine who will succeed Ted Kennedy in the Senate. Conventional wisdom labels Massachusetts a liberal bastion, but … Continue reading
The Repudiation of Karl Rove – Politico.com
We don’t know yet who will win or by what margin, but we know one thing for certain: This election represents the repudiation of Karl Rove and his play-to-the-base strategy. There was always something dicey about stoking the fires of … Continue reading
Marathon Becomes Brawl – Politico.com
The rules of sports metaphors in politics are as follows: primary campaigns are marathons, general election campaigns are horse-races, the final weeks leading up to Election Day are sprints — but debates are boxing matches. And in last nights’ first … Continue reading