February 14, 2008

Most. Awkward. Endorsement. Ever.

"We always had good laughs together."

Those words, spoken by Mitt Romney about John McCain, might have seemed hard to believe just a few short weeks ago, when the two candidates were regularly exchanging harsh words both on the stump and on the airwaves. McCain's distaste for the man who endorsed him this afternoon was evident and amplified during the final month or so of the campaign. The acrimony was often attributed to Romney's wealth, the perception that he was a flip-flopper and the negative ads he aired against McCain and Mike Huckabee. But close watchers of the race know that McCain gave as well as he got in recent weeks, airing attack ads against Romney in Florida, Super Tuesday states and even in the Washington, D.C., metro area after Romney dropped out of the race.

"As all of you saw over the past year, things can get pretty rough in the thick of a campaign," Romney said as he announced his endorsement.

Despite the history of bad blood, however, those who heard Romney's exit speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference and saw McCain's smiley photo op with House Republicans earlier this week might not be too surprised at today's endorsement. Many prominent members of the GOP establishment -- talk-radio hosts and conservative commentators notwithstanding -- are making it known that they are throwing their full support behind McCain, if only because they prefer him to the alternative.

Continue reading "Most. Awkward. Endorsement. Ever."

Posted at 5:35 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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February 12, 2008

WH '08: The Hurry-Up Primary Campaign

In homage to the great sportswriter (and Brookings Institution egghead) Gregg Easterbrook, we're dubbing today's spate of regional votes the Potomac Drainage Basin Primary. (It's no worse than any of the other nicknames we've seen.)

So in case you missed it, there's a primary vote happening today in Virginia, Maryland and right here in the District. Barack Obama's going to sweep those votes, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is going to keep losing contests until March 4's Ohio and Texas primaries, which she might also lose. Wow, those are a long way away. She's a goner.

And... scene.

So goes our cheeky ribbing of the media speculation-a-thon regarding today's primaries, which according to MSM bylaws a) must have a cutesy nickname (Chesapeake or Crab Cake?) and b) must be predictive of the nomination winner and, while we're at it, the winner of the November general election vote.

Continue reading "WH '08: The Hurry-Up Primary Campaign"

Posted at 6:10 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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February 08, 2008

McCain & Conservatives: It's Not Love, But It'll Do

Conservative activists still haven't forgiven John McCain for thumbing his nose at them in 2000, when he challenged their candidate, George W. Bush, for the Republican nomination. That's evident this week, as thousands of the conservative grassroots convene at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington for the 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference.

Eleven months ago, as the 2008 presidential race was kicking into gear, there was zero support for McCain at CPAC. Though Mitt Romney emerged the CPAC straw poll winner, support for him at the time seemed to be borne of resignation. The conservative base was agonizing over its choices for the nominee, and at its dim hopes of hanging on to the White House in the wake of a tremendously unpopular Republican presidency. The ennui prompted Mike Huckabee to quip that the conference ought to be renamed, "Dude, where's my candidate?"

With no offense intended to Huckabee, who still remains in this contest, it's now pretty clear that, dude, your candidate is John McCain.

"I hope you will pardon my absence last year, and understand that I intended no personal insult to any of you. I was merely preoccupied with the business of trying to escape the distinction of preseason front-runner for the Republican nomination which, I'm sure some of you observed, I managed to do in fairly short order," McCain said at the conference yesterday, using humor as he often does to defuse an awkward situation.

It worked, and not just because the room was packed with the McCainiacs who were totally absent at last year's CPAC. Just hours before, Mitt Romney informed attendees he was dropping out of the race. Romney supporters were also on hand to hear from McCain, in an irony-laden, fresh-start introduction to the GOP's presumptive nominee.

Continue reading "McCain & Conservatives: It's Not Love, But It'll Do"

Posted at 5:07 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
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February 07, 2008

McCain At CPAC: Joy, Boos, But Mostly Joy

Just a few hours after Mitt Romney announced he was pulling out of contention, a swarm of conservative activists were pushing and shoving their way into a hotel ballroom to catch a glimpse of the soon-to-be-officially-anointed Republican presidential nominee, John McCain. Much like the Arizona senator's revived White House hopes, the sight of hundreds of attendees brandishing "McCain for President" shirts, buttons and placards was a stunning turnaround.

The ballroom at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington was filled beyond capacity. After making the mistake of wandering around to interview attendees, this Gater was nearly shut out, along with fellow reporters from AP, the Financial Times and Time magazine. Hotel staff weren't even cracking the doors for NPR's Mara Liasson and the New York Times' Maureen Dowd.

After mistaking this Gater for one of CPAC's College Republican organizers (humph!), Liasson was squeezed in, along with some of the rest of us -- including yours truly.

Continue reading "McCain At CPAC: Joy, Boos, But Mostly Joy"

Posted at 5:30 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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Romney Ends White House Bid 'For Country, Party'

Speaking before a roomful of conservative activists in Washington, Mitt Romney drew his presidential campaign to a close.

"This is not an easy decision for me. I hate to lose," Romney said before an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference. "If this were only about me, I would go on. But I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country."

Romney was announcing the suspension of his campaign -- a technical term that allows him to keep raising funds -- two days after a deeply disappointing performance on Super Tuesday. John McCain has won 13 of the states that have held primaries or caucuses so far, and Romney is close behind with 11. But McCain's wins in big-prize states like California on Tuesday gave him a nearly insurmountable delegate-count lead. With Mike Huckabee strongly defending his turf in the South, it became impossible on Wednesday morning to see how Romney could overtake the Arizona senator.

"I disagree with Senator McCain on a number of issues, as you know. But I agree with him on doing whatever it takes to be successful in Iraq, on finding and executing Osama bin Laden and on eliminating al-Qaida and terror," Romney said. "If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator [Hillary Rodham] Clinton or [Barack] Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

The crowd let its disappointment be known, booing Romney's decision to bow out and pleading with him to hang on. But the politically tuned-in CPAC attendees know better than anyone that their guy has virtually no shot at the Republican nomination.

McCain skipped the conference last year because he had no support there. He's scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. today, and now that Romney's out, will ride in as the Republican nominee. We got a preview of how he'll be received, courtesy of talk-radio host Laura Ingraham.

Continue reading "Romney Ends White House Bid 'For Country, Party'"

Posted at 1:32 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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February 06, 2008

Super Tuesday Updates: New Mexico & Romney

We called it quits last night with two states outstanding. The results are in for one of the states, while the other is turning out to be a nail-biter.

In the New Mexico Democratic caucus, the Clinton-Obama contest is still too close to call. Fewer than 120 votes separated Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama after counting earlier today, so that contest will be decided by provisional ballots, the Albuquerque Journal reports. State Democratic Party workers will begin counting the more than 16,000 provisional ballots today.

Per the Journal, Clinton took most of the counties while Obama bested her in Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties. The strong Latino vote helped Clinton here, but it's too soon to tell if that will be enough.

New Mexico is a proportional delegate state, with 38 up for grabs. That means both will walk away with some of the booty. But a win here for Obama adds another swing state to his column, further undergirding his claim that he would perform better than Clinton in the general election. That's why both candidates lobbied so hard for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's endorsement. He declined to tap either until the nomination is decided, but he did watch the Super Bowl with Bill Clinton. (Of course, President Clinton used to be Richardson's boss.)

Continue reading "Super Tuesday Updates: New Mexico & Romney"

Posted at 2:24 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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The Economy: Not So Super

The excitement surrounding yesterday's unprecedented Super Tuesday nominating contests obscured the latest and perhaps most damning news to come out on the troubled economy: Activity in the crucial service sector slowed for the first time in nearly five years last month.

The report from the Institute of Supply Management shows a significant decline in non-manufacturing activity (previously the "firmest pillar of economic expansion") in January. Those numbers, coupled with last week's news that jobs were declining, are heightening concerns that the economy is not only headed for a recession, but is already in one.

"Recession is here," the headline on CNNMoney.com read yesterday. The report quotes several economists who said the ISM report was the tipping point for them.

Continue reading "The Economy: Not So Super"

Posted at 12:20 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Campaigns, Congress, Democrats, Economy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, House, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Senate, WH 2008
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Big Fat Super Tuesday: It's Still Not Over!

1:58. Obama's declared the "winner winner" in Missouri. He and Clinton are running about even in New Mexico.

In the Republican field, it's near impossible to see how anyone stops McCain. A comeback for the history books, surely. It will be interesting to see how he's received Thursday at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, which he skipped last year because there was so much hostility toward him. The Gate will be there.

Meanwhile, Romney is meeting with his top advisers tomorrow to discuss his future, the Boston Globe reports. He's been accusing Huckabee of splitting the evangelical vote, but Huckabee's supporters are more likely to go to McCain should their guy bail out. The South was in a pretty anti-Romney mood today, and there's reason to believe this has something to do with religion.

Knowingly or not, Huckabee has used the religion wedge to his advantage. Some would say knowingly, although he hasn't really been called out on it.

We're going to call it a night. Check back tomorrow later today for those lingering New Mexico and Alaska results.

1:26. MSNBC's Chuck Todd did the math, and he projects Obama and Clinton will be about tied in delegate counts. They will have to soldier on in the upcoming contests: Louisiana (2/9), Washington (2/9), Maine (2/10), D.C. (2/12), Maryland (2/12), Virginia (2/12) and probably beyond.

Continue reading "Big Fat Super Tuesday: It's Still Not Over!"

Posted at 1:59 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, George H.W. Bush, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Gravel, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, WH 2008
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February 05, 2008

First Winner Of The Day!

UPDATED.

Mike Huckabee became Super Tuesday's first winner after cleaning up West Virginia's 18 delegates in that state's close GOP nominating convention. The sniping has already started over the legitimacy of Huckabee's win.

Mitt Romney's campaign reacted to his loss by lashing out at main rival John McCain, accusing him of colluding with Huckabee at the convention.

"Unfortunately, this is what Senator McCain's inside Washington ways look like: he cut a backroom deal with the tax-and-spend candidate he thought could best stop Governor Romney's campaign of conservative change," said campaign manager Beth Myers.

Continue reading "First Winner Of The Day!"

Posted at 4:31 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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February 04, 2008

WH '08: There Goes That Theory

We've been quietly wondering whether John McCain's sudden ascendancy would worry Democrats supporting Barack Obama enough to make them rethink their vote. Hillary Rodham Clinton has been cast as the "experience" candidate, and the veracity of that claim aside, she has been viewed as a safer bet to win against a strong war-on-terror candidate like McCain in the general election.

Remember Obama's victory speech after he won the South Carolina Democratic primary, when he and a stadium full of supporters asked America not to tell them change was impossible? Well, the "believe" mantra you've been seeing on all those campaign signs and hearing in so many of Obama's speeches appears to be taking hold, less than 24 hours before Democratic voters in 22 states go to the polls.

Several new surveys show Obama outperforming Clinton in national matchups against McCain. In one poll showing the two Democrats both beating McCain, Obama does it by an 8-point margin, compared to a 3-point margin for Clinton. Others show Clinton losing to McCain and McCain losing to Obama.

(Mitt Romney, by the way, gets bludgeoned by both.)

It looks as if Democratic voters tomorrow won't have to make a painful choice between following their heads and following their hearts after all.

Continue reading "WH '08: There Goes That Theory"

Posted at 6:17 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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January 30, 2008

McCain Wins Giuliani Nod, Puts Entire Field On Notice

UPDATED.

"I made it clear at different times in this campaign that if I had not decided to run -- I believe I even said it at a debate -- the only person in the country that I clearly would've supported for the president of the United States would be John McCain. And that came from the heart.

"Today, I'm officially announcing my withdrawal as a candidate for president of the United States."

And with that, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani closed the chapter on his own presidential aspirations and opened a new one in this rollercoaster ride of an election cycle. McCain's victory in the Florida Republican primary yesterday was already validation that he's now the GOP front-runner. Giuliani's decision to ally himself with McCain today sent a strong message to the challengers in both fields: This election will once again center on security and defense.

"It will be a clear choice this November, and I believe that my life has prepared me. A life of service, and a life of dedication to lead this nation and the transcendent challenge of the 21st century: the great threat and evil of radical Islam," McCain said, accepting Giuliani's endorsement.

The person who should fear McCain's ascendancy most immediately is Mitt Romney, who's been pushed out of the headlines as the nation digests McCain's comeback, unthinkable just months ago. McCain not only has a delegates-count advantage going into next week's Super Tuesday contests, he also has a wide margin over Romney in national polling, which at this late date can be considered a fairly reliable indicator of how the big-prize states will vote.

Continue reading "McCain Wins Giuliani Nod, Puts Entire Field On Notice"

Posted at 7:04 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 29, 2008

McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out

UPDATED.

John McCain edged out rival Mitt Romney to win the Republican primary in Florida, sealing his comeback status as the front-runner in this race.

"Our victory might not have reached landslide proportions, but it is sweet nonetheless," McCain said, as supporters cheered an increasingly familiar refrain, "Mac is back! Mac is back!"

"To everyone who in good times and bad devoted much time and energy and hope to keeping our candidacy competitive: Thank you from the bottom of my heart," McCain said, in reference to his astonishing revival after being left for dead last summer when his campaign operation imploded.

These numbers will be confirmed tomorrow, but McCain bested Romney by about 36 percent to 31 percent. Rudy Giuliani won 15 percent of the registered-Republicans-only vote, followed by Mike Huckabee 2 points behind. The exit polling data show some surprising alliances. Latinos overwhelmingly went to McCain, even though Romney was up with Spanish-language ads in Florida nearly a year ago. McCain also bested Romney among voters middle-aged and older. The two fared about equally among middle-income voters, with Romney gaining an edge in the $100,000-$199,990 bracket. But McCain won over Republicans earning $200,000 or more, 44 percent to 30 percent.

With Super Tuesday just a week away, McCain heads into that 24-state competition the delegate-count winner, with Romney his chief rival and Huckabee the wild card.

Meanwhile, without actually saying he was dropping out, Giuliani all but drew his campaign to a close in his concession speech tonight. He said he was "proud" of his campaign for keeping things positive -- he never really went after anyone except Romney and Ron Paul -- and nodded to his improbable candidacy and improbable strategy.

Continue reading "McCain Edges Romney In Florida; Giuliani Bowing Out"

Posted at 11:17 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? Who Who?

When he's not freestyle rapping, Mitt Romney also enjoys running for president of the United States. Tonight, we will find out if the Republican voters of Florida will crown him the candidate to beat going into next Tuesday, or if his chief rival in this state, John McCain, definitively becomes 2008's Comeback Kid.

We kid the former Massachusetts governor, of course, who is poised to win the Florida primary today and put to rest doubts that he can sweep enough Super Tuesday delegates to carry him to the nomination. He shot for and missed winning the nod in the supposedly crucial (but probably not so much anymore) states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which prompted a bunch of fortune tellers to write his WH '08 obit. But Romney doesn't have the best ground game and organization in this field for nothing. Polls put [PDF] him in a dead heat for first with McCain, which could effectively make Feb. 5 a two-man contest.

That is, if potential spoiler Rudy Giuliani doesn't beat expectations. The former NYC mayor is promising he will deliver in spite of the polling numbers. He's crossing his fingers that a lot of the absentee balloting went his way, though it's not clear that would make a difference, our colleagues at Pollster.com say.

Continue reading "Who Let The Dogs Out? Who? Who Who?"

Posted at 5:43 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Points For Trying

As Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius noted in her Democratic response to the State of the Union address last night, states and municipalities are experimenting with health care reforms in the absence of what many agree is a badly needed overhaul on the federal level. One of the leaders in this movement is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who negotiated last year with Democratic state lawmakers over a universal health insurance program for his state.

The $14.9-billion proposal was eagerly anticipated by other states eyeing similar measures. Congressional lawmakers were also keen to learn from California's experience. They'll all have to wait a little longer, though, because yesterday the state Senate rejected Schwarzenegger's plan.

Per the Los Angeles Times: "Senators said it was too risky a financial commitment when California faces a $14.5-billion budget gap that could force them to cut existing healthcare programs. Schwarzenegger has proposed $2.9 billion in healthcare cuts over the next 18 months."

Continue reading "Points For Trying"

Posted at 2:32 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Health, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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January 25, 2008

WH '08: Everyone's Being So Nice! (For Now.)

Hey, you guys! It's so super to see you! No matter what happens in Florida on Tuesday, let's promise to always be friends. I am so serious!!!

Ahem.

The Republican candidates debate last night was mind-bogglingly polite -- proof that in politics, anything really is possible. Gone were the condescending swipes at Mitt Romney that dominated the previous GOP debate earlier this month. Romney, in kind, held his fire, and so for once we had a forum that was dominated by issues.

We heard some interesting ideas from the candidates on how to jump-start the economy. Mike Huckabee, for instance, made a pretty good point when he said that the rebate checks millions of Americans will receive as part of a congressional stimulus package will likely go to goods made elsewhere, which does nothing to address the dying manufacturing sector here at home.

"And frankly, in talking about the stimulus package, one of the concerns that I have is that we'll probably end up borrowing this $150 billion from the Chinese. And when we get those rebate checks, most people are going to go out and buy stuff that's been imported from China. I have to wonder whose economy is going to be stimulated the most by the package," the former Arkansas governor said.

You won't hear talk like that on the Democratic side, where it's anathema to question the soundness of cutting those checks even though economists doubt they are actually stimulative.

Yesterday's debate also saw the return of the Iraq war as a campaign issue. Romney in particular foreshadowed the general-election argument to come on this topic: "We cannot turn Iraq over to al-Qaida and have al-Qaida have a safe haven from which they could recruit people to carry out bombings, to attack this country and our friends around the world. It's unthinkable. And that's why I will not walk away from Iraq until we have been successful and finish that job."

Where there were policy differences, the candidates managed to lay out their arguments without elbowing the others along the way. We saw what looked to be genuine camaraderie between Romney and Rudy Giuliani on the heels of a New York Times article on why Romney is the most disliked candidate in this field. And speaking of Giuliani, his chuckling and snorting punctuated nearly all the lighter moments of the 90-minute debate. (Where was that Giuliani when he was mayor of New York??)

Continue reading "WH '08: Everyone's Being So Nice! (For Now.)"

Posted at 5:51 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 24, 2008

McCain Wins Coveted Rambo Endorsement

Haha, we kid. About the "coveted" part, anyway. But seriously, Sylvester Stallone really has endorsed Arizona Sen. John McCain for president.

"I like McCain a lot. A lot," Sly told Fox News. "And you know, things may change along the way, but there's something about matching the character with the script. And right now, the script that's being written and reality is pretty brutal and pretty hard-edged like a rough action film, and you need somebody who's been in that to deal with it."

Continue reading "McCain Wins Coveted Rambo Endorsement"

Posted at 12:50 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 19, 2008

Super Saturday I: McCain Wins S.C. Primary In Nail-Biter

UPDATED.

Now you may call it a comeback: John McCain has taken the South Carolina Republican primary.

McCain pulled out a narrow victory over Mike Huckabee, 33 percent to 30 percent. Fred Thompson (16 percent) and Mitt Romney (15 percent) basically tied for third.

"You know, it took us a while, but what's eight years among friends?" McCain quipped in his trademark self-deprecating manner, referencing his South Carolina loss to President Bush in 2000. "As I have said before, I know that before I can win your vote, I must earn your respect. And the only way I know how to do that is by being honest with you. I have tried to do that throughout this campaign, and to put my trust in your willingness to give me your fair consideration. So far, it seems to be working out just fine," he continued, in a room filled with ecstatic volunteers and supporters who minutes before had been chanting "Mac is back! Mac is back!"

McCain also made sure to note -- or gloat, perhaps -- that the chattering classes had declared his campaign DOA just months ago. "I am aware that for the last 28 years, the winner of the South Carolina primary has been the nominee of our party. We have a ways to go, of course," he said. "There are some tough contests ahead, starting tomorrow in the state of Florida. But, my friends, we are well on our way tonight. And I feel very good about our chances."

The outcome in South Carolina tonight is meaningful for at least two big reasons. One is that neither Huckabee nor McCain directly engaged in a negative way in a state infamous for its down-and-dirty politics.

Continue reading "Super Saturday I: McCain Wins S.C. Primary In Nail-Biter"

Posted at 10:05 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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January 18, 2008

Can This Brand Be Saved?

It's been one year since the unofficial kickoff of the 2008 presidential campaigns, and the state of play for the Republican nomination contest is remarkable both for what has changed and what hasn't.

Most obviously different are the front-runners. Mike Huckabee, nationally unknown this time in 2007, now rides comfortably in the top tier. He's always had the goods to do well in this campaign but faced long odds against better-funded celebrity candidates.

Both he and John McCain have smashed pundits' expectations and are now enjoying the attention and funding that front-runner status guarantees. But in many ways, the game for the Republicans hasn't changed one bit. This field still lacks a candidate who is all things to all GOP voters. The party isn't coalescing around one or two choices, as is happening in the Democratic race. Rather, the party is being divvied up like a pie, with each candidate representing just a slice of the big-picture GOP platform.

The primary vote is so fractured, in fact, that a brokered convention actually seems a distinct possibility. Yeah, yeah, we hear that every other cycle. Only, the longer you examine the differences among Huckabee, McCain, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani, the more completely, utterly irreconcilable those differences seem. MSNBC's Chris Matthews is taking even more heat this week for a comparison he made between the GOP and Iraq's warring factions. Matthews may have stumbled through that analogy rather inelegantly, but he is on to something.

Continue reading "Can This Brand Be Saved?"

Posted at 3:25 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Karl Rove, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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January 15, 2008

The Dems In Vegas: Liveblogging The Debate

End note. We've suspected for a while that the media have blown up trivialities in the Democratic nomination contest because the candidates are mostly on board with each other on the major issues. This forum was a case in point.

Have Clinton and Obama really been squabbling over who is the rightful heir to MLK? Of course not. But you might have been led to believe otherwise by the previous days' news cycles, which is why it came up tonight.

Is Obama really struggling to convince voters that he's not a jihadist in disguise? Certainly. Not. The only plausible defense Williams et al. could give for bringing that story up is that it's already out there, and they were simply giving Obama a chance to put the rumors to rest. Again, we say: Anyone willing to believe those rumors hasn't been following Obama hardly at all and probably wouldn't vote for him no matter what. Imagine George Stephanopoulos asking John McCain about his rumored illegitimate black baby. Some things, my friends, should simply be out of bounds.

You're going to hear more about the rocky beginning of this debate tomorrow, I suspect. We'll update with reaction in the afternoon. [I lied; we'll go up with it Thursday.]

By the way, with 89 percent of precincts reporting, it's not even close: Romney trounced McCain 39 percent to 30 percent. Because Romney is a native son, a win in Michigan means much less than a loss would have. Still, he needed a gold, and he'll use his victory tonight to convince GOP voters that he's still in it to win it. See reports on the GOP contest here and here.

Continue reading "The Dems In Vegas: Liveblogging The Debate"

Posted at 11:16 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Gravel, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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January 11, 2008

UPDATED: A Completely Unexpected Get For Huckabee

Newsday columnist and FOX News regular James Pinkerton has signed on as an adviser to Mike Huckabee's campaign. Pinkerton, an alum of the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations, said in a statement that he "jumped at the opportunity" to help the former Arkansas governor "restore the magnificent Reagan coalition."

That Pinkerton is suspending his relationship with FOX and his column of 14 years is not only surprising, but also says something about the momentum building around Huckabee.

It's been oft-noted that the 2008 GOP presidential front-runners all clash with the Republican Party establishment in some way. (Mitt Romney is the GOP Establishment Candidate to a tee, but is having trouble convincing Republicans of his authenticity.) It was believed that despite his Iowa win, Huckabee would face vehement opposition from the anti-tax/pro-wealth, anti-illegal immigration and libertarian wings of his party. That may yet be the case. But the fact that the campaign was able to convince Pinkerton to sign on may indicate that Reagan idolizers in the party see more that they like in Huckabee than not.

Continue reading "UPDATED: A Completely Unexpected Get For Huckabee"

Posted at 5:13 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Taxes, WH 2008
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January 09, 2008

WH '08: Don't (!!!) Call It A Comeback

"Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," a relieved and triumphant Hillary Rodham Clinton told a roaring crowd of supporters last night.

Today's campaign news cycle is all about how the media and pundits boo-boo'd so badly, having declared Clinton's campaign DOA heading into the New Hampshire primary and John McCain out for the count for the last six months running. There's a sea of red faces out there but, we contend, for the wrong reason.

Last we checked, journalism was about reporting facts, not predicting them. Some amount of prognostication can be quite useful for contextualizing the news. But when so many talking heads call a close contest well before the first vote tallies come in, what's the point of that, exactly? It seems as if egos, and not the public, are the ones getting served.

Leave it to quirky, independent-minded Granite Staters to tell the rest of the country: Not so fast.

Continue reading "WH '08: Don't (!!!) Call It A Comeback"

Posted at 5:58 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Media, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Clinton Takes New Hampshire In Stunner; McCain (& Huckabee) Also Triumph

UPDATED WITH FINAL RESULTS.

Hillary Rodham Clinton has pulled out an upset in New Hampshire, where a surprisingly tight battle with Barack Obama upended early predictions that a misguided strategy might doom her bid for the Democratic nomination. The upside for those embarrassed by their premature crystal ball-gazing is that voters across the country have a real menu of options in both parties.

"I come tonight with a very, very full heart," Clinton said to tremendous cheering and applause from supporters. "I want to especially thank New Hampshire. Over the last week, I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice."

The crowd roared in response. More than anyone else on the 2008 slate of presidential candidates, the question of "how human" she seems dogs the former first lady. When Clinton appeared to be the inevitable nominee just months ago, it was because she had defied expectations in her strong debate performances and favorable responses from voters on the trail. In what was probably a moment of simple, human fatigue (although longtime Clinton-haters will say otherwise), she appeared to choke up during an exchange in a diner yesterday. A media frenzy ensued, and pundits were wondering out loud whether Clinton was too soft to endure the knocks of a presidential campaign.

By a hair (39 percent to 36 percent), Granite State voters voiced their preference for Clinton today, putting on pause the post-Iowa surge Obama appeared to be riding. If you aren't already convinced, Clinton's squeaker may be yet more proof that cable news is often best watched on mute.

Continue reading "Clinton Takes New Hampshire In Stunner; McCain (& Huckabee) Also Triumph"

Posted at 10:35 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 07, 2008

N.H. Countdown: Of Knuckleheads, Huckaburgers & Crybabies

As much as you might resent the presidential candidates for forcing you to confront the 2008 election so early, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for them. Most are sleep-deprived and anxious just four days after the Iowa caucuses, the results of which forced some candidates to retune their campaign strategies on the run.

This is especially true for Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is locked in a super-tight battle for first in tomorrow's New Hampshire primary, polls released today show. Her decisive loss to Barack Obama in Iowa seemed to send her camp into a tailspin. There are strong hints that if she is humiliated in the Granite State, a personnel shuffle will follow.

A mixture of anxiety, adrenaline and sheer physical exhaustion may explain why we've seen such a range of emotions from Clinton this week. First, she feistily returned fire at rivals Obama and John Edwards at the ABC/Facebook debate on Saturday -- a performance that indicated she wasn't going to take the onslaught of attacks lying down.

An uncharacteristically emotional moment for her today is sucking up most of the oxygen in coverage of New Hampshire. That she seemed to choke up when asked about the hardships of campaigning by a voter raises questions about her gender again. Those questions have distracted the media before, but the Clinton Crying story comes less than 24 hours before Granite Staters go to the polls.

Continue reading "N.H. Countdown: Of Knuckleheads, Huckaburgers & Crybabies"

Posted at 6:35 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Media, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 06, 2008

Liveblogging the FOX Republican Roundtable -- Minus Ron Paul

9:37. It's over. If anyone's feelings were hurt tonight, like Hillary Rodham Clinton's were yesterday, it's Mitt Romney. He seemed to be running an impeccable campaign, and that's part of the problem. Schadenfreude is a female dog, as he is learning all too well.

As we said before, the GOP primary is shaping to be a real knife-fight between Romney and McCain. Will Huckabee deliver another surprise? The ground seems to be shifting yet again in the Republican nomination battle, but with the primaries so front-loaded voters have little time to carefully weigh their options. If there is buyer's remorse come spring, we'll hear a lot of calls for shaking up the primary calendar for 2012.

Check back tomorrow for a roundup of reaction to tonight's forum and the ones ABC held last night. Good night.

9:30. Why are you best qualified to go to the general?

Giuliani: I'm not perfect, but I can solve problems.

Thompson: I've never lost an election. OK, so I haven't run in many elections...

Huckabee: I can relate to ordinary, hardworking Americans.

Romney: "Chris, I got in this race because my family told me I ought to." [ed: Really??]

McCain: I can re-energize the Republican base. And I love New Hampshire!

Continue reading "Liveblogging the FOX Republican Roundtable -- Minus Ron Paul"

Posted at 9:37 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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January 04, 2008

WH '08: A Brusque, But Not Brisk, Farewell To Iowa

We haven't matched the rest of the media's outsized coverage of the Iowa caucuses because of the very nature of the caucuses themselves. But we have to admit that what we saw last night was pretty astonishing, in part because a poll predicting the results actually turned out to be right.

Of course, that could just be a coincidence, but the Des Moines Register appears to have corrected for some of the factors that plagued surveys past. (Though it's still not without its problems, Mark Blumenthal points out.) The David-vs.-Goliath victory of Mike Huckabee (results) flew in the face of conventional wisdom, proving that a virtual unknown with hardly any money to campaign with and virtually no organization could sell himself to voters.

Huck's defeat of Mitt Romney does not, however, mean that the conventional wisdom won't prevail.

If you know anything about how the caucuses work, you know that they are unrepresentative of party voters nationwide and are undemocratic, particularly on the Democratic side (irony, irony), to boot. So of course all the attention now goes to New Hampshire (but not Wyoming, which holds its GOP caucus tomorrow), for the first primary vote of the season. New Hampshire's results will almost certainly be different from Iowa's, so a lot of comparing and contrasting will ensue.

We purposely did not devote a lot of blog space to the caucuses for good reason. But yesterday's surprising results dispelled some long-standing prognostication about the 2008 presidential election. Since dispensing with conventional wisdom can be fun (OK, we're nerds), let's take out the trash after the jump.

Continue reading "WH '08: A Brusque, But Not Brisk, Farewell To Iowa"

Posted at 5:51 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Economy, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, John Edwards, John McCain, Joseph Biden, Middle East, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, WH 2008
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Obama & Huckabee Win Iowa; Biden & Dodd Exit Race

Last night's Iowa caucuses created two decisive winners in the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest and two new casualties in the overall race.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Barack Obama pulled ahead of the Democratic pack with 38 percent of the vote, followed by John Edwards in second with 30 percent and Hillary Rodham Clinton close behind at 29 percent.

On the Republican side, Mike Huckabee completed his ascent from relative obscurity just a few months ago to capture first place with 34 percent of the vote, with 96 percent of precincts reporting. Mitt Romney came in second with 25 percent, and Fred Thompson eked out a third-place finish with 13 percent, dispelling (for now) recent rumors that he could soon drop out of the race. John McCain tied Thompson for third, with Ron Paul close behind at 10 percent.

Meanwhile, two other candidates did bid their presidential ambitions adieu last night. Democratic Sens. Joseph Biden and Christopher Dodd announced they were abandoning their bids after the former drew only 1 percent of the vote in Iowa and the latter garnered even less.

If you're all Iowa-ed out, NationalJournal.com's Ronald Brownstein looks ahead to the New Hampshire contest coming up on Tuesday. NationalJournal.com also has the overall results for the Democratic and Republican caucuses, and the Des Moines Register breaks down the results by county. See On Call for more reactions and details from Iowa, and check back with The Gate later today for more analysis.

Posted at 9:25 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Joseph Biden, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
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January 03, 2008

Obama Projected To Win Iowa

CNN, NBC and FOX News are calling it for Barack Obama. His margin over John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton is much smaller than Mike Huckabee's over Mitt Romney's, however, so the Edwards and Clinton camps may well declare tonight a sort-of victory, too.

Campaigning in New Hampshire, John McCain declared Huckabee's win "a victory" for positive campaigning -- a dig at Romney. The enemy of his enemy is Huckabee... for now. Romney spent loads of cash in negative ads against McCain and Huck. Does his defeat tonight force his campaign to rethink that strategy? Or, does his loss in Iowa mean the "anything goes" strategy holds?

Again, check with On Call for updates as the night progresses; we'll have full analysis tomorrow.

[UPDATED 9:52] Obama's lead is turning out to be pretty significant, according to the Register's returns.

-JANE ROH

Posted at 9:31 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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Huckabee Projected To Win Iowa

Goodness, the caucuses haven't been going for an hour yet. This is incredibly early, but CNN is projecting that Mike Huckabee will win the Iowa Republican caucuses by a comfortable margin. Keep in mind that this is NOT a primary, so don't try to project the totals onto Iowa's Republicans as a whole. Still, this result will come as a great surprise to those who believed the Huckabee surge was more media hype than anything else. He still has no money and no organization compared to Mitt Romney, so carrying the momentum onto other states will be a tall order. Stay with On Call for early reaction throughout the night; we'll have full analysis tomorrow.

-JANE ROH

Posted at 8:59 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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December 20, 2007

Tancredo Drops Out: The Exit Interview

UPDATED.

Neither FOX nor MSNBC bothered to cover Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo's announcement earlier today that he was dropping out of the race for the White House. CNN went to it at first, then cut away so the anchor could discuss the pronunciation of the congressman's surname. This, despite the pivotal role he has played in this cycle's Republican nomination battle.

Reached by phone at his Des Moines hotel room, Tancredo sounded relaxed and content with his decision to close shop. His candidacy, after all, was from the beginning about holding the big-name guys to account on illegal immigration.

"I have dedicated 10 years of my public life to warning the nation of the perilous consequences of massive, uncontrolled illegal immigration," Tancredo told supporters at a press conference this afternoon. "This message unfortunately has fallen on deaf ears in the highest office in the land. Without a president who is committed to securing the nation, we will always remain in jeopardy."

Tancredo's announcement had been expected since yesterday. He said the urgency he felt on illegal immigration compelled him to launch his bid despite what "we knew at the time were incredibly long odds." A nationally obscure figure best known among anti-immigration hardliners, Tancredo said in April that he was entering the race because of "the field, the field."

More on what he told us about Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson after the jump.

Continue reading "Tancredo Drops Out: The Exit Interview"

Posted at 6:10 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Congress, Fred Thompson, House, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Senate, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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December 12, 2007

Ohthankgod: Liveblogging The Last GOP Debate Of 2007

4:37. In a post-debate interview on CNN, Huckabee said he apologized to Romney for the Jesus/devil remark while sticking to his earlier insistence that the remark had been taken out of context.

"He was gracious," Huckabee said of Romney's response.

There's nothing in the Times mag feature, by the way, to suggest Huckabee meant anything by that comment beyond an expression of genuine curiosity. Andrew Sullivan found background for the question on the LDS Web site. Anyone who used to go to Sunday school knows that according to the Bible Satan/Lucifer/the devil was a fallen angel. Before he went evil he was just a regular angel, and in that sense, according to LDS, the devil and Jesus are brothers of a kind. OK, that's enough theology from me.

3:50. It's over, and insane as it sounds it feels too soon. That's a product of there having been a few too many non-contenders on the stage, no doubt.

Did uncommitted Iowans get what they needed here? Depends on whom they're leaning toward. Nothing bad happened to Huckabee, which is exactly what he needed as his viability star rises. Tancredo tried to portray Huck as an immigration flip-flopper, but... he's Tancredo. Lucky for Huckabee, Giuliani only goes there at grave risk to himself.

Romney didn't get a chance to zing Huckabee, but with that ad on the air he may not have needed to. And Huckabee was not asked about that Jesus/devil comment or his own attack-ish ad. The absence of theology in this debate may not be what some campaign prognosticators wanted, but it was classy, for immediate lack of a better word.

Continue reading "Ohthankgod: Liveblogging The Last GOP Debate Of 2007"

Posted at 4:37 PM
Posted to: Alan Keyes, Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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December 11, 2007

National Review Endorses Romney

Huge, HUGE endorsement for Mitt Romney, from a publication that has often seemed downright hostile to the former Massachusetts governor.

"Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative: a supporter of free-market economics and limited government, moral causes such as the right to life and the preservation of marriage, and a foreign policy based on the national interest," National Review's editors write.

Assessments on Romney's rivals: Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee are too polarizing within the party, John McCain could unify the party but is too moderate, Fred Thompson is conservative enough but has run a boring campaign.

On the religion issue: "For some people, Romney's Mormonism is still a barrier. But we are not electing a pastor."

Read the rest here.

Posted at 4:48 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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Iowa '08: The Talons Come Out

Not counting the week between Christmas and New Year's, when presumably even Iowans will want to leave politics behind in favor of eggnog and football, the presidential candidates really have only about two weeks left of campaigning in the crucial caucus state -- and it shows. John Edwards is rolling up his sleeves for an eight-day Iowa bus tour. Barack Obama's showing off his most glamorous accessory. And yesterday, for the first time in his prolific ad campaign, Mitt Romney went negative.

The GOP contender became the first on either side of the aisle to purchase air time for an attack ad this week amid the continued rise of Mike Huckabee in both Iowa polls and national surveys of likely Republican primary voters. Romney's new spot blasts Huckabee's record on an issue that has proven to be a lightning rod for Republicans in Iowa -- immigration. Today's Ad Spotlight (subscription) has more details on the ad. Meanwhile, perhaps blunting the ad's blow to Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor was endorsed by Jim Gilchrist, founder of border security group the Minutemen, in Iowa this morning. MSNBC has more.

Continue reading "Iowa '08: The Talons Come Out"

Posted at 12:59 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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December 10, 2007

Univision Debate Postmortem: The Six Amigos (Plus Ron Paul)

So, our liveblog effort was a bust thanks to my lack of high-tech closed-captioning, but it doesn't look as if we missed a whole lot in the way of fireworks. Because the immigration debate has been alienating Latino voters, it was in everyone's interest last night to promote Brand GOP (as opposed to Brand Me). Most of the seven candidates present did that, but at the expense of specifics.

In other words, this was a very broad-strokes debate. The Republican candidates have been vying for months to prove just how tough they can be on closing the borders, etc., which is sort of mandatory, as they're trying to win over mostly white, conservative base voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. Then they found themselves in Miami last night before a sea of Latino Americans -- the fastest-growing bloc of voters in the nation. In order to hew to what they'd been saying about immigration reform up until last night, some of which may not have gone over well in this crowd, they had to fiddle with their rhetoric.

That translated to lots of talk of freedom and no trading barbs on sanctuary cities or sanctuary mansions. The central mission was to not tick anyone off, and on that score they probably succeeded.

Continue reading "Univision Debate Postmortem: The Six Amigos (Plus Ron Paul)"

Posted at 7:36 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Immigration, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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December 09, 2007

Liveblogging The Univision Republican Debate

7:46. Just had to update with this: LOTS of applause in this crowd for a question about Hugo Chavez, Washington's least favorite South American leader. Have no idea what question was posed to Paul w/r/t to Chavez, but his response inspires waves and waves of boos. What just happened here? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

7:28. Well, I got my closed captioning to work -- and the captions are en Espanol. Sorry, readers, but looks like I'm going to have to abort this mission. Truly a first in Gate history.

That said, I am just dumbfounded that the producers would change the format of the Republican debate in such a way that many non-Spanish-speaking Americans would not be able to tune in. There are so many questions about where some of these candidates -- Romney, Giuliani -- really are on immigration reform. That isn't the case in the much more unified Democratic field -- questions about driver's licenses notwithstanding.

We'll have a roundup of reaction to the debate tomorrow. Daily Kos has a Spanish-speaker watching; you can check out their (hotly partisan) liveblog coverage here. The Corner was also stymied in its coverage attempt. Somewhere, Tom Tancredo is doing la cucaracha in front of a TV set.

Apologies again. See you all tomorrow.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The Univision Republican Debate"

Posted at 7:46 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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December 06, 2007

Romney Stands Firm On Mormon Faith, Stresses 'Tolerance'

UPDATED.

In a speech meant to mark a turning point in his bid for support among evangelicals, Mitt Romney declared that as president he would serve the U.S. Constitution, not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that religious faith ought to be a permanent fixture in the public square.

"I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law," Romney said, speaking at the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. Adding that some voters might want him to sever Romney the politician from Romney the Mormon, he said, "That I will not do. I believe in my Mormon faith, and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers -- I will be true to them and to my beliefs."

Romney's address veered deeper into the topic of his faith, and its contrast to other faiths, than was previously indicated by his campaign. He was addressing the topic in more detail than he has since announcing his bid for the presidency because of a threat to his standing among Republican primary voters by Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas and a Baptist minister. Huckabee has raised a meager fraction of what Romney has so far this cycle, and his sudden rise in the polls is attributed to support from evangelical voters who distrust Romney because of his faith.

Romney was speaking before a preselected audience of supporters, but the tenor and content of his speech was quite obviously directed at skeptics. "Some believe that such a confession of my faith will sink my candidacy. If they are right, so be it," Romney said. "But I think they underestimate the American people. Americans do not respect believers of convenience."

Continue reading "Romney Stands Firm On Mormon Faith, Stresses 'Tolerance'"

Posted at 12:42 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Romney To Skirt Specifics Of Mormonism In Favor Of 'Common Cause' Appeal

Excerpts of the "Faith in America" speech Mitt Romney is delivering this morning indicate that the Republican presidential candidate does not plan to address or explain the contrasts between his Mormon beliefs and those of evangelical Christians. Rather, he will argue that he shares the "moral principles" and goals of those belonging to other "churches in America," and that as president, he will lead their fight against "the religion of secularism."

"There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the constitution," Romney will say, according to his campaign. "No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes president he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

"We should acknowledge the Creator as did the founders -- in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places," Romney will also say. "Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from 'the God who gave us liberty.'"

This is a departure from the famous speech to Protestants delivered by John F. Kennedy in 1960, which was mostly based on a secularist appeal. It's a risky strategy, because some evangelicals who are already skeptical of Romney because of his faith want to hear him acknowledge and address the differences in their doctrines. At the same time, the "common cause" argument helped reconcile evangelicals with Catholics, a group that was met with similar skepticism back when Kennedy was elected the first Catholic president.

Romney is set to deliver his speech at 10:30 a.m. EST at the George Bush Presidential Library. Check back for our coverage.

-JANE ROH

Posted at 6:19 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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December 05, 2007

Romney Hard At Work On Religion Speech

His campaign sent out the proof today in case anyone dared not believe it...

Here:

And here:

More after the jump.

Continue reading "Romney Hard At Work On Religion Speech"

Posted at 6:22 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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December 04, 2007

WH '08: Romney Takes Robocalls To Iowa AG

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has asked the Iowa attorney general's office to investigate the funding source behind a group calling itself TrustHuckabee.com.

That group is actually a front for a Delaware-based PAC called Common Sense Issues. All the leading GOP campaigns, including Mike Huckabee's, deny engaging in push-polling tactics.

In a letter [PDF] to Attorney General Tom Miller, Romney's campaign counsel accuses the apparently pro-Huckabee group of placing robocalls to Iowans without properly identifying itself. New Hampshire's AG is already investigating robocalls that highlight Romney's Mormon faith.

Continue reading "WH '08: Romney Takes Robocalls To Iowa AG"

Posted at 5:39 PM
Posted to: Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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November 28, 2007

Liveblogging The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate

End note. I rode CNN pretty hard earlier, but overall this was a very good forum for these candidates. The producers did a better job than last time at picking interesting and varied questions (with the requisite gotchas, of course), and the holdouts for facing the YouTube Generation -- Romney, Giuliani -- probably did themselves a favor by deciding to show up.

What will get the most attention tomorrow is the knife-fight between Giuilani and Romney that kicked things off. Their cases against each other -- that Giuliani ran a liberal government in a crazy city and that Romney is a political changeling who accomplished little as governor -- went public only recently, and tonight is the first time we saw the candidates make their arguments mano a mano. Their squabbling produced a good moment for Thompson, who got to play the grown-up in the room as he methodically parsed what was wrong with both their records on immigration.

But as those anti-Huckabee press releases indicate, Thompson's camp realizes their man is in trouble. The "Law & Order" star was the one who was supposed to swoop in and rescue stranded GOP voters; now it looks like Huckabee's doing the rescuing, among evangelical Iowans, anyway.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate"

Posted at 11:22 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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Debate Night: The GOP & The Snowman

Looking ahead to tonight's highly anticipated CNN/YouTube debate, we find ourselves pondering a few weighty matters.

How much representation will CNN give to questions about Iraq, now that coverage of the war has dropped off steeply on that network and elsewhere?

Will the format of tonight's debate prove more hostile to the Republican candidates than to the Democrats, as we suspected in July?

And finally: What are the chances Mitt Romney won't be asked to take a question from that Snowman?

These and other issues will be resolved starting at 8 p.m. EST tonight on CNN; The Gate will be liveblogging the action starting at 7:45. But first, some prognostication, after the jump.

Continue reading "Debate Night: The GOP & The Snowman"

Posted at 4:16 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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November 13, 2007

WH '08: Reading Between The Lines

This is what Wanda Franz, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said of today's Fred Thompson endorsement:

Our endorsement is a testament to Senator Thompson's long-standing pro-life record, his commitment to protecting unborn children, and our belief in his ability to win.

Emphasis ours. Ed Morrissey rightly points out that NRLC could have easily waited until a nominee emerges to make its decision, rather than casting its lot so soon with a candidate who's not completely on board with them. Rudy Giuliani winning the nod puts all the pro-life grassroots in an awkward position, so they'd all be in the same boat.

The reason this endorsement is significant is because of what it says about Mitt Romney's candidacy. It's nothing new, by the way. But it's worth chewing over.

On the issues, Romney is more in line with the pro-life grassroots than Thompson (a federalist) or Giuliani (pro-choice). It doesn't take much to figure out what's going on here. The institutions that are the face of evangelical America won't come out and say it, but the men and women who make up that base will.

Continue reading "WH '08: Reading Between The Lines"

Posted at 5:43 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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November 12, 2007

WH '08: Think Of The Cup As Overfloweth-ing

Is this a good or bad cycle for the religious right, already?

Despite a season of complaints, it turns out all sorts of Christian conservatives are finding something they like in each of the leading Republican candidates. The latest recipient of endorsement manna: Fred Thompson, who has picked up the National Right To Life Committee.

The timing couldn't be better for the "Law & Order" star, whose two-month-long campaign is getting ho-hum reviews (subscription). Joe Klein all but wrote Thompson off today, before news of the NRLC nod broke.

Clearly some will have to rethink the ETA of Thompson's political demise. The NRLC is expected to formally announce its endorsement tomorrow, and it will be worth keeping an ear open for the language they use. Thompson is a federalist on the abortion issue. That's pretty in line with a lot of conservatives, but not with advocacy groups like NRLC that won't settle for less than a federal ban on the procedure.

Continue reading "WH '08: Think Of The Cup As Overfloweth-ing"

Posted at 5:54 PM
Posted to: Abortion, Campaigns, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, WH 2008
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November 07, 2007

WH '08: 9/11 Really Did Change Everything

In an anticipated but nonetheless stunning development, televangelist Pat Robertson has endorsed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president.

"For months I have contemplated our future and the outstanding group of men who are offering themselves to the Republican Party to be its standard-bearer in the 2008 presidential election. Today, it is my pleasure to announce my support for a mayor, America's mayor, Rudy Giuliani, and a proven leader, who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans," Robertson announced at a campaign press conference.

The controversial Christian right leader had been courted heavily by the Republican candidates. Mitt Romney delivered the May commencement address at Robertson's Regent University, and John McCain apologized to Robertson for grouping him with the "agents of intolerance" in the evangelical community after his failed 2000 presidential bid.

"Sometimes you say things in anger that you don't mean," the Arizona senator explained in a March interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Robertson had made it clear that all was not forgiven, declaring on several occasions that McCain would never win his vote. Romney, however, was thought to have an actual shot. Robertson hadn't gone on the record criticizing the former Massachusetts governor's Mormon faith, even though it's considered by some evangelicals to be a cult.

Observers may describe this coup for Giuliani as a game-changing moment in Republican electoral politics. They might be overstating things a bit.

Continue reading "WH '08: 9/11 Really Did Change Everything"

Posted at 12:45 PM
Posted to: Abortion, Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, WH 2008
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November 06, 2007

Postcard From An Early Primary State

With two months to go before the first-in-the-nation nomination ballots, voters in states not named Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina may be forgiven for feeling neglected by the candidates vying for the presidency. But try to look at it another way: At least you can ignore this very early election season if you want.

Those of us from early primary states don't have that luxury. Last weekend, I found that a trip back home was no vacation from my job. In fact, driving around Greenville, S.C., provided ample evidence that while I may report from Washington on campaign activities, the crux of the action is quite far away.

Take, for instance, the time-honored tradition of yard signs. They're not as high-budget as TV or Web ads (although I did spy a Mitt Romney spot or two when I turned on the tube). During election season, the durable outdoor signs line roadways as well as lawns.

Based on a very unscientific count, the two most active candidates in the very conservative upstate seemed to be former Massachusetts Gov. Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul. The candidates were about even on road signs alone, although Paul -- known for his resourceful supporters -- also had signs along the freeway that declared a "Ron Paul Revolution." However, many of the Romney signs were seen near Bob Jones University, where the university's president recently created a furor when he announced his support for the Mormon candidate. Then there was the lone sign for Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, that predictably read: "No Amnesty For Illegals. Tancredo For President."

Continue reading "Postcard From An Early Primary State"

Posted at 4:24 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Gay Rights, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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October 29, 2007

Mitt Romney Lightens Up Slightly

The eight major Republican presidential candidates have signed on to the CNN/YouTube debate on Nov. 28. We're not going to use the F-word, but this news apparently means Mitt Romney has changed his mind about participating in the forum.

In July, Romney sniffed that "the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman." Both he and Rudy Giuliani pooh-poohed the debate, originally scheduled for Sept. 17, to the consternation of Republican primary voters and, well, us.

Continue reading "Mitt Romney Lightens Up Slightly"

Posted at 11:33 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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October 23, 2007

Values Voters: Better Luck Next Cycle

We're just getting around to this now, but others have made the case already. Ignore those Romney press releases: Mike Huckabee trounced the Republican field at the Values Voters Summit last weekend.

Huckabee came out with 51.3 percent of on-site straw poll voters, followed by Mitt Romney at 10.4 percent and everyone else in the single digits. Romney's camp declared him the big winner based on online voting by Family Research Council members in a poll that's been open since August. Even there, he and Huckabee came out virtually dead even, 27.6 percent to 27.2 percent.

Only FRC members were permitted to vote, and an FRC spokesman said that duplicate votes in the online and on-site polling were eliminated. According to The Caucus, a minimum donation of $1 is required for FRC membership.

Long story short, it's clear by those numbers that the guy with almost no money, organization or national name recognition was the real winner.

"If the Christian majority actually got behind Huckabee, and if they used all the organization that Christians already have, he could do really well," complained Daniel Briggs, a volunteer with Americans United for Life.*

That's a question we've been asking all cycle: Why isn't the evangelical right amassing its forces behind Huckabee, the religious conservative's religious conservative?

Continue reading "Values Voters: Better Luck Next Cycle"

Posted at 1:45 PM
Posted to: Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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October 18, 2007

WH '08: Brownback To Bow Out

The Republican field has suffered another casualty, as Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback is expected to end his nine-month bid for the presidency after failing to register in fundraising and polls.

Although he had previously said he would drop out of the race if he finished worse than fourth in the Iowa caucuses this January, the final blow to his struggling campaign appears to have come much earlier. According to finance reports his campaign submitted this week, Brownback raised only $817,286 in the third quarter and $3.5 million since he announced.

In the latest Strategic Vision (R) poll of Iowa Republicans, Brownback polled at just 4 percent. A recent Gallup/USA Today poll placed him at 2 percent nationally.

Continue reading "WH '08: Brownback To Bow Out"

Posted at 12:06 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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October 16, 2007

McCain Reports More Money Woes In 3Q

The third-quarter money race is coming into focus this week, as yesterday marked the deadline for candidates to file their official fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission. The national front-runners on both sides of the aisle -- Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rudy Giuliani -- pulled ahead of their closest rivals in the money race, adding fuel to their growing leads and fresh hurdles for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, who have been stagnating in the polls.

But for at least one candidate, the correspondence between campaign momentum and cash flow isn't quite as clear-cut.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who has experienced something of a renaissance on the trail after a dismal second-quarter showing and a major campaign shakeup, is reporting $3.4 million cash on hand, $1.8 million of which is set aside for the general election. Factoring in his $1.7 million in reported debt, Marc Ambinder helpfully does the math: "That means that McCain's campaign has no cash on hand -- in fact, even with the general election money factored in, it owes about $94,000. It is, in other words, bankrupt."

Continue reading "McCain Reports More Money Woes In 3Q"

Posted at 3:21 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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October 10, 2007

The Republicans Yuk It Up In Michigan

This is how low the bar is set for the 2008 Republican front-runners' debate performances: Don't screw up, and make us laugh at least once.

That's according to most of the news coverage, anyway. Of Fred Thompson's long-awaited debut in yesterday's GOP primary debate in Michigan, the general assessment is no, he didn't screw up, and yes, that one thing he said at the end was kind of funny.

"I've enjoyed watching these fellas," the former Tennessee senator said as things were winding down. "I've got to admit, it was getting a little boring without me."

Good line, were it not for the fact that the debate wasn't terribly exciting with him either. He didn't scuffle with any of his eight rivals there, so there were no fireworks. Nor, as Rich Lowry also observed, were any of the "Law & Order" star's lines very funny. Does it matter? Thompson's catching a lot of flak for a rocky campaign launch -- before CNBC aired the debate, Radar magazine went up with a YouTube-laden "blooper reel" feature -- but his ready-made support in the polls guarantees him top-contender status. That support, remember, was there even before he officially entered the race. Unless he goofs up horribly on the national stage, it isn't going away because of one disappointing debate performance.

Thompson's viability is rooted less in who he is than who he is not. So voters might be better served by also paying attention to how Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney fared, even though this was their umpteenth televised debate.

Continue reading "The Republicans Yuk It Up In Michigan"

Posted at 9:15 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Economy, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iran, John McCain, Middle East, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Taxes, WH 2008
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October 04, 2007

GOP 3Q Tallies Come Trickling In

Almost exactly one hour after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney boasted $10 million in primary contributions for the third quarter -- the largest announced sum of any GOP contender as of about noon today -- front-runner Rudy Giuliani finally came out with his own 3Q tally of $10.5 million, giving him the most cash on hand of all his primary opponents.

Sound familiar? The other side's front-runner, Hillary Rodham Clinton, similarly tried to take the wind out of her closest rivals' sails earlier this week when she waited to announce her $22 million 3Q take after the media had already rushed to crown Barack Obama the leader in Democratic dollars (he raised $19 million for the primary).

Giuliani's $500,000 leg-up on Romney isn't as impressive as Clinton's quarterly cash advantage over Obama, nor were his methods as smooth (was his press secretary waiting vigilantly by the computer for Romney to show his hand first?). But the Giuliani campaign is sure to use his second consecutive quarter of fundraising domination to foster the impression that the former New York City mayor is the GOP contender best equipped to face the Clinton juggernaut.

Continue reading "GOP 3Q Tallies Come Trickling In"

Posted at 2:35 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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October 02, 2007

Clinton & The Democrats Lead In Third-Quarter Fundraising

As if further proof was needed, the third-quarter fundraising totals trickling out of the top presidential campaigns this week are demonstrating that in the 2008 White House race, the Democrats have the almighty dollar on their side.

And despite breathless media reports crowning Barack Obama the king of the third quarter yesterday, Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign reports this morning that she raised $27 million ($22 million for the primary) in the past three months -- $7 million more than her closest rival. Looks like Democrats are going to have an even harder time combating Clinton's image as the inevitable nominee.

Continue reading "Clinton & The Democrats Lead In Third-Quarter Fundraising"

Posted at 10:40 AM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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September 28, 2007

Race & The GOP: Six Out Of 10 Ain't Bad

The highly anticipated season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy" opened
with --

Oops, wrong post.

In case you missed it, and you probably did, there was a Republican presidential debate last night at Morgan State University in Baltimore. As with the Democrats' turn in June, radio and talk-show host Tavis Smiley was on hand to host the All-American Presidential Forum on PBS before a mostly black audience on the historically black campus.

What was different this time around? The four empty podiums on stage.

Out of the belief that the gains made by the GOP under President Bush's leadership have been hopelessly eroded (by President Bush's leadership), or the belief that with independents out of reach, their socially conservative, mostly white base is more crucial than ever, front-runners Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson skipped the event.

The six candidates chasing them were smart enough to take advantage.

Continue reading "Race & The GOP: Six Out Of 10 Ain't Bad"

Posted at 9:00 AM
Posted to: Alan Keyes, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President Bush, Race, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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September 27, 2007

Who's Afraid Of Tavis Smiley?

Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson are, apparently.

The leading Republican presidential candidates cited "scheduling conflicts" as their reason for skipping tonight's All-American Presidential Forum on PBS.

"I'm puzzled by their decision. I can't speak for them. I think it's a mistake," said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich earlier this week.

President Bush also weighed in on the matter last week: "My advice to whoever will be our nominee is to reach out to the African-American community as well as other communities, because I believe we've got a very strong record when it comes to" issues affecting them.

Continue reading "Who's Afraid Of Tavis Smiley?"

Posted at 5:14 PM
Posted to: Alan Keyes, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President Bush, Race, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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September 25, 2007

Reed vs. Romney: The Pun-less Ad War

Sick of the controversy over MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad? (And no, it hasn't died yet). For a distraction, check out the new ad war between the Mitt Romney campaign and Slate's Bruce Reed.

Reed, a former Clinton administration adviser and head of the Democratic Leadership Council, is miffed that "Team Mitt" has rebuffed his entry into the campaign's Create Your Own Ad! contest. In August, the Boston Globe characterized the contest as "the latest example of how the 2008 presidential candidates are using the Internet to engage supporters in unprecedented ways." But it looks like it's also turning out to be the latest example of campaigns not recognizing how little control they have over their own Web efforts.

By Reed's account, his entry into the race, a video called "Way!" that pokes fun at Romney's vision of "family values," is the most beloved according to viewers, who are supposed to be determining the outcome of the contest. But when the finalists were announced, "Way!" was nowhere to be found, prompting Reed to cry foul: "Our fearless leader promised us online democracy, not a Soviet-style election run by totalitarian Mittistas."

"Way!" isn't the only entry from Slate, which seems to have it in for Romney. A longer, better-produced parody from the online magazine is available here. Meanwhile, there's still time to weigh in on the real finalists here. The winner will have his or her entry aired on TV as part of Romney's prolific ad campaign.

Posted at 3:10 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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September 21, 2007

Another Gotcha Moment For Giuliani Camp

First, he didn't know how much a gallon of milk costs. Now, his homeland security adviser is being accused of disparaging Muslim Americans.

On Wednesday, the Politico reported that Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said in an interview, “We have, unfortunately... too many mosques in this country."

King later complained that his remarks were taken out of context. Politico has since posted video of the interview to let readers decide, and it appears that King may be right -- sort of.

Continue reading "Another Gotcha Moment For Giuliani Camp"

Posted at 11:28 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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September 10, 2007

The Maverick Candidate Who Might Have Been

Pity that Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel never jumped into the 2008 presidential race. John McCain is the only big-name GOP candidate who talks about the Iraq war in specifics, while Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani have been hanging back cautiously in anticipation of today's report from Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. Surely the Republican nomination contest could have used an injection of skepticism about the war from someone other than Ron Paul, if only for the practice it would provide candidates ahead of the general election matchup.

But Hagel's almost-candidacy never arrived, despite some sly flirting with the political press. Remember that dinner with Mike Bloomberg? Both men were careful not to kiss and tell, so to speak, but then the Nebraska Republican went ahead and strongly hinted to CBS' Bob Schieffer that a Hagel-Bloomberg ticket might be a pretty good idea.

It was all a big tease.

Continue reading "The Maverick Candidate Who Might Have Been"

Posted at 11:25 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Chuck Hagel, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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September 06, 2007

The FOX Republican Debate; Thompson's Tease On Leno

Last night, the GOP candidates for president once again gathered before the podiums -- this time in New Hampshire -- to talk Iraq, immigration, the economy and more. As always, The Gate was watching.

Score a few for McCain. It's hard to envision the Arizona senator getting much further in this race after the losses he's suffered this summer, and yet it's equally hard to accept that John McCain's candidacy might be over so soon. He has the most storied military and foreign policy experience out of everyone on that stage, and all the change vs. experience talk this cycle has obscured the fact that this election is really about both.

Experience is the change. The Iraq war was planned and managed by civilians with no substantive military experience who ignored the advice of the Colin Powells and Brent Scowcrofts of the nation. Yes, McCain supported the invasion, but he was among the first to spot flaws in the postwar planning, and he says he's committed to leaving Iraq better than it was, which means he's both critical and supportive of ongoing operations there.

Whereas his earlier platform on Iraq too closely echoed the perceived blindness from the White House, costing him independent voters, McCain seems to have found a more credible argument for the war. "The people in New Hampshire are sad and angry over our failures in Iraq," McCain said last night. "I want our troops home. But I want them home with honor, otherwise we will face genocide and catastrophe in the region." The first point is clearly true, and voters may be coming around to the second point. Just ask the Democrats, who've been forced to temper their get-out-now calls.

Continue reading "The FOX Republican Debate; Thompson's Tease On Leno"

Posted at 10:38 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Iraq, John McCain, Middle East, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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September 05, 2007

Happy Republican Debate Fred Thompson Day!

All eight remaining Republican presidential candidates will go head to head once again in New Hampshire, starting at 9 p.m. EDT in a debate to be aired on FOX News. But there's little buzz surrounding the first major post-Labor Day White House '08 debate, thanks to Fred Thompson, who after months of waiting will make his candidacy zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Oops. Sorry about that.

The former Tennessee senator and "Law & Order" star is skipping the Q&A tonight in favor of an appearance on "The Tonight Show." Tomorrow, he will formally announce his candidacy for the GOP nod in a Webcast. Is it us, or is this not how anyone thought Thompson would ride in to rescue his anemic party?

Whereas Thompson's entry a few months ago might have been met by Hallelujahs and confetti from the base, he will now find a number of unpleasant questions awaiting him. Namely, why did he wait so long, and what's with the staff overhaul just as his campaign is going official?

Continue reading "Happy Republican Debate Fred Thompson Day!"

Posted at 6:59 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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August 22, 2007

The Tancredo Effect

In a scathing critique of the latest battle between GOP presidential hopefuls Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney over who's tougher on illegal immigrants, the Wall Street Journal editorial board this morning wondered (subscription) if the candidates were "competing for the Republican Presidential nomination, or for the job of vacation replacement for Lou Dobbs?"

While CNN's popular populist probably has something to do with the front-runners' new immigration obsession, Giuliani and Romney are actually taking their cues from a much closer source: fellow Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo.

When the Colorado congressman best known for his hard-line stance on immigration declared his candidacy back in April, he made no effort to hide his intentions. "The political elite in Washington have chosen to ignore this phenomenon," he said of illegal immigration. "You look" at the Republican field "and you see no one is going to make this the primary issue of their campaign."

Tancredo, on the other hand, has done just that.

Continue reading "The Tancredo Effect"

Posted at 1:39 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Immigration, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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August 15, 2007

WH '08: You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here

The crowded presidential campaign fields can be headache-inducing, and that has some political pundits wishing more candidates would make like Tommy Thompson and just leave.

Today, the National Review's Rich Lowry calls on Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback to pack his bags and go.

Calling Brownback's abortion platform "the very embodiment of a tendency toward impractical perfectionism among pro-lifers," Lowry points to fellow pro-lifer Mike Huckabee's surprise second-place finish at the Iowa Republican Straw Poll. "Huckabee has shined in the debates, is a natural orator, and has considerable crossover appeal to the media. None of this can be said of Brownback," Lowry scoffs.

Continue reading "WH '08: You Don't Have To Go Home, But You Can't Stay Here"

Posted at 4:13 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Cox, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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August 13, 2007

Republicans (Sans Romney) On Board For CNN/YouTube Debate

We You did it! Washington Post's The Trail has details.

Posted at 2:32 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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A Few Reasons To Heart Huckabee

We've never understood why Mike Huckabee hasn't fared better in the GOP primary contest. From his resume (Arkansas governor, rocker) to his bio (Baptist preacher, lost 110 pounds) to his age (52), the witty and likeable Huckabee seems to have all the goods for a presidential run.

Which is why the Other Man From Hope's surprise second-place finish at the Iowa Republican Straw Poll could potentially shake up the race. In political circles, the nonbinding vote is said to be the best money can buy. Unlike much of his competition, Huckabee didn't have the cash to bus in supporters. His tent wasn't air-conditioned. The Club for Growth was running a TV ad in the Ames/Des Moines market accusing Huckabee of raising taxes on nursing home beds. And still, Huckabee persuaded 737 people to vote for him gratis (the campaign was able to pay for 1,850 supporters' tickets).

That Huckabee, who still doesn't have national name recognition, was able to pull it off is a testament to his attractiveness as a candidate. Now he will have to leverage that success to turn his bid for the GOP nod into an insurgent campaign that catches fire -- and campaign donations.

Continue reading "A Few Reasons To Heart Huckabee"

Posted at 1:40 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, WH 2008
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Rebuffed By Iowans, Tommy Thompson Heads Home

After spending months (and millions) touring the state of Iowa in his bid to woo caucus voters the old-fashioned way, GOP presidential hopeful Tommy Thompson is packing up and heading home.

True to his word, the former Wisconsin governor took a good, hard look at his prospects for winning the GOP nomination after finishing a disappointing sixth in this weekend's Iowa straw poll and decided it was time to move on.

"I have no regrets about running," Thompson said Sunday in a statement. "I felt my record as governor of Wisconsin and secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as president, but I respect the decision of the voters."

Continue reading "Rebuffed By Iowans, Tommy Thompson Heads Home"

Posted at 1:12 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Jim Gilmore, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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August 10, 2007

Amesin' For A Win

This weekend, political junkies and the GOP faithful will have their eyes glued on a small, quaint city smack in the middle of Iowa. Ames, population 52,000, is home to Iowa State University, soybean fields and Skunk River. In politics, however, it's known primarily for its influential* GOP presidential straw poll.

The relevance of Ames gets an asterisk this year, in part because two of the Republican Party's top contenders -- former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain -- have opted not to participate in the contest. Another cloud overshadowing Iowa's prominence in the 2008 election is the rush of other states to move their primary dates up to January and early February.

Despite Giuliani's and McCain's decisions to skip the Ames contest, the rest of the field is soldiering on with Iowa-focused campaigns, and most of the momentum is resting with Mitt Romney.

Continue reading "Amesin' For A Win"

Posted at 1:06 PM
Posted to: Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson
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August 06, 2007

The Obama Republican Iowa Debate

Shortly after yesterday's Republican presidential candidates debate in Iowa kicked off, this Gater found herself applauding. Was it for Mitt Romney? Tom Tancredo? Ron Paul?

None of the above. The Gate was clapping for ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, who dug out a few of those negative campaign tactics voters so despise and forced offending candidates to explain themselves.

First on the dock: Sam Brownback, a hero of pro-life conservatives who can't seem to get a leg up in the crowded race for the GOP nod. In an effort to claw upward in the polls, he's zeroed in on Romney, who's positioned himself as the only true social conservative in the upper tier of candidates. Stephanopoulos played Brownback's campaign robo-call to Iowans attacking Romney for his prior pro-choice stance.

Awk-ward.

Continue reading "The Obama Republican Iowa Debate"

Posted at 5:51 PM
Posted to: Asia, Barack Obama, Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Fred Thompson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Iraq, John McCain, Middle East, Mitt Romney, Pakistan, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, WH 2008
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July 27, 2007

We Want A GOP YouTube Debate!

The Gate tries very hard to not cross the "advocacy" line, but some recent (un)developments have forced us to take a stand.

We want a Republican YouTube debate.

No, the format of Monday's Democratic forum wasn't "revolutionary," as CNN would have you believe, but it was both informative and entertaining. The kids need a little cheese sauce with their broccoli sometimes, and we bet that the YouTube format had them more engaged than in any of the previous face-offs.

So listen, Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Mitt Romney and Tom Tancredo: Sign on to the Sept. 17 CNN/YouTube debate, already.

We get that campaign time is an increasingly precious commodity. Republicans, not to mention the rest of the country, aren't really hot on any of you right now. But how could taking occasionally quirky questions from real-live Americans hurt? If anything, you get a platform on which to let your good humor and personality shine. We urge you to seize this opportunity.

Note that it's a group of Republicans who are circulating a petition asking you to reconsider. Conservatives ridiculed Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards for skipping the planned FOX News Democratic debate. Gentleman, do not cut and run from this chance to show Americans a) that you are running for president (a lot of them don't know this yet) and b) that you are not afraid of the occasional curveball. Please follow Tommy Thompson's lead and show us you're not scared of a talking snowman.

The Gate isn't signing any petitions for obvious reasons, but we encourage our readers to send this along: http://www.savethedebate.com/.

-JANE ROH

Graphic: Reuben Dalke

Posted at 4:55 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, Duncan Hunter, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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July 24, 2007

'Obama Guy' Isn't Necessarily Sold On Namesake Candidate

Also at the CNN-YouTube debate, in case anyone was wondering, was Obama Girl, aka actress/model Amber Lee Ettinger, whose lip-synced ode to Barack Obama has been viewed 2.5 million times and counting. For that reason, organizers invited her to the debate, giving the audience something other than their possible future president to gawk at.

Ben Relles, the man behind Obama Girl, accompanied his creation to South Carolina. Relles is a registered Democrat who's not necessarily an Obama Guy -- he's still weighing his vote.

Continue reading "'Obama Guy' Isn't Necessarily Sold On Namesake Candidate"

Posted at 6:50 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, WH 2008
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July 23, 2007

Liveblogging The Democratic Debate: Clinton, Biden Come Out On Top

End note. Overall, a pretty fun evening, insofar as debates this early in the cycle can be fun. We already know that the front-runners are not happy with the debate lineups, but a certain senator from New York would be wise not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

She has come out looking surefooted at every meet-up so far, and that has to help answer all those woman-Bill-Iraq-vote clouds that hang over her head. Obama, meanwhile, was shakier this evening.

Democrats are learning to their frustration that control of Congress isn't enough. Not only do they need a more substantial majority in the Senate, but they need to not have a veto-wielding president standing in their way. In short, Democrats are out to win next year, and a made-for-TV bio and bucketloads of charm may just not cut it in '08.

The surprise of the evening was Biden, who has the resume but lacks the name recognition (and cash) to make headway in this contest. He delivered some of the more memorable lines of the night and, as his camp frequently and loudly points out, has the only detailed exit plan from Iraq. The Kuciniches and Cindy Sheehans of the nation will never accede to this, but the reality of the situation in Iraq is there is no good way to leave, just less bad ones. Both Clinton and Biden took pains to explain that tonight; we'll see if it starts sinking in with the MoveOn segment of the base.

No gaffes, no Ron Paul moments. The best thing the Democrats have going for them is unity on Iraq (more or less), President Bush, and being on the right side of voters on domestic issues. The worst thing they have going for them is probably history. We'll see how the Republicans fare in this format on Sept. 17 -- by which time everyone's political fortunes could be reversed depending on the highly anticipated U.S. report on progress in Iraq, due Sept. 15.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The Democratic Debate: Clinton, Biden Come Out On Top"

Posted at 10:16 PM
Posted to: Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Campaigns, Christopher Dodd, Democrats, Dennis Kucinich, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards, Joseph Biden, Mike Gravel, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans
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July 18, 2007

WH '08: How To Pick A Candidate You Know Will Lose

Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama each has more cash on hand than the entire Republican field combined, according to the latest campaign finance reports. It's only the second quarter, way too early for handicapping. But with check-writing closely mirroring the national polls, it might be time for Republican party leaders to embark on an awkward conversation.

Which candidate do you put forward for the White House when you know he's going to lose?

Republicans in particular do not enjoy political martyrdom. But at some point, party leaders may have to start mapping out a worst-case scenario that has them losing in the most advantageous way possible.

Continue reading "WH '08: How To Pick A Candidate You Know Will Lose"

Posted at 4:32 PM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Campaigns, Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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July 13, 2007

McCain: I'll Drop Out When I'm Dead

Sen. John McCain said only death would keep him out of the 2008 presidential race, even as his campaign machine continues to fall apart around him.

When asked if he could foresee circumstances in which he would drop his bid for the White House, McCain quipped, "Contracting a fatal disease." McCain was speaking to reporters following an address to the Concord Chamber of Commerce in New Hampshire.

McCain added, "I was [just] in Iraq. You never know."

The Arizona senator acknowledged that he has lost support from conservatives and independents because of his positions on immigration and Iraq, respectively. But he said he was sticking to his guns.

"I take responsibility for those positions as well as for any, quote, problems we have within the campaign function," he said.

Continue reading "McCain: I'll Drop Out When I'm Dead"

Posted at 1:33 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, John McCain, Mitt Romney, President Bush, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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Romney Rising?

For months, it seemed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney couldn't get any respect from the punditry and political elite. His announcement in Dearborn, Mich., was met with a tepid response, and he's been hounded by questions about his Mormon faith, ideological shifts and family vacationing habits.

But it appears his favorable fundraising numbers and increasing momentum in early primary states are beginning to win over the Beltway skeptics. When asked who was best equipped to snag the Republican nomination, political and congressional insiders [PDF] told National Journal pollsters this month that Romney and Giuliani were, at this point in the race, equally capable of going all the way.

Continue reading "Romney Rising?"

Posted at 12:28 PM
Posted to: Mitt Romney
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June 11, 2007

Mitt Romney = Hot. You = Not.

The Big Mo this presidential election cycle is as dependent on candidates' carefully tailored public personas as on their ground operations, fundraising machines, etc. That's nothing new. But YouTube's effectiveness in shaping the public's perception of candidates is very much the double-edged sword for their campaigns at the moment.

Readers who have better things to do than troll the Web for clips of candidates hedging, singing off-key and singing some more probably shouldn't dismiss the YouTube Effect out of hand. To save some time, a new Web site, PoliticsTV.com, offers a weekly rundown of their top 10 political videos.

Among the gems you may have missed last week: FOX News confusing John Conyers for William Jefferson, Patrick Leahy blowing up (again) during a committee hearing and Mitt Romney's rap debut.

You read correctly.

Continue reading "Mitt Romney = Hot. You = Not."

Posted at 12:50 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, House, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Senate, WH 2008, William Jefferson
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June 06, 2007

GOP Debate: Who's Afraid Of Fred Thompson?

Most everyone tuning in to last night's CNN-sponsored Republican forum in New Hampshire already had him on their minds, so former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson did us all a favor by calling out the ghost at the very beginning: "My name is Thompson, Tommy. I’m the candidate, not the actor."

The actor Thompson being, of course, Fred Thompson -- star of "In The Line Of Fire," "Law and Order," and lately, the fevered dreams of many a GOP primary voter. Unfortunately for Tommy Thompson, that joke may have backfired, as National Review's Katherine Jean Lopez points out. By the time the next Republican debate arrives in August, it's a safe bet more than one of the third tier -- Tommy Thompson, Sam Brownback, Jim Gilmore, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul -- will have dropped out.

Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, by contrast, have a better chance of hanging in as the two candidates who represent the hard right on immigration reform. Both have passionate followings, and the latest skirmish in the Senate over a compromise overhaul is only angering their supporters.

Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney may be the only sure bets to last through the summer. But purity is still an issue for this party, more so, arguably, than for the Democrats, and none of these men should count on an easy ride to the primaries.

Continue reading "GOP Debate: Who's Afraid Of Fred Thompson?"

Posted at 12:53 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, Jim Gilmore, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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June 05, 2007

Third GOP Debate: What, You Guys Again?

Another day, another debate. CNN's Wolf Blitzer et al. are staying put in Manchester, N.H., tonight to host another meeting of the Republican candidates, just two days after the Democrats squared off on the same stage. If tonight's meeting seems a tad anticlimactic, or rather, pre-climactic, that might be because someone's still missing from the current slate.

Enter Fred Thompson. The former senator and "Law and Order" star once played the president on TV, and unlike Dr. Cliff Warner from "All My Children" ("I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV"), Thompson isn't selling cough syrup. Instead, he is positioning himself to be the candidate who cures what's ailing Republican voters.

NationalJournal.com's Poll Track (subscription) yesterday noted that voters already seem bored with what's on offer for 2008. Thompson sent ripples through the campaigns last week when he formed an exploratory committee. Sources close to the campaign told reporters the former Tennessee senator will formally declare his candidacy on the Fourth of July.

Continue reading "Third GOP Debate: What, You Guys Again?"

Posted at 5:40 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Fred Thompson, Immigration, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, WH 2008
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May 22, 2007

Romney Was For Immigration Reform Before He... Etc. Etc.

The contest among the top three GOP candidates has so far been about who's the most like Ronald Reagan. But the latest hot-potato issue to hit Congress has given still-deciding Republican voters a little something to sink their teeth into -- that is, the makings of a real fist-fight between two of the candidates.

In a conference call with bloggers yesterday, John McCain whacked Mitt Romney three times over, starting with the former Massachusetts governor's opposition to the compromise immigration proposal introduced to the Senate last weekend. "Maybe I should wait a couple weeks and see if it changes," McCain said, in remarks reported by the New York Sun. "And maybe his solution will be to get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his yard."

Ouch. But first, let's explain.

Continue reading "Romney Was For Immigration Reform Before He... Etc. Etc."

Posted at 11:50 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Immigration, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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May 16, 2007

2nd GOP Debate: That's More Like It

Now that The Gate has almost fully recovered from last night's Republican debate (9 p.m. start time? Thanks, FOX), it's time to assess the post-mortems of the action. All the usual suspects have weighed in by now, and there are more thumbs-up than not to the feistiness of the 10-candidate face-off.

(For recaps of the fun, see last night's liveblog of the debate.)

There's lots of buzz around the Republican slate's own Mike Gravel, the libertarian Texas Rep. Ron Paul. They're both long-shot candidates who were thrust into headline status following their debate performances. But unlike Gravel, Paul is taking negative hits for his newsmaking moment, in which he argued that America's footprint in the Middle East was inciting terrorism and got shot down in a big way by The 9/11 Mayor himself, Rudy Giuliani.

There are two things to take away from that moment. One, Giuliani's campaign ought to hire Paul. New Yorkers know better than anyone that the anger on their former mayor's face during that exchange was the real deal. And when it comes to fighting terrorism, a little scariness from politicians is actually a good thing. Giuliani's campaign is betting that his platform on terrorism will trump unhappiness with his social views, and his performance last night was reason to throw a little money Paul's way.

Continue reading "2nd GOP Debate: That's More Like It"

Posted at 2:20 PM
Posted to: FOX News, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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May 15, 2007

Liveblogging The 2nd GOP Debate

UPDATED.

End note. Tonight's debate felt more substantive than the last meeting of the Republican 10. Candidates got the same 30 seconds or so to answer questions, but there were fewer questions this time, which made the pacing seem more orderly. The questions themselves were also all serious, more or less -- no one got lobbed with an out-of-left-field query (unlike last time around).

Quite a few of the candidates seem to have learned something from McCain. There were more follow-them-to-the-gates-of-hell type responses on terrorism tonight. But no one capped it with a weird, triumphant smile. In fact, we didn't detect any gaffes at all. (If you think Ron Paul's performance qualifies as a gaffe -- you just don't know Ron Paul.)

Overall, the field feels more set in stone than it did before. Of the lower-tier contenders, Gilmore, Huckabee and Tancredo asserted themselves the most, but probably not in a way that will set their campaigns on fire. Thompson was oddly quiet tonight, as was Brownback.

Mercifully, the next debate, this time among the Democrats, is nearly three weeks away. And, most everyone in Washington hopes, a wartime appropriations bill will make it out of Congress and past the president's desk by then. In the time since the debate began tonight, the Pentagon announced the deaths of two more soldiers, one in Iraq and one in Pakistan. Clocks are ticking all around. And no one on that stage knows this more than the guys not named Giuliani or McCain.

FOXNews.com is streaming its debate analysis. See Captain's Quarters, The Caucus, The Corner and The Fix for their takes on the debate.

10:34. And it's over. Hunter had just gotten a chance to sound the alarm on China, his other pet issue after immigration. The center of gravity in the 2008 election will likely remain the Iraq war, and there's little he and other candidates can do about that. But how much longer can the front-runners campaign on Iraq and fiscal policy alone? Shouldn't they have to give serious thought to, say, China's growing economic influence and military growth as well?

Continue reading "Liveblogging The 2nd GOP Debate"

Posted at 8:37 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Chuck Hagel, Duncan Hunter, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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GOP Debate Preview: Take Two

Tonight's FOX News-sponsored debate of the Republican presidential candidates in South Carolina comes less than two weeks after their first nationally televised debate in California. And not one of the hopefuls has reason to complain that their second meeting has come so quickly. (The Gate will be liveblogging the action at 8:45 p.m. EDT.)

The rapid-fire pace of questions at the previous forum, sponsored by MSNBC and the Politico, did not allow time for thoughtful responses, much less clarification of the occasional fumbled answer. Just ask former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who seemed to support businesses that fire employees for being gay, and has been explaining the gaffe (a busted hearing aid, a bulging bladder) ever since.

Also see: Rudy Giuliani. The pro-choice former mayor of New York told moderator Chris Matthews that he would be just fine with Roe v. Wade being overturned, just so long as it was done based on "strict constructionist" principles. Constitutional lawyers everywhere scratched their heads, and Giuliani's rivals smelled the blood of a flip-flopper in the water. The Gate spoke with Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella the Monday following the May 3 meet-up. After some prodding, she said that Giuliani shares a fairly widespread belief (in legal academia, anyway) that Roe was poorly decided, and that a Federalist approach may have been preferable.

Continue reading "GOP Debate Preview: Take Two"

Posted at 7:31 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Duncan Hunter, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Tommy Thompson, WH 2008
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May 14, 2007

Pols Don Their Caps & Gowns

It's that time of year again, and with Washington entangled in the ongoing battle over Iraq and presidential candidates eyeing next year's increasingly early primaries, politicians are scrambling for that sweetest of spring gigs: the college commencement address.

Here's a snapshot of some of the speeches graduates were treated to over the weekend:

President Bush at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa.: "Be the face that brings a smile to the hurt and forgotten. Lead lives of purpose and character -- make a difference in someone else's life. And if you do, you will lead richer lives, you will build a more hopeful nation, and you'll never be disappointed."

Nancy Pelosi at Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.: "At a time when some world leaders question the value of constructive dialogue with our adversaries, young people are engaged in their own international dialogue, on campuses and through e-mail, instant messaging and blogs. They are talking about their hopes for a brighter future -- of their desire for peace and prosperity."

Continue reading "Pols Don Their Caps & Gowns"

Posted at 2:27 PM
Posted to: Hillary Rodham Clinton, House, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Tony Snow
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May 10, 2007

WH '08 Ads: Take A Look At Us Now

In the long race for the White House this cycle, candidates who will be in it for the long haul -- i.e., those at the top -- are squirreling away the voluminous amounts of cash they're raising for when the contests go down to the wire. Those not polling well, however, don't have the luxury of time, and must spend more freely in order to grab and hold voters' attention.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson boasts a longer resume than the three Democratic front-runners -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards -- and he's not afraid to use it against them. Doing his part to protest the "American Idol"-ization of the 2008 White House race, he's launched two spots that feature him and an inept Human Resources executive.

Meanwhile, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is up yet again, with his third TV ad of the cycle. His financial filings show that he burned through more than half of what he hauled in last quarter, indicating that the third- (sometimes fourth-) place contender is more than willing to throw money at the problem.

For more details, and to view these ads, see today's Ad Spotlight (subscription).

Posted at 12:50 PM
Posted to: Democrats, Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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May 03, 2007

Liveblogging The First GOP Debate

And... scene. Ronald Reagan wasn't the only ghost in the room tonight. Somewhere, perhaps on a sound stage in New York City, senator-turned-actor Fred Thompson senses a clamoring for his entree into this race. That nearly all participants went out of their way to liken themselves to Reagan mostly served to highlight the fact that, for GOP base voters, there wasn't a Gipper on the stage.

This yearning may have less to do with what Reagan actually accomplished than with Republicans needing a shot of Prozac in the form of a presidential candidate who makes them feel good about being Republicans again. As McCain's precarious position in the top tier shows, proximity to Bush may be toxic in that regard. Everyone else might be too big a question mark to fill that void.

More reason to cue the actor? That the media aren't tiring of speculating on this point may mean that none of the current candidates has convinced Republicans that he could be their champion in '08.

The Caucus, The Fix, On Politics and The Ticker also have wrap-ups of the debate.

9:46. Tancredo's back. He's a prime example of why debates like this can be unfair to some candidates. The immigration issue is one quite a few Republicans would rather paper over until after the 2008 election. Tancredo may be a long-shot candidate, but he has a loyal, energized group of supporters in Americans who want to stanch the tide of illegal immigrants making their way across the border. It's a security issue, an economic issue, and, to some Americans, a cultural issue.

In one of a handful of mentions of George W. Bush by the candidates, McCain praised the president's position on immigration. McCain and Democrat Edward Kennedy have co-sponsored a bill that enacts tighter controls at the border while providing illegal immigrants a path to citizenship -- a provision Tancredo decries as amnesty.

Polls show few Americans actually want all illegal immigrants rounded up and deported. But the problem for McCain and Bush is that, to a degree, the dictionary definition of amnesty applies. Pressing the candidates on that point could have given Tancredo and his comrade in arms on that issue, Duncan Hunter, a powerful moment in the debate. But it never happened.

9:45. Tancredo's turn on MSNBC, and -- oops. They lose him. The congressman just can't get a break tonight.

9:41. Spin room time; Brownback is first up on MSNBC. No, the candidates didn't all get a fair shot at getting their message across, and yes, the debate went a little too fast, the Kansas senator says. That's a good point, actually -- if fewer Politico.com reader questions had been asked, candidates could have been allotted more time for responses. Perhaps we'll see some Friday morning quarterbacking on the debate format tomorrow.

9:33. It's over, and the frustration on stage is palpable. Blame the number of candidates, blame the format -- there were no runaway performances here, which wasn't expected anyway, but the sheer lack of high points is a little surprising.

Romney, by the way, wins the race to rush over and greet Mrs. Reagan.

Continue reading "Liveblogging The First GOP Debate"

Posted at 7:45 PM
Posted to: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, Sam Brownback, Tommy Thompson
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May 01, 2007

Whither The Nerd Vote?

UPDATED.

Why don't campaign advisers, who lose sleep over minutiae like the sheen of a candidate's hair, do a better job schooling their candidates on textbook campaign trail questions?

Rudy Giuliani flubbed a question last month, and the latest example comes courtesy of Mitt Romney, who told FOX News yesterday that "Battlefield Earth" was among his favorite novels. Maybe it is "a very fun science-fiction book," but the response could prove problematic for Romney on two fronts.

Continue reading "Whither The Nerd Vote?"

Posted at 5:09 PM
Posted to: Mitt Romney, Republicans, WH 2008
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April 25, 2007

Romney Swipes McCain Ahead Of Official Announcement

Arizona Sen. John McCain is set to formally announce his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination from New Hampshire at noon. Check back with The Gate for more details to come.

A half hour before McCain's scheduled announcement, the campaign of GOP rival Mitt Romney issued a press release pointing out "fundamental flaws in the McCain-Feingold law," a provision of which is being contested in a case before the Supreme Court today. Coincidence?

Posted at 11:41 AM
Posted to: John McCain, Mitt Romney
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March 28, 2007

John Kerry: Swift Boat This

President Bush has withdrawn the nomination of a major donor to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the 527 group that rocked 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry's ultimately doomed campaign for the presidency. Sam Fox, the CEO and chairman of an equity management company, was Bush's pick to be U.S. ambassador to Belgium.

"'We received word that because of politics some members of the Senate were going to vote against'" Fox, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a Bloomberg News report.

Indeed, with three Democratic WH '08 candidates plus Kerry sitting on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Fox's nomination was in trouble from the start. The White House informed the committee of its decision just before members were to vote on the nomination.

Continue reading "John Kerry: Swift Boat This"

Posted at 3:04 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Democrats, John Kerry, Mitt Romney, President Bush, WH 2008
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March 05, 2007

Conservative Bloggers Want CPAC To Drop Coulter

Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters, Seth Hackbarth of The American Mind and Patrick Hynes of Ankle Biting Pundits are among the influential conservative bloggers incensed by pundit/author/TV personality Ann Coulter's use of a derogatory word for gays in a one-liner about Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. And they've teamed up, in an open letter to the Conservative Political Action Conference and its sponsors, to urge the event organizers to sever ties to Coulter for good.

Continue reading "Conservative Bloggers Want CPAC To Drop Coulter"

Posted at 1:41 PM
Posted to: Ann Coulter, John Edwards, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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March 02, 2007

CPAC: The Abridged Version

There is a conventional wisdom developing that Rudy Giuliani will take a mighty tumble closer to primary time. By then, the reasoning goes, GOP voters will eventually discover en masse that he is pro-choice and gay-friendly. (Most New Yorkers know that he roomed with some close friends who were gay after announcing to the media, but not his second wife, Donna Hanover, that he was divorcing her.)

Continue reading "CPAC: The Abridged Version"

Posted at 6:02 PM
Posted to: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, WH 2008
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CPAC: 'Dude, Where's My Candidate?'

So quipped former Ark. Gov. Mike Huckabee when opening his speech before an audience of grassroots conservatives still searching for a champion going into the 2008 presidential election. Whereas Hillary Rodham Clinton is seen as the juggernaut to beat for the Democratic nomination, every one of the Republican hopefuls have been tagged with seemingly insurmountable weaknesses. For most of the field -- like Huckabee -- it's lack of money, momentum and name recognition, but the top three contenders -- John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney -- are perceived by their party's base as leaving much to be desired.

So more than in most years, Day 2 of this year's Conservative Political Action Conference was like a day-long pitch meeting, with six of the 11 probable-to-definite candidates stating their case. Conspicuously absent, as reported yesterday, was McCain. To say that the Arizona senator's MIA status went unnoticed is to be generous. Very, very generous.

More to follow...

-JANE ROH

Posted at 4:38 PM
Posted to: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani
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